In a wide-ranging conference call with reporters, Laviolette downplayed the suggestion the Flyers might make a deal because they had a surplus of centers, said that goalie Michael Leighton "has given himself every opportunity to be considered a No. 1," and added that he wants the team to take "a better course" toward the playoffs next season.
Asked if he would try to reduce Chris Pronger's regular-season minutes, Laviolette said, "You've got to remember where we were at Christmas. This wasn't a year like Chicago had, where you can try and spread those minutes around and get everybody in a comfortable position with their time on ice.
"We were a team since Christmas that was in a stretch run. . . . Every game was important. Every game was a must-win. When you're in 14th in the conference and in 29th place overall, you can't afford to" experiment with the lineup.
Pronger, 35, averaged nearly 26 minutes per game in the regular season and an NHL-high 29:03 in the playoffs.
"Chris Pronger has handled those minutes his entire career," Laviolette said. "Would it be great if we could play him 22, 24, somewhere between 20 and 25 minutes a night in the regular season? Sure. But we've got to make sure we win hockey games, that we finish high up in the conference and that we secure home ice for the playoffs."
Laviolette, who was hired Dec. 4, said the Flyers were "conditioned at a high enough level" to win the Cup, but added he will be able to implement new things since he will have the team from the start of the season.
"Training camp for me is an opportunity to get everyone on the same page, work through some things, maybe even try things you might not try in a stretch run, because you just don't get that opportunity," he said. "You have to win every game, every period and every shift, and experimenting with different things isn't probably the best idea, so training camp you get to try a few more things."
