The defense was an Achilles heel for the Philadelphia Flyers yet again, although the team did allow 18 less goals than last year, but that had more to do with Carter Hart and the early Samuel Ersson show than anything else.
Unlike last season, the Flyers’ backend was relatively healthy with Ivan Provorov playing in all 82 games, Travis Sanheim appearing in 81, Nick Seeler playing in 77, Rasmus Ristolainen playing in 74, and Tony DeAngelo suiting up for 70. Justin Braun and Cam York surpassed the 50+ game threshold and only needed 3 of their prospects from the Lehigh Valley Phantoms this season in Egor Zamula (14), Ronnie Attard (2), and Adam Ginning (1) for a combined 17 games.
From that same core last year, the Flyers got 80 games from Sanheim, 79 games from Provorov, 66 games from Ristolainen, 61 games from Braun, 43 games from Seeler, and 30 games from York. Keith Yandle appeared in 77 games, Kevin Connauton in 26, Attard in 15, Zamula in 10, Linus Högberg in 5, and Ryan Ellis in 4. The spare parts combined for a total of 130 games, which included players like Seeler, York, Connauton, Attard, Zamula, and Högberg – all of whom were not supposed to make the roster at the beginning of the season.
Most Improved From Last Season:
- Rasmus Ristolainen
- Nick Seeler
- Cam York
- Ivan Provorov
- Travis Sanheim
Best Defenseman in 2022-23
- Ivan Provorov
- Rasmus Ristolainen
- Nick Seeler
- Cam York
- Travis Sanheim
- Tony DeAngelo
Ivan Provorov
It’s tough to gauge Ivan Provorov’s game this season, or even the past 3 seasons. He has taken a steep decline from his first 4 years, where he really showed flashes of a top defenseman. He was paired up with a lot of mid-level defensemen – at best – in Andrew MacDonald, sometimes even Robert Hägg, but he shined above the rest and had some great offensive seasons, including a 17-goal and 41-point 2017-18. He stumbled in 2018-19 but took a huge step forward the following season, finally partnered up with someone worthwhile in Matt Niskanen.
No one could have predicted the decline that came after Niskanen’s retirement. He has looked like a shell of his old self, his power play acumen is completely gone, his enthusiasm and body language looked to have dissipated, yet he is still steady, reliable, and the best of a bad bunch.
He went from 13 goals and 36 points in 69 games during the COVID-interrupted season of 2019-20, which would have put him on pace for 15 goals and a career-high 43 points. Then he scored 7 goals and 26 points in 56 games during the COVID-shortened season of 2020-21, which would have put him on pace for 10 goals and 38 points – in what was considered a down season. He followed that up with 9 goals and 31 points last year but was a shell of his previous season, took on the brunt of responsibilities but did in such a way that it rubbed off on his teammates the wrong way. There were reports of rifts and dissension, but no trades materialized – again.
His ice-time dropped almost 2 full minutes from 24:53 to 23:01 this season, he had less “responsibilities” so to speak with a healthier backend, but he was still out there during crunch time, killing penalties, and out during overtime. He wasn’t paired up with rookies like Hogberg and Attard, or even Nick Seeler this year; he finally had a partner in crime in Cam York. Tony DeAngelo was his partner to start the season but he got victimized rather quickly by November as just a one-trick pony in terms of his offensive abilities.
His ice time also dropped primarily because he was used a lot less during power plays as he went from 177.5 minutes last year to just 65.7 this year. His even-strength minutes went up from 1578.0 to 1600.6 and his shorthanded minutes also went up from 210.9 to 221.6. He was once again a block machine with 162 and registered 97 body checks, which was his most since 2018-19. He also registered the most takeaways in his career with 34, which is a step up from his 17 last year and the 5 from 2020-21.
His name will be out there once again during the offseason because, 1) a rebuild generally dictates that players in his age range with his term are most likely gone, 2) he is the biggest attraction that could yield the greatest return, 3) he’s gone through a rough patch but teams know he has the capabilities of turning things around, and 4) he’s already been on the block for the past 3 seasons, but he might want out himself. Tortorella is going to have a say or two on who stays and who goes, it seems that he liked him considerably; just something to keep an eye out for.
Rasmus Ristolainen
The hulking Finn had a night and day difference between 2021-22 and 2022-23, for the better. His initial acquisition was disliked by many as the Flyers dished out a first-round pick and a second-round pick among other things to acquire a rental so to speak. Then after a disappointing season, the Flyers doubled down and extended him to a 5-year contract, rather than trading him for a first-round pick and more that was reportedly available to them at the trade deadline. Ristolainen entered the offseason as condemned for the next 5 years.
He started the season on the shelf and made his season debut on the 27th of October. He went pointless in his first 27 games, was a -6, averaged 18:29 TOI, and collected 20 PIM. The defenseman then collected 2 assists in the following 10 games, had an even rating, and averaged a lower 17:32 TOI. He followed that up with 3 goals and 18 points – including 5 on the power play – in his final 37 games, was a plus-2, only took 10 PIM along the way, while averaging 19:49 TOI.
Ristolainen finished the season 3rd on the team in blocked shots with 142, behind Provorov and Nick Seeler, he finished 3rd on the team in hits with 162, behind Nicolas Deslauriers and Wade Allison, and recorded the most takeaways in a season (24) since 2016-17. His -4 rating was his lowest since 2019-20 and his second lowest of his career. The 74 games played was the most since 2018-19 and his 32 PIMs were the lowest since his sophomore season in 2014-15.
While he averaged a career-low in ATOI at 19:01, Ristolainen’s role was redefined under Tortorella. Last season, the Flyers tried everything in their power to showcase Ristolainen, but it failed time and time again as he was overmatched playing against the opposition’s best. His 1191.3 minutes while at even strength was the second-lowest total of his career, but also the lowest average. He played 57.3 minutes on the power play, which was a little more than last year’s 44.7, and he played almost 35 more minutes while shorthanded this season (159.2), which was his highest total since 2018-19. His CF% remained the same, while his FF% went up by 2.5%.
He was used primarily as a #5-#6 defenseman to start the season, but as he continued to improve and DeAngelo continued to regress, he jumped into the top-4 with Sanheim and played relatively well. On his best day at this point in his career, Ristolainen is a decent #4 option. He was a really good #5 next to Seeler this year and if the Flyers ever do shore things up defensively, while keeping him on the team, he can be a valuable asset for that bottom pair.
Tortorella couldn’t stop raving about his physicality, his ability to block shots and sacrifice the body, his penalty killing, and just his overall improved play, and not just from last year, but from the start of this season.
Nick Seeler
You can make the argument that Nick Seeler was the most improved player from 2021-22. Anchored with either Keith Yandle, Kevin Connauton, and sometimes Rasmus Ristolainen, Seeler didn’t look good and his contract extension at the time didn’t make all that much sense. His 2-year contract is looking pretty good right now though, after the season he just had, and it was rumoured that many teams were knocking on the Flyers’ door ahead of the trade deadline for his services.
Chuck Fletcher scoffed when he should’ve traded him for what some said was a mid-round pick. Nevertheless, he remained a Flyer, and ended up playing a career-high 77 games this season, while also smashing previous highs in goals, assists, points, minutes played, blocked shots, and hits.
At one point in time, he considered retiring from the game he loved, and even sat out the 2020-21 season. The Flyers gave him a chance and while he didn’t look all that great last season, I think a combination of a new coaching staff that utilized their players at what they do best with defined roles, coupled with no anchors in Yandle and Connauton, really helped his game.
He scored 4 goals and 14 points, while finishing the year as a plus-1, and averaged 14:29 TOI. He dropped the gloves 4 times season, blocked the second-most shots on the team at 161, and registered the sixth-most hits on the team at 126. He also played a career-high 1115.7 minutes in total, 1036.1 on even strength, and 77.9 while shorthanded.
Seeler was named the Flyers’ nominee for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy and could’ve easily walked away with the Pelle Lindbergh Memorial Trophy (Most Improved Player) and Barry Ashbee Trophy (Best Defenseman) at the end of season awards. Owen Tippett and Ivan Provorov walked away with those respective pieces of hardware, but I don’t think many would’ve batted an eye had Seeler won either or both.
Similar to Ristolainen, Tortorella and company raved about his physicality, sacrificing his body when he needed to, good penalty killing, and a steady leader on the backend. He’s got one year remaining and could command a pretty penny depending on the team and when the Flyers make him available.
Cam York
Drafted with the 14th overall selection in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft – one pick before Cole Caufield – Cam York has made great strides since his draft year and finally got some meaningful games under his belt. He appeared in 3 games in 2020-21, played in 30 games last season, and was essentially tabbed a lock ahead of the 2022-23 season. Unfortunately, he had a rough training camp that cut his September really short as he was sent down the Lehigh Valley Phantoms in short order.
Tortorella sent him down with a message that while it wasn’t his time just yet, that if went down there with the right attitude, he’d be called up in no time. He scored 3 goals and 13 points in just 20 games with the Phantoms, before getting the call and playing in 54 games with the Flyers. He scored 2 goals and added 18 assists, while only being a minus-1. He was stapled next to Ivan Provorov for the majority of his games, averaged 19:39 TOI, and played a big role on the second unit of the power play.
He went through a dry spell offensively from the end of January to the end of March, a span that lasted 21 games with 0 goals and only 4 assists. He was scratched once because Tortorella felt that he needed the reset, but he never wavered on his 3rd year defenseman as his ice time remained consistent all throughout. He ended the season with 1 goal and 6 points in his final 12 games, while averaging 20:39 TOI. On the season he played a total of 945.2 minutes while on even strength, 94.1 on the power play – 2nd most as a defenseman – and even had some penalty killing minutes at 21.6.
We saw flashes of what’s to come and what is expected of him, and he should be a part of the future for years to come. His name is definitely stapled to the lineup heading into training camp and the regular season, he should open on the top-pair again – with or without Provorov – and we should expect a larger offensive role, more minutes, and more points from the 22-year-old Anaheim native.
Travis Sanheim
It was another so-so season from Travis Sanheim, more disappointing than anything else. We’ve been waiting for the former first round pick from 2014 to truly stand out and play the game that we all know he can deliver. In spurts and flashes we have seen the ultra-aggressive, smooth-skating, jumping in on the rush, silky quarterback that he can be but it’s never in a consistent manner.
We all remember his Jekyll and Hyde performance in 2021-22, where his Jekyll performance earned him an 8-year extension that kicks in this coming season and the 2022 Barry Ashbee Trophy. Before ending the season on a 6-game pointless streak, he had accumulated 7 goals and 28 points, while being a +7 and averaging 22:59 TOI in his previous 52 games. That was the Sanheim we were hoping to see to start the 2022-23 season.
He started the season going pointless in his first 9 games, going without a goal in his first 17 games with only 2 assists to his name, before scoring 3 goals and 9 points in 9 games. He then went on a 39-game stretch with 1 goal and 5 points, before chipping in with 3 goals and 6 points in his 9 games, and then ended the season with 1 assist in his final 7. He ended the season with 7 goals and 23 points, while averaging a 3-year low, 20:24 TOI. Last year he was a surprising +9 rating, which dropped to -5 this year.
For whatever reason, the Flyers don’t utilize him on the power play as he only skated in 43.9 minutes, which was 5th behind DeAngelo’s 220.5, York’s 94.1, Provorov’s 65.7, and even Ristolainen’s 57.3. John Tortorella sent him several messages over the course of the season, none louder than scratching him ahead of a road game in Calgary in front of friends and family. Tortorella intimated that he had no idea about that but said that he wanted to send him a message and ultimately that was the only game he ended up missing this season. He wanted Sanheim to be more aggressive and we know from previous seasons that the Flyers offense starts from the backend with their offensive-minded defensemen. Unfortunately, they’ve all lost a step, including Shayne Gostisbehere who was not the same by the end of his tenure.
Sanheim is in need of a bounce-back campaign and with his extension only kicking in this coming season, he is going to be a mainstay for years to come whether we like it or not. He has the ability to be an impact player but as he intimated himself, he had to remind himself to have fun out there this season as his confidence was waning.
Tony DeAngelo
Ahead of the draft in 2022, it was reported that the Flyers prioritized acquiring a defenseman over signing Johnny Gaudreau or another impact forward in the free agent market. They shifted all of that attention towards pending restricted free agent, Tony DeAngelo, and not only shelled out a 2nd, 3rd, and 4th round pick for the offensive defenseman, but then immediately signed him to a 2-year contract worth $10 million. It was not lost on us the type of player that DeAngelo was, but for whatever reason, the front office believed he could be the stout 2-way defenseman that could replicate Ryan Ellis’ game and help Provorov get back to form.
That experiment was a mixed bag because he ultimately paced the backend with 11 goals and 42 points in 70 games, but he was also a -27, which is significant considering the rest of his compatriots weren’t even close to that figure. Provorov was the closest at -17 but he played more minutes and in 12 more games, then Sanheim was a -5, Ristolainen was a -4, York and Braun were each -1, and Seeler was actually a +1 – his defensive partner in the second half of the season.
34 games into the season, DeAngelo impressed while averaging a team-high 24;06 TOI – 53 seconds more per game than Provorov – scoring 7 goals and 23 points and was “only” a -8 at the time. The following game he was benched against the Toronto Maple Leafs and only skated 7:05. The following 36 games, he only averaged 20:08, he scored 4 goals and 19 points, was a -19, and was scratched in the final 5 games of the season.
On the season as a whole, he played in a career-high 70 games, averaged a career-high 22:04 TOI, scored a career-high 4 power play goals, and was a career-low -27 – a drastic step back from the +30 from 2021-22. Going back to that renaissance season, the Flyers seemingly didn’t think about or didn’t care about the fact that he was playing for a well-oiled machine in Carolina, partnered with Jaccob Slavin for a lot of it. He was a part of a backend that also included Brett Pesce, and he was part of a power play that clicked at a 21.98% success rate. He played a part in that but 20 of his points came with the likes of Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov on the ice.
The Flyers’ power play technically improved from 12.55% to 15.56% but they still finished with a league-worst number in power play goals and power play as a whole. In terms of power play assists, he was far and away at the top with 15. Travis Konecny and Kevin Hayes each had 10, then Noah Cates had 5, and Owen Tippett, Morgan Frost, Scott Laughton, and Rasmus Ristolainen each had 4. He was also 5th on the team in power play goals with 4, behind Tippett’s 8, Hayes’ 6, and Konecny and Laughton’s 5.
He played a career-high 220.5 minutes on the man advantage this season compared to the 195.3 from last year and his previous high of 208.8 in 2019-20 with the New York Rangers. His CF% of 84.0 and FF% of 80.9 were the lowest of his career, he was on the ice for 6 shorthanded goals against – double the amount in 2021-22 and 2019-20 – and the PDO of 102.5 was the lowest since his 32-game stint in 2017-18. He is absolutely not entirely to blame for the abysmal power play that once again cost them dearly but as the quarterback of the top unit, as the player who was acquired specifically because of his power play acumen, there should’ve been more urgency and consistency from him.
There was a lot of tension between player and head coach, benched a few times for his poor effort on the ice, scratched several times including the final 5 games of the season, and head coach even outwardly acknowledging that he was a work in progress defensively – something he was truly unaware about. He only has 1 year remaining on his contract and is more than likely done with the Flyers, but what remains is the question of when that move will happen – in the summer or ahead of the trade deadline next season.
