Fletcher Giving Flyers Blue Line a Makeover

(Photo: Alan Sullivan)

The Philadelphia Flyers general manager, Chuck Fletcher, has been one busy bee so far this offseason. He has been one of the most active, if not the most active, general manager since right before the rosters were frozen for the NHL Expansion Draft.

He has given the Flyers blue line a makeover with three big trades, and a reported free-agent signing. The first move Fletcher made was acquiring Ryan Ellis, from the Nashville Predators, in a three-team trade for Nolan Patrick and Philippe Myers. The Predators then flipped Patrick to the Vegas Golden Knight for Cody Glass. Shayne Gostisbehere, a 2022 2nd round draft pick, and a 2022 7th round draft pick were traded to the Arizona Coyotes for cap space. Fletcher wasn’t quite finished with the blue line’s makeover with these two moves.

Fletcher acquired right-handed defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen from the Buffalo Sabres for a 2021 first-round draft pick, 2023 2nd round draft pick, and defenseman Robert Hagg. According to Kevin Weekes, of ESPN, veteran defenseman Keith Yandle will sign a one-year deal with the Flyers once free agency starts.

Ellis is the top pair defenseman that was sorely lacking on this team last season. The retirement of Matt Niskanen hurt the Flyers on the blue line, which lacked a veteran leader. Justin Braun was playing with Ivan Provorov on the top pairing at one point during last season. Ellis isn’t the biggest or most physical guy out there, but he’ll bring his leadership skills with him. Ellis will likely play on the top pair with Provorov, who should bounce back with the addition of Ellis and having a steady defensive partner.

The 30-year-old brings a hefty contract of six years and a $6.25 million cap hit per season with him, but if he can stay healthy, it’ll be worth it. Fletcher didn’t give up his first-round draft pick or high-end prospect in this deal, which looks like a steal for the Flyers on paper. Ellis will block shots and be an addition to the penalty kill, which needs improvement after the past few years. He should help the Flyers exit their zone since he can make a good initial pass to get the puck up ice. He can move the puck and is a solid defenseman who can play in any situation.

The Flyers didn’t receive anything back from the Coyotes in the Gostisbehere trade except for cap space. It cleared the $4.5 million per season that the defenseman is receiving over the next two seasons off the books. Sure, they had to sweeten the pot with the addition of a 2022 2nd and 7th round draft pick, but the cap space is needed. Gostisbehere was waived last season, and not one team tried picking him up off waivers. He was in-and-out of the Flyers’ defensive rotation the past two seasons. It was time for a change of scenery and a new team since he was no longer playing up to his abilities with the Flyers.

It was a high price to acquire Ristolainen, and the Flyers are hoping it pays off in a big way. There was some demand for the 26-year-old defenseman, which could have driven up the asking price. Ristolainen will likely be paired with Travis Sanheim on the Flyers’ second pair. He doesn’t have a problem throwing his weight around or clearing the crease. Ristolainen will bring some of the grit that was missing on the blue line last season, which had more finesse on it. He can skate and has one year and $5.4 million left on his current contract.

Ristolainen was a mess in his zone with the Sabres, but the Flyers are hoping a new system and better usage will lead to better defensive play. He should also have a consistent partner if the defense can stay healthy. Ristolainen gives the Flyers more options on the power play and the penalty kill, should they need him. He is in a contract year and has something to prove, so I think he’ll play with a chip on his shoulder and have a good season for the Flyers this year.

Kevin Weekes, of ESPN, reported via Twitter that the Flyers are expected to sign defenseman Keith Yandle to a one-year deal once free agency starts. Yandle’s contract was bought out by the Florida Panthers on July 15. He had two years and $12.7 million left and the Panthers decided to go in a different direction. Yandle is a veteran defenseman who brings an offensive touch to the blue line, and he can quarterback the power play.

Yandle struggles in his zone, but hopefully, his potential partner, Justin Braun, can pick up the slack on that side of the puck. Yandle is a cheaper version of what Gostisbehere was to this team the past two seasons. He should slot right in on the third pairing with either Braun or Samuel Morin. Either way, Yandle will bring another layer in the leadership core, and at a cheap price.

There is a method to Fletcher’s madness, and that is he knows that the Flyers got pushed around in their zone and lacked leadership in the room last season. The defensemen who were brought in this offseason had a leadership role previously in the NHL. All of the potential pairings will be balanced, which is something that Fletcher and head coach Alain Vigneault prefer to have.

On paper, the defense is vastly improved over last season, but only time will tell if all the moves will work out or not. There could be injuries or chemistry issues during the season, but the defense is something to keep an eye on since it went through a major makeover.