On the surface, Philadelphia Flyers forward Matt Read had a poor year. He scored only 26 points, a career low for a non-strike season. This is coming off what was supposed to be an unusually poor season one year ago, when he scored only 8 goals.
When he had that bad season last year, a lot of people pointed to injuries. He seemed slower than usual, and eventually Read admitted that he was playing through injury issues. Even in this weakened phyiscal condition, “Reader” at least got to the 30 point mark. There was good reason for Flyers fans and management to expect a bounce back this season.