Do the Flyers Have the Best Young Defense in NHL?
No doubt Alain Vigneault and the Philadelphia Flyers are on a roll right now. And what a roll it is.
For the first time in a long time, you can’t help but be excited if you’re a fan of the team.
Just as the Flyers were wrapping up a sweep of their home and home series against the New York Rangers, a team that had won 6 straight games before facing the NHL’s new juggernaut that is the Philadelphia Flyers, a friend texted me, saying only “The Flyers are a scary team”! And he’s absolutely right. So it got me thinking: WHY are the Flyers so “scary” right now?
We all recognize the masterful job Head Coach Alain Vigneault has done so far (I wrote a piece on that just last week)* and we all know the popular and exciting names on the team like Travis Konecny, Claude Giroux, Sean Couturier, or even Kevin Hayes. But one aspect of the team that has looked incredible this season, and seldom gets the recognition for it, is the Flyers defense.
Last offseason, Chuck Fletcher went out and to the dismay of many, brought in seasoned veteran’s Matt Niskanen and Justin Braun, while shipping out Radko Gudas. Both moves have paid dividends so far as they have provided a veteran presence and have helped the exciting young defensemen develop properly.
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Let’s take a look at that young defensive core.
Ivan Provorov
It all starts with number 1 defenseman Ivan Provorov. The 7th overall pick in the 2015 entry draft, has been an absolute workhorse for the Flyers since entering the league.
He’s an ironman, having never missed a game in his career with the Flyers and he plays HUGE minutes. After leading all defensemen in goals 2 seasons ago with 17, Provorov had a difficult season last year with only 7 goals. But Vigneault has paired him the veteran Niskanen this season, and it seems to be just what the doctor ordered for “Provy”.
After 65 games, Provorov has 11 goals and 33 points while averaging 24:51 minutes of ice time. He kills penalties and plays the powerplay. He can just do it all and do it VERY well.
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Travis Sanheim
Next in line is Travis Sanheim. The 6’3”, 17th overall pick in the 2014 entry draft has been worthy of his 1st round selection. Last year, his first complete season, Sanheim played all 82 games, while scoring 9 goals and 35 points. The young man more than held his own against top-notch opponents.
This season, after 65 games, Sanheim has 8 goals and is well on his way to getting to double digits while averaging 20:08 minutes of ice time. He sees the game really well and can move the puck with skill and finesse. He’s a really good skater and his towering frame and his long reach allow him to make plays most defensemen in this league just can’t. The sky is the limit for the 23-year-old.
Phil Myers
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Next up: Phil Myers. The 6’5” undrafted defenseman is one of the absolute best signings that then General Manager Ron Hextall made. The Flyers extended Myers an invitation to their rookie camp back in 2016, and from the moment he stepped on the ice, Flyers management was just “WOWED” by the giant defenseman and signed him shortly thereafter.
Myers is a smooth skater with tremendous vision and a huge offensive upside. His breakout passes are a thing of beauty. This season Myers has 16 points in 47 games and is a plus (+) 16. The pairing of the defensive giants Sanheim and Myers is a thing of beauty to watch.
Robert Hagg
The others: Robert Hagg. The 41st overall selection in the 2013 entry draft has had a real nice bounce-back season and is currently a plus (+) 13 on the season and has surprisingly become a shot-blocking machine.
Shayne Gostisbehere
Shayne Gostisbehere is having a down season.
Unfortunately, Ghost’s career has gone in the wrong direction since 2018. His 12 points after 41 games this season are a far cry from the 65, he put up in 2017-18. Right now, Ghost is the number 7 defenseman on this team, something not too many of us would have ever dreamed of saying not too long ago. And with Cam York and Igor Zamula coming soon, Ghost’s future seems uncertain with the Flyers.
Sam Morin
Let’s not forget the 6’6” mammoth defenseman, Sam Morin. The 11th overall selection in the 2013 entry draft has been absolutely plagued with injuries ever since being drafted. If he can somehow get 100% healthy, he’s just a monster stay at home defenseman who can clear the crease easily.
The Flyers defensive core leads the league in scoring by defensemen. The fact is the Flyers have a tremendous amount of young top-notch talent on their defensive side of the puck. That’s great news for “goalie of the future” Carter Hart and the rest of the Flyers and their fans.
The team has so much young talent on the back end, that most other teams can only dream of having 1 of those types of players.
The Flyers have 3, and a few more coming. They’ve drafted well in the last half dozen seasons or so, and they did REALLY well on defense, and are well on their way to being the best young defense in the NHL if they’re not there already.
Watching this defense come into their own is just a thing of beauty.
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