Flyers release Berard, Dowd

With their regular season opener less than a week away, the Flyers further whittled their roster down by releasing two veterans today. Center Jim Dowd and defenseman Bryan Berard, who were both invited to Flyers camp on a tryout basis, were let go by the club. Berard, despite his impressive camp showing, lost out in a numbers game both for a spot on defense and for a contract. The Flyers simply can't afford to sign another player and make it work under the salary cap. Berard did do enough to prove he belongs in the NHL so look for another team to pick him up in the coming days. Dowd's NHL career may be over. Dowd is 39 and has played professional hockey since 1991. He spent last season with the Flyers as the 4th line center but was never in the plans for the 2008/09 season. Click the link for my projection of the Flyers final roster.....