PHL Anon
Ivan Provorov, the seventh overall pick in last year’s NHL Draft and stud defenseman the Flyers currently have playing with the Brandon Wheat Kings in the Western Hockey League, is a prospect that many Flyers fans are excited about. At just 19 years old, he’s led his team to the WHL Final, which begin on Friday.
After a season in which rookie defenseman, Shayne Gostisbehere, stole Philly’s heart with his shockingly mature play and approach, the idea of Provorov joining the big club isn’t a crazy one. The Flyers called up Gostisbehere before they were ready to and have seen him blossom into a stud offensively, and improve defensively while adjusting to the speed and skill of the NHL.
Could the same be in the future for Provorov? He’s seen as a jack of all trades, with great offensive, defensive, power play and penalty kill qualities that the Flyers sorely lack. They might not need to sign a free agent defenseman. The idea of Provorov joining the big club holds even more weight when you hear the Dave Hakstol talk about him.
“He showed us his play is efficient in all areas with and without the puck,” Hakstol explained. “I thought his competitiveness was very good throughout the two days. He was focused and relaxed. He is a composed young man with maturity and confidence. Those are very good traits in a young player.”
So, what does Provorov think of his chances to play in the NHL next season? They’re pretty good, according to him.
“I think I’m ready,” Provorov said. “But we’ll see what happens. I think I’m going to have another good summer and come ready in September.”
As I said earlier, Provorov is in the midst of a very impressive season in which he is still playing with Brandon in the WHL playoffs. Provorov has put up an impressive campaign this season in which he has amassed 21 goals and 73 points in just 62 games. Now, just imagine adding Provorov’s skill to the blue line that already features Gostisbehere.
That’s right, pick up your jaw, and wipe away the drool. This is not a “what if?” scenario. This is a “when it happens” situation.
As we’ve become accustomed to, general manager, Ron Hextall, has pointed out that Provorov is going to have to earn his spot and won’t just be penned in on the roster already. No one is owed anything in Philly anymore.
“They have to come in and be better than someone else that’s here,” Hextall said. “If that happens, we proved last year that we’ll make room in our roster for a young player that proves to us that he’s ready to play at this level and make our team better.”
So, fresh off of a season in which we got to experience a rookie defenseman burst onto the scene and earn a well-deserved Calder Trophy nomination, next year another rookie blue-liner will look to make his own mark. It feels awesome to have good hockey and good players to be excited about again!
H/T to Philly.com, CSN Philly and NBC Sports