Got To Love It When a Plan Comes Together: Flyers’ Defense Edition

Photo Credit: Ricky Brown

After a long and laborious off season- which he spent dismantling his roster only to reconstruct it back better than ever- the Flyers’ general manager has to be reveling as he takes in training camp from atop his perch above the Flyers’ practice facility in Voorhees, New Jersey especially when it comes to the defense, which turned out to be a disaster last year.

At season’s end, the Flyers found themselves statistically among the leagues’ worst in multiple categories. But, with Chuck going out and adding a proven 1^st line pairing, right-hand shot defenseman like the 30-year-old Ryan Ellis (who Philadelphia obtained from the Nashville Predators for Nolan Patrick and Philippe Myers), has made for a quick turnaround. Now, just days into camp, the newly acquired blueliner (who sports a beard to only rival Gritty’s) seems to be quickly synching to his new partner Ivan Provorov who Ellis has let it be known that he is quite impressed/inspired by (especially in the gym). This newly formed 1^st pairing offers up head coach Alain Vigneault a fusion of veteran leadership and wherewithal from Ellis that allows Provorov to once again feel comfortable to jump up into the play when he sees fit (without fearing the consequences that he did last year when he was without Matt Niskanen). This new alliance should only grow better with time and, seeing that both are signed for the foreseeable future here in Philly, this could only mean that Flyers’ fans will have the joy of watching perhaps one of the top pairings in all the NHL for years to come!

But, as we all know, Chuck did not just stop there: The team lacked physicality and needed some grit. Seeing this, Fletcher took it upon himself to bring in one of the best in that department: Giving up the Flyers’ top 15 pick in this year’s past draft (and more), he acquired the 26-year-old 6’4 221-pound behemoth Rasmus Ristolainen from the Buffalo Sabers. This move has already seemed to pay off in this instance because Ramus mimics the character Lennie from John Steinbeck’s classic novel “Of Mice and Men” (who didn’t know the extent of his own strength). He has not only been seen playfully throwing his new teammates around (as if they were but rag dolls) in drills but he has proved his strength during the Flyers’ off-ice testing assessments as well: His marks have been seemingly off the charts ever since he first stepped foot into the team’s practice facilities a few short weeks ago. Having gotten rushed into the lineup and misused while in Buffalo, Ristolainen looks to prove his true worth this season alongside Travis Sanheim where the duo will most likely line up as the team’s 2^nd defensive pairing.

Lastly, a move that may have been overlooked by some as being insignificant compared to the others made this off season (mostly for its term length and minimal expenditure) was signing the 35-year-old defenseman Keith Yandle. I assure you that there is more to his game than Keith’s ability to quarterback one of the team’s powerplay units and his known familiarity with his former/current coaches’ system: Yandle also brings the reassurance that he will be in the lineup night in and night out (his current streak of 922 consecutive games played started back in March of 2009, a time when most of the team’s prospects that are now vying to make the Flyers’ opening night roster were just starting elementary school). In fact, if you watch Keith in action during training camp, you will see just why the Flyers jumped at the chance to sign him to a very affordable $900,000 this season over possibly utilizing/rushing Cam York or Egor Zamula to a full-time role instead. Yandle’s defensive abilities are underrated- which he has exhibited over these first couple of days of drills in camp- as compared to the best the Flyers have to offer. Whether it be stripping the puck from Giroux time and time again in one-on-one drills or just plain skating each and every drill out to the end, Yandle is showing the team’s young and impressionable defensemen just why he has been able to have such a prolonged and accomplished career in the NHL.    

That is why these collective moves made by Fletcher this off season not only put his team back into true cup contention this year but have made it so that the team’s prospects on the blue line should not have to be rushed into stardom (like Ristolainen was in Buffalo) and instead can continue to grow their game under the tutelage of these recently-acquired veterans at a pace which is more beneficial to both the player and the team alike.