Prospect is a real flyer on ice

By CHUCK GORMLEY • Courier-Post Staff • July 23, 2008 VOORHEES — Ask Paul Holmgren who's the best skater in the Flyers organization and he won't tell you Danny Briere or Jeff Carter or Kimmo Timonen. His answer is defenseman Mike Ratchuk, a 5-foot-nothing, 100-nothing-pound defenseman who will never be confused with Mike Rathje, a mammoth, plodding blue liner by a similar name who still happens to be on the Flyers' payroll. Ratchuk, 20, was taken by the Flyers with their third pick (42nd overall) of the 2006 NHL draft and signed a three-year entry level contract with the club last spring. And while he looks slightly smaller and lighter than his advertised height (5-foot-11) and weight (177 pounds) there is one attribute Ratchuk has that no one else in this week's rookie developmental camp possesses. He can fly. "He's got... [read full story]