There’s a huge log jam on defense for the Philadelphia Flyers right now, and it’s not exactly a good thing.
With the signing of KHL defenseman Yevgeni Medvedev to a one-year contract worth $3 million, the Flyers now have seven defenseman signed for the 2015-16 season, not including the injured-and-basically-retired Chris Pronger nor the restricted free agent Michael Del Zotto.
Make the number nine, though, because it’s safe to add MDZ to the list, as Ron Hextall says he expects to sign him, and Brandon Manning’s new contract for 2015-16 is an NHL deal. So here’s what the Flyers look like on defense right now. (These aren’t pairings, by the way.)
Mark Streit – Michael Del Zotto
Yevgeni Medvedev – Andrew MacDonald
Luke Schenn – Nick Schultz
Nicklas Grossmann – Radko Gudas
Brandon Manning
None of these guys are particularly special. Whether they’re just bad, or placed in roles that are above their ability, or aren’t a good fit with what new coach Dave Hakstol wants to do, or paid waaaaaay too much, or all of the above, most of the names on this blue line are pretty underwhelming.
That brings us to Erik Gustafsson, the former Flyers defenseman who bolted to the KHL after he got a rough shake by the coaches in Philadelphia. Gus has a skill set — good with the puck, quick, favorable in the eye of the advanced metrics — that seems like it would work well under Hakstol.
Gus told a Swedish publication last week that he wanted to come back to the NHL, and the Flyers still hold his rights so Philadelphia is really his only NHL option. But Ron Hextall says the Flyers don’t really have interest — mostly because there’s just no dang room for him.
Hextall said Erik Gustafsson has expressed interest in returning to #Flyers from KHL (they hold his rights), but there isn’t any room for D.
— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) May 20, 2015
This is where contracts like the one the Flyers gave third-pairing defenseman Nick Schultz really start to hurt. The Flyers have to move somebody just to get new guy Yevgeni Medvedev into the lineup, and with so many other terrible contracts on this blue line, they are completely inflexible when it comes to making other moves.
Gus could probably help the Flyers next year, and it’s a safe bet that he’s at least good enough to crack the top six in Philly right now. But it’s unlikely he’ll get the chance because Hextall has so many other messes to clean up.
