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So ... what do the Flyers do now?

Paul Holmgren

FILE - This Dec. 4, 2009, file photo shows Philadelphia Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren at a news conference, in Philadelphia. A person familiar with the deal says the Flyers have given Holmgren a three-year contract extension.The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity on Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2011, because the extension has not yet been announced.(AP Photo/Matt Slocum, File)

AP

What a difference a matched offer sheet makes.

Instead of snatching up a quick Chris Pronger replacement in Shea Weber, the Philadelphia Flyers now stare at an unsettling situation on their blueline. It’s bad enough that they’re likely to be without both Pronger and Weber, but GM Paul Holmgren also let Matt Carle bolt to the Bolts.

That leaves the Flyers with a lot of questions on defense, which isn’t fantastic news for a team that probably wanted to ease Ilya Bryzgalov into his second season as their should-be franchise goalie.

Kimmo Timonen and Braydon Coburn ranks as the team’s most obvious top pairing, but Travis Hughes illuminates worries that Timonen is getting old and Coburn might not be able to do much more than he already has.

To Hughes and other onlookers such as Gus Katsaros, the Flyers need to make a change - and the most obvious route seems to be adding a blueliner via the trade route. Would a guy like Jay Bouwmeester stop the bleeding?

Hughes brings up one other idea since the UFA pool is shallow: could they take a shot at another offer sheet? There are a few guys to choose from, including P.K. Subban.

It’s a tough situation, but the Flyers might need to come up with a Plan B.

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