Photo Credit: Our very own Michael Reaves
Jamie Drysdale tenure as a Flyer can be characterized as up and down. Lowe’s, the lows being on the injured list again, but he still remains a fan favored in Philadelphia for good reason. He’s only 22-years-old, and the sky is the limit for this young defenseman who was thrusted into the NHL right away at the age of 18. For his efforts, he hasn’t been able to stay healthy, thus Drysdale hasn’t played many games in the NHL. He knows this, and he looks forward to a healthy off season to train, “I’m with a new team that treated me unbelievably,” Drysdale said. “It’s a great group, and I’m really excited to be here. I’m looking forward to a healthy next few years.”
Drysdale said his focus this offseason is going to ensure that some of these injuries don’t happen again. It appears he’s going to work on physical conditioning, but he said he was banged up all year.
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Everyone appreciates honesty, and maybe that’s why most fans are gravitating towards this young man. Unfortunately, he did say he might need offseason surgery, Drysdale just cannot catch a break.
Through all this, Drysdale is as happy as ever. Drysdale can be seen walking throughout the Flyers locker room smiling and laughing. He just loves being a Flyer, “Shawsy’s been unbelievable since the moment I got here,” Drysdale said of Brad Shaw. “He has a pretty wild hockey mind, and the little thing he tells you during the game with video I’ve never heard in my entire life. I hope I can work with him for a while.”
The trade couldn’t have worked out better for the orange and black, as Jamie Drysdale has fit in just fine in Philly, “From the second I got on the ice, seeing the crowd. It was a pretty unbelievable environment and a really fun spot to play in. Hell of a first game to be a part of,” Drysdale said earlier in the season.
Circling back to exit interviews, Drysdale said he loves Philadelphia and loves the guys in the locker room. He said everyone was pretty warm since he has become a Flyer, any can’t wait for next season to start.
Drysdale hails from Toronto, Ontario .He was selected by the Ducks in the first round, sixth overall, of the 2020 NHL Draft. Drysdale has five points (1g,4a) in 10 games played with Anaheim this season. The 5’11, 185 pound defenseman has 45 points (8g,37a) in 123 games in four seasons with the Ducks (2020-24). He missed majority of the 2022-23 season with a torn labrum in his left shoulder, “I think I’m just a puck-moving D-man,” Drysdale said. “I can move really well up the ice. I’ve already talked to the coaches here and picking up some stuff. I’m exciting to learn more.”
John Tortorella elaborated, “He has a lot to learn, positioning time and space. He’s been banged up a lot. Understanding angles, understanding checking forward, we have a lot of work to do there, we expected that with a 21 year old, but he has up-side with his skating, escape.”
That’s the good thing, even with how well he has performed in his brief stint as a Flyer. He still has a lot to learn. John Tortorella said that he believes he can be a rover in the future, so Drysdale has to keep on learning to make that possible.
A young Defenseman in Drysdale is a very good skater. Actually, that’s his top asset to his game. He can transition out of the zone and up the ice with the best of them, mainly due to his speed. He hits the neutral zone with speed, and when that happens he’s hard to stop. Drysdale can rush the puck up the ice, while making plays. He uses his skating and puck handling skills, to become strong in transition. Drysdale has a good hockey IQ and sees the ice well, thus he’s able to make the right place and passes two is open teammates. That is what makes him elusive on the Power Play, he always seems to find the open man.
His bread and butter is the Power Play, as the Flyers finally now have a quarterback on the top Power Play unit. Drysdale indicated yesterday at exit interviews that he needs to become more consistent with the man advantage, and that he realizes that not only the team but him can improve in this area.
Drysdale’s an excellent skater, keeps pucks in at the blue line, and makes the right plays with the man advantage. If not for injuries he may have close to 100 points as a defenseman in the NHL for his career at this point.
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