Competition expected among Flyers defensive prospects

Photo by Kevin Durso/Flyerdelphia

The beginning of training camp is nearly upon us. In just eight days, the tryout for so many begins at the Flyers will hit the ice again.

For several prospects, most notably the highly-profiled defensemen, this is a chance to stand out.

Ron Hextall and the Flyers have done their best to patch the blue line with veterans and low-pairing players in the event that all of these prospects need one more year or even less before making the jump to the NHL.

But do the Flyers really just need one of these young defensemen to step up and make the team in an effort to accelerate the process? There may be enough motivation to do so from the inner competition between the group.

Hextall's message was, is and probably always will be patience. And there's nothing wrong with that.

Rather than have these young defensemen learn and develop the hard way, by sacrificing potential success on the ice for a learning curve, Hextall wants the team to be ready when those players become a part of it.

But just how long will that be? For some, that could be this season. Hextall has ensured that the opportunity is there.

"People have the impression I am going to send kids down no matter what," Hextall said last week. "That is not the case. But I do err on the side of [caution]. If we’re not sure, I tend to err on not putting a guy in where we think it’s too early."

Each of the defensive prospects drawing attention seems to be at a different point in the process, and camp could show something totally different than where we last saw them.

Sam Morin is entering his first pro season, and while a season in the AHL seems more likely for the 6'7" blueliner, he was among the final cuts a season ago.

Shayne Gostisbehere actually already crossed the NHL threshold, playing two games with the Flyers in an emergency call-up situation. He suffered an ACL injury that ended his 2014-15 season, but looks ready to go again after a strong development camp. His limited pro experience is what could keep him off the team, but he looked as polished as ever.

Robert Hagg is now becoming an AHL veteran after playing briefly with the Phantoms in 2013-14 and a full season in 2014-15, he could be the first from the AHL to get the call given his pro experience. That said, he is also the defensive prospect you hear the least about and though he has upside, he could get lost in the weeds with Gostisbehere and Morin available as well.

And then there are the two first-round picks from the last two seasons — Travis Sanheim and Ivan Provorov.

Sanheim can't go the AHL, meaning it's either a tryout turned full-time NHL spot or a return to juniors. The same goes for Provorov, but unlike Sanheim, Provorov has been marked as one of the most NHL-ready defensemen out of this year's draft. He was impressive at development camp, and that could certainly open eyes in the preseason.

With limited space available for these prospects at the moment, expect a lot of competition. It might just open the door for one of them to make the team.

"We’re all vying for spots," Sanheim said on Friday at the NHLPA's Rookie Showcase. "It’s going to be a battle and guys will be competing. It’s going to be a lot of fun."

The competition starts in just eight days and it's sure to be the thing to watch as the games and practices pile up.

Kevin Durso is managing editor for Flyerdelphia. Follow him on Twitter @Kevin_Durso.