With drafting and signing undrafted free agents with the likes of Travis Sanheim, Ivan Provorov, Wyatte Wylie, and Philippe Myers. The Flyers seemed primed for long-term success on the blueline. However, Hextall wasn’t finished as he made a bold pick and selected a young defenseman Wyatt Kalynuk who committed to the University of Wisconsin before being drafted. For his efforts, Kalynuk has really turned some heads at the NCAA level, so much so, he was given a Pro option. However, Kalynuk remained committed to the University of Wisconsin hockey team as he told me in February, “The NHL will be here in one, two, or three years. I’m in no rush. I enjoy being Captain.” Kalynuk is a young man from Manitoba, and he says hockey has been his blood since he was born thanks to his dad.
The University of Wisconsin Men’s Hockey program announced Ty Emberson as the Captain next season on May 27, and Kalynuk was given 30 days to sign with Philly after deciding to turn Pro. Well, it appears Kalynuk and the Flyers could not come to terms on an agreement, thus Kalynuk is now a UFA, per Charlie O’ Connor. Charlie also says that Wyatt could still wind up signing in Philadelphia, and they are still in the running even though the Flyers lost his exclusive negotiating rights. Kalynuk really established himself as a quality puck moving defenseman last season in 2019-20, as he has become much better in transition. Moreover, Kalynuk was able to exit the defensive zone cleanly, whether its by pushing the play up the ice, or looking for a quick pass to exit the defensive zone. For the season, he he recorded 6 goals, 22 assists in just 26 games, which is good enough for a .846% scoring rate.
Kalynuk really showed his range by playing in any situation the coaching staff asked of him, and he has done so well with puck protection. His skating has appeared to be smoother than in prior years, as well, maybe he’s getting some tips from a familiar face Flyers fans have grown to love in his good friend Travis Sanheim.
There could be many reasons why Kalynuk wouldn’t come to terms with in agreement in Philadelphia. The most prevalent case is the stockpile of young quality defencemen in the Flyers system. For instance, Wyatte Wylie, Cam York, Linus Hogberg, Yegor Zamula, Ronnie Attard, Adam Ginning, Jack St. Ivany, and Mason Millman. The Flyers top brass were very high on Kalynuk, and they really thought he would sign. The question remains why didn’t the Flyers trade his rights to a team like former General Manager Ron Hextall did with Cooper Marody.
The young defenseman in Kalynuk decision was not an easy one, but he sees a clearer path to the NHL, than he did in Philly. With the uncertainty of playing time in the Philly, it makes sense to take the route. Honestly, he always seemed like a confident player, who grew with better competition. Whatever the case may be, Kalynuk’s heart does not lie in Philly.
Projected Phantoms Defense for 2020-21:
Zamula, Wylie
Wotherspoon, Prosser
Hogberg, Bigras
Why the hell we did not trade his rights to another team, because we would have got firth round pick as a return! Stupid Chucky!
Chuck Fletcher must have been golfing yesterday and forgot Kalynuk was waiting by the phone for a call from the Flyer’s GM. Wyatt Kalynuk should become a pretty good NHL defenseman someday, but it won’t be as a Flyer. I believe he would have been a Flyer D’man in 2-3 years and is better than most of the Flyer’s prospects right now. He is much better than Cam York if you kwatched both play on the Big Ten Network, especially in head to head games this past season, Kalynuk was by far the better player.
Ron Hextall would never have lost a talented player of Kalynu’s caliber by letting the clock run out. Kalynuk has all the tools to be an outstanding puck moving defenseman,who is probably better than Shayne Gostisbehere right now, at least when it comes to retrieving the puck in the backend and moving it effectively up the ice. Kalynuk was the best prospect in the Flyer’s system yet to be signed. What a loss for the Flyers and once again, Chuck Fletcher showed Flyer fans he just doesn’t have the GM skills we had become accustomed to with Ron Hextall running the team. Losing Kalynuk was almost as painful as losing to the Penguins. Gregg L. Morrisville Pa
Honestly were pretty stocked at dman,losing him wont b an issue I’m loving how we look. Go philly Go , The issue is what they do with ghost hearing alot of reports he’s gonna be traded. Hextall did a great job hopefully Fletcher keeps it together.
Ron Hextall acquired Wyatt Kalynuk by trading Valterri Filpula in March of 2017, to Tampa Bay. Hextall got a 2017 4th round pick(Maxim Sushko and the 2017 7th round pick that turned into Wyatt Kalynuk. That was a great trade by Hextall, who was going to lose Filpula at the end of the season anyway. Filpula played with Tampa and then signed with the NY Islanders anyway.
Jamey, thanks for the story on Wyatt Kalynuk. I hope Fletcher redeems himself and finds a way to sign Kalynuk. If not, it is just one more example of Fletcher’s terrible negotiating skills. Ron Hextall would never have let this kid get away. -Gregg
I am not mad we lost him, i am just really frustrated that our current GM Chucky did nothing to get even something in return!