SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Vinny Lecavalier has experienced a lot of things during 16 years in the NHL.
He’s won an Olympic gold medal. A Stanley Cup. A Rocket Richard Trophy.
Tonight against the Sharks, the 34-year-old centerman will experience something very different: his first experience as a “healthy” scratch in the NHL.
“I think it’s tough,” Lecavalier said. “It’s never happened. Yeah, it’s tough.”
Lecavalier had just one goal in November and has two for the entire season.
“Vinny’s game has obviously dropped off,” said coach Craig Berube.
It’s pretty obvious with Berube rotating players as scratches during the Flyers' 1-7-1 slide, he is sending a message to others.
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Michael Del Zotto is scratched tonight. Luke Schenn, Andrew MacDonald and Pierre-Edouard Bellemare were all scratched last week.
“Maybe,” Lecavalier said of the message factor. “We’re all hoping to turn this thing around starting tonight. I remember last year we came to California and we started playing well. If you ask me personally if it helps me to put me in the stands, of course not. So there’s absolutely nothing I can do about it. Just get ready for next practice and our next game.”
Berube told Lecavalier, who has 405 career goals, on Monday he would sit this game out.
“It’s very difficult,” Berube said. “He’s a respected hockey player that’s been around a long time. He’s done a lot. It’s not easy for him. It’s not an easy conversation, but it’s part of being a coach.”
Lecavalier, who was biting his lip in restrained anger at times, on Tuesday, was asked whether the move was called for.
“I’m not going to start arguing,” he replied. “It’s his decision. There’s nothing I can do about it, so I’m going to work hard in practice and when I get back. I’m going to do my best to help the team.”
Flyers general manager Ron Hextall tried all summer to trade Lecavalier and could not. Maybe the Flyers need to revisit that idea?
“Honestly, I really don’t want to comment on that,” Lecavalier said. “Obviously, when you don’t play -- not just tonight -- but the previous games playing 10 minutes and five minutes and stuff like that, it’s definitely hard to produce and show what you can do.
“At the same time, I don’t want to give excuses. I don’t want to … I just want to go out and play and help the team out.”
It was well known last summer there were only a handful of places Lecavalier would agree to waive his no-movement clause in a trade. Again he was asked about a trade now.
“That’s a legit question, but I’m not there right now,” he replied.
This is not entirely his fault. Lecavalier was in offensive decline for quite a while before the Flyers foolishly signed him to a five-year, $22.5 million contract to play center on a team that had too many centers and needed a scoring winger.
“I’m not going to lie and say I didn’t go here for Lavy [Peter Laviolette],” Lecavalier said. “Of course I did. I met him and Homer and had a great meeting. I liked what he said to me.
“It was obviously a surprise [when he got fired], but that’s last year and it’s a different system and it is what it is. Nothing’s always going to be perfect. It’s my job to try to work with it and do my best at it.”
He’s been mostly a winger here and it hasn’t worked out. Both last season and now, he’s been bothered by various injuries, not uncommon to players his age.
That said, Lecavalier was moved about the lineup last season and scored 20 goals, so he should be able to duplicate the same this year. Yet it’s obvious his game is going the other direction.
“I’m not a different player than last year,” he said. “I didn’t think I had a really good season last year. I had a great start and had a lot of opportunities the first 20 games and then I got hurt and after that not as much.
“I just want to work hard and get back out there. I know what I can do. I believe in what I can do. Mentally, it’s tough. It was tough this morning, but I’ve got to move on and I gotta get ready for the next time I’m out there.”
He said while his confidence is waning, watching from the press box might help him in other ways.
“Maybe that’s going to let me see things that’s going to help me with … maybe more time with the puck,” he said. “When I was injured, I’d watch games. There’s nothing you can do about it, but you’re up there and kind of watching the game and maybe there are some things that you can improve.
“I’ll do that tonight, but as far as sitting out to help the confidence, of course it doesn’t. So that’s why in practice you’ve gotta keep the confidence and keep your stick loose in your hands and try to get better that way.”