Luca Sbisa

When you talk to the Flyers, they all agree that defenseman Luca Sbisa is mature beyond his years and doesn't play like an 18-year-old. Ah, but he is only 18, and the Flyers are taking extra care to make sure he's just as comfortable off the ice as he looks on it. "He's still a junior-age kid, and it's not fair that he live on his own," general manager Paul Holmgren said. So Holmgren has arranged for Sbisa to live with a local woman, who, over the years, has become the unofficial housemother for some of the younger Flyers.

At 18 years old, defenseman Luca Sbisa knows he is a long shot to earn a spot on the Flyers' roster this season. But . . . "The coaching staff said everyone has a chance to make the team, so I'm going to take the chance," he said before the Flyers opened their exhibition season with a 4-1 win over the New Jersey Devils last night at the Wachovia Center. "I know it's going to be hard to make the team because there's a pretty good D here," said Sbisa, who grew up in Switzerland.

In a deal that clears salary-cap space that may enable them to land a marquee free-agent defenseman, the Flyers traded speedy center R.J. Umberger to the Columbus Blue Jackets last night for two draft picks - and used the first one to choose defenseman Luca Sbisa with the 19th overall selection in the first round, in Ottawa, Ontario. The Flyers also received Columbus' 67th overall choice in today's third round. In addition, the Flyers gave Columbus a fourth-round pick, the 118th overall, in today's session.

The Flyers will have some decisions to make this offseason. They have some flexibility given the development of their young players. UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS Mike Knuble Marty Biron Antero Niittymaki Andrew Alberts Josh Gratton Boyd Kane Lasse Kukkonen RESTRICTED FREE AGENTS Nate Raduns Nate Guenin Danny Syvret Jared Ross PROMISING ROOKIES Claude Giroux Luca Sbisa ...

LOS ANGELES - The Flyers have made at least one trade at every NHL draft since 2000. Here's a list of notable draft-day trades in franchise history: June 26, 2009: To Anaheim: Joffrey Lupul, Luca Sbisa, first round 2009 (John Moore), first round 2010 To Flyers: Chris Pronger, Ryan Dingle June 20, 2008: To Columbus: Rights to R.J. Umberger, fourth round 2008 To Flyers: Colorado's first round 2008 (Luca Sbisa), third round 2008 (Marc-Andre Bourdon) July 30, 2005: To Phoenix: Anaheim's second round 2005 To Flyers: Columbus' fourth round 2005 (Jeremy Duchesne)

Flyers' first-rounders Flyers' low first-round draft pick history since 2000: No. 11 overall 2003: Jeff Carter: 516 GP, 202 G, 175 A. Traded to Columbus on June 23, 2011. No. 19 overall 2008: Luca Sbisa: 195 GP, 7 G, 35 A. Traded to Anaheim on June 26, 2009. No. 22 overall 2006: Claude Giroux: 285 GP, 78 G, 165 A. No. 24 overall 2003: Mike Richards: 527 GP, 151 G, 242 A. Traded to Los Angeles on June 23, 2011.

Former Flyers defenseman Danny Syvret signed a 1-year, two-way contract yesterday to join the Anaheim Ducks. Syvret, an unrestricted free agent, will earn $600,000 at the NHL level and $105,000 in the AHL. He also fielded offers from Montreal, Pittsburgh, Nashville and San Jose. Syvret, 25, scored the Flyers' only goal in the Winter Classic at Fenway Park last Jan. 1. In 21 games with the Flyers last season, Syvret posted two goals and two assists before sustaining a knee injury in January that kept him out of the NHL for the rest of the year.

They are a little more than 4,000 miles away from their home in Switzerland and temporarily living in a Center City hotel. Their Christmas tree is, well, not exactly the type you'll see in It's a Wonderful Life. The tree is about as big as a paper cup and is supposed to magically grow when given some water. "It was this big," said Isabella Sbisa, the mother of Philadelphia's most popular 18-year-old athlete, Flyers defenseman Luca Sbisa, "and now it's up to this. " She expanded her fingers from two to four inches.

Marian Gaborik scored two goals and added an assist as the New York Rangers broke out of their funk last night with a 5-2 victory over visiting Phoenix. The Rangers netted two goals on five shots in the first period and two more on only six attempts in the second to chase goalie Ilya Bryzgalov. Gaborik did most of the damage. His first goal gave New York a 2-0 lead and his second - his 10th of the season - made it 4-0. In between, he set up Vinny Prospal for another goal. That was enough for the Rangers to snap their three-game losing streak that came on the heels of a seven-game winning run. Artem Anisimov and Enver Lisin also scored, while Henrik Lundqvist had 30 saves in goal.

FRANCOIS BEAUCHEMIN, Corey Perry and Bobby Ryan scored during a 4-minute, 23-second span of the third period, and the Anaheim Ducks beat the visiting St. Louis Blues last night, 4-2. Ryan also scored in the first period, for his 20th multigoal game in the NHL, and added an assist on Beauchemin's go-ahead goal at 1:31. Ryan Getzlaf and defenseman Luca Sbisa, a former No. 1 draft choice of the Flyers, both had two assists. Jonas Hiller, coming off a 31-save shutout against San Jose on Friday, made 28 saves.

Flyers' first-rounders Flyers' low first-round draft pick history since 2000: No. 11 overall 2003: Jeff Carter: 516 GP, 202 G, 175 A. Traded to Columbus on June 23, 2011. No. 19 overall 2008: Luca Sbisa: 195 GP, 7 G, 35 A. Traded to Anaheim on June 26, 2009. No. 22 overall 2006: Claude Giroux: 285 GP, 78 G, 165 A. No. 24 overall 2003: Mike Richards: 527 GP, 151 G, 242 A. Traded to Los Angeles on June 23, 2011.

FRANCOIS BEAUCHEMIN, Corey Perry and Bobby Ryan scored during a 4-minute, 23-second span of the third period, and the Anaheim Ducks beat the visiting St. Louis Blues last night, 4-2. Ryan also scored in the first period, for his 20th multigoal game in the NHL, and added an assist on Beauchemin's go-ahead goal at 1:31. Ryan Getzlaf and defenseman Luca Sbisa, a former No. 1 draft choice of the Flyers, both had two assists. Jonas Hiller, coming off a 31-save shutout against San Jose on Friday, made 28 saves.

Flyers Notes EL SEGUNDO, Calif. - It will seem a bit strange for several Flyers when they face Los Angeles on Thursday night and see John Stevens behind the host Kings' bench. Stevens, a Kings assistant, was the Flyers' head coach when many of the team's young, core players began their NHL rise. Flyers captain Mike Richards is one of those players. "It'll be good to see him again," Richards said after Wednesday's practice in suburban Los Angeles. "He and I went through a lot together and he really helped me along - and he's a big part of where I am today.

Rookie's big debut Rangers forward Derek Stepan became the fourth NHL player to score three goals in a debut. Stepan, a second-round draft pick in 2008, scored once in the first period and twice in the second on Saturday night against Buffalo's Ryan Miller - last season's winner of the Vezina Trophy as the NHL's top goalie - in New York's 6-3 victory. He scored 10 minutes, 53 seconds into the game, then added a pair of goals 3:12 apart in the second. The hat trick was completed with 1:40 remaining in the period.

Former Flyers defenseman Danny Syvret signed a 1-year, two-way contract yesterday to join the Anaheim Ducks. Syvret, an unrestricted free agent, will earn $600,000 at the NHL level and $105,000 in the AHL. He also fielded offers from Montreal, Pittsburgh, Nashville and San Jose. Syvret, 25, scored the Flyers' only goal in the Winter Classic at Fenway Park last Jan. 1. In 21 games with the Flyers last season, Syvret posted two goals and two assists before sustaining a knee injury in January that kept him out of the NHL for the rest of the year.

LOS ANGELES - For most NHL teams, the entry draft is a way to rebuild and grow a franchise from scratch. For the Flyers, it has historically been a weekend to trade - not to build. Without a pick in the first two rounds, the Flyers head into tonight's first round at the Staples Center with a trade about the only thing fans are eagerly awaiting. The Flyers' first pick doesn't come up until tomorrow late in the third round, at No. 89 overall. A trade would be more expected than unusual for the Flyers, who have made at least one deal during the course of every draft since 2000.

LOS ANGELES - The Flyers have made at least one trade at every NHL draft since 2000. Here's a list of notable draft-day trades in franchise history: June 26, 2009: To Anaheim: Joffrey Lupul, Luca Sbisa, first round 2009 (John Moore), first round 2010 To Flyers: Chris Pronger, Ryan Dingle June 20, 2008: To Columbus: Rights to R.J. Umberger, fourth round 2008 To Flyers: Colorado's first round 2008 (Luca Sbisa), third round 2008 (Marc-Andre Bourdon) July 30, 2005: To Phoenix: Anaheim's second round 2005 To Flyers: Columbus' fourth round 2005 (Jeremy Duchesne)

RW Arron Asham: Signed as free agent, July 7, 2008. G Johan Backlund: Signed as free agent, March 26, 2009. D Oskars Bartulis: Drafted 2005, third round, 91st overall. C Blair Betts: Signed as free agent, Oct. 1, 2009. G Brian Boucher: Signed as free agent, July 1, 2009. RW Danny Briere: Signed as free agent , July 1, 2007. LW Daniel Carcillo: Traded from Phoenix for Scottie Upshall and a second-round pick in 2011, March 4, 2009.

Paul Holmgren replaced Bob Clarke as the Flyers' general manager Nov. 11, 2006, after seven seasons as assistant GM with the club. In 2007-08, Holmgren's first full season, the Flyers improved 39 points from the season before, the best single-season improvement in club history. The Flyers advanced to the Eastern Conference finals in '08. In 2008-09, the Flyers lost in the first round of the playoffs. Here is a question-and-answer session with Holmgren, who assembled the team that will play Chicago for the Stanley Cup: Question: Can you characterize what the Flyers have accomplished since April 11, when they qualified for the playoffs by winning a shootout in the final regular season game?

It took a lot for the Flyers to get to the Stanley Cup finals. Here is how the team was built, player by player: FORWARDS Arron Asham No. 45, age 32: Signed as a free agent on July 7, 2008. Previously played for the Canadiens, Islanders and Devils. Blair Betts No. 11, age 30: Signed, as an unrestricted free agent, Oct. 1, 2009, to a professional tryout before the 2009-10 season. Previously played with the Flames and Rangers. Danny Briere No. 48, age 32: Signed as an unrestricted free agent on July 1, 2007, after having played with the Coyotes and Sabres.