Heading into 2024 NHL free agency, the Philadelphia Flyers have a checklist they should be following when it comes to positions of need. High on that list is a desperate demand an offensive defenseman who can work the point on the power play, and there’s an old friend available by the name of Shayne Gostisbehere that would fit that role well.
Gostisbehere turned 31 years old in April and has spent time with the Arizona Coyotes, Carolina Hurricanes and Detroit Red Wings since he was dealt away from the Flyers during the 2021 offseason. His 56 points with the Red Wings in 2023-24 would’ve been ranked second on the Flyers in scoring.
That trade may have been the most unpopular thing former GM Chuck Fletcher did during his overall detested run at the helm of the team. Since the new regime led by Danny Briere took over, they have not shied away from pandering to the fans, and a reunion with Gostisbehere checks that box big time, and could potentially address a major hole on the roster as well- the power play.
The Flyers’ power play has been dead last in the NHL for three consecutive seasons now, ironically enough starting the year after Ghost was moved. 106 of his 219 points as a Flyer came on the man advantage, and 169 of his career total 367 are power play points.
Now, those numbers with the Flyers came with the likes of Claude Giroux and Jake Voracek, and Gostisbehere himself was younger and healthier back then too. The current Flyers roster doesn’t have anything close to a prime Claude Giroux, or even an off-day Voracek at the moment, so Ghost by himself won’t be the complete fix, but adding a legitimate offensive defenseman to their setup could be great place to start.
Ghost’s defensive capabilities still aren’t his strong suit, and that is the kind of thing that won’t bode well for a friendly relationship with head coach John Tortorella.
There are a lot of defensemen in the organization that are pushing for main roster spots. York, Sanheim, Ristolainen, Seeler, Drysdale, Zamula, Andrae, Attard and Ginning are all names currently here that are fighting for NHL ice time. If the Flyers aren’t highlighting the power play as an area that needs to be fixed (and considering they are keeping Rocky Thompson employed and don’t seem overly eager to add scoring talent in any form) cutting the legs out from Gostisbehere’s biggest strength he brings to the lineup, he’s going to be just another warm body attempting to play spotless defense when he can’t.
It doesn’t forecast a successful return to Philly, but rather picking up in the same doghouse he left off in.
Ultimately, the decision on a potential reunion isn’t even really the Flyers’ to make. Gostisbehere was rather unhappy during his last couple years here, hence why the trade to Arizona happened in the first place. He was waived, he was scratched, he was under-utilized, he was injured, and he was one of the more outspoken players about the unhappiness brewing behind the scenes.
But it’s been three years, and a vast majority of the roster, front office folks and coaching staff have all changed since then. The culture of the team has been put on a pedestal, for whatever that’s worth. The team (theoretically) is in a much better state than it was when he left in the summer of 2021.
But he is getting older and has played on some miserable teams in his career, so maybe he goes out of his way to join a contender, a greener pasture the Flyers cannot provide him yet. A Tortorella-led bubble team just may not the vision he has for his remaining years in the league.
Do the Flyers consider bringing back Shayne Gostisbehere? The answer could be either yes or no. If they enter the season with a legit plan to streamline their defense corps and determination to fix their piss poor offense, then yes, bringing a player of Ghost’s caliber back could indeed make sense. But if the focus on team defense remains their only goal and the power play is just accepted as a lost cause, then adding what would essentially be just another random dude on a blue line already overflowing with random dudes like it’s the island of misfit toys just isn’t what the team needs right now.
By: Dan Esche (@DanTheFlyeraFan)
photo credit: Getty Images
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