Photos: Kevin Durso/Sports Talk Philly
It's easy to get caught up in what Ivan Provorov can do, his abilities on the ice, his confidence off it and the achievements he's made that make him the favorite of any prospect to make the Flyers out of training camp, should GM Ron Hextall go that route.
But there are two other players high up on the chain of prospects in the Flyers system with a lot of expectations and a lot to prove.
A pair of first-round picks, Travis Konecny and Travis Sanheim, may have different roles on the ice, but off the ice the work ethic and development goals were the same and it has shown as camp takes place this week in Voorhees.
Konecny's size and general lack of experience at the junior level made him a less likely candidate to make the team last season. This season, the 5' 10" forward has added some additional muscle — seven pounds, in fact — in the hopes of growing into an NHL player sooner rather than later.
"I'm just working my hardest and doing what I can do," Konecny said on Thursday. "Hockey applies to life and last year gave me some adversity to go through. My two-way play has gotten a lot better. Over the course of three years, I've managed to climb my way from the minus into the plus."
Sanheim also added muscle over the offseason — he has grown an inch and gained 21 pounds since being drafted — and has showed a more physical edge in addition to working on his offensive skill set that was already there.
"Offensive defenseman is my game and something I want to build moving forward," Sanheim said on Thursday. "Watching Gostisbehere succeed motivates us and gives us confidence in our game."
"He's stronger on the stick, defends getter, boxes guys out," Hextall said of Sanheim on Thursday. "It's amazing how quickly it happens."
The two prospects are essentially on the opposite ends of the spectrum. Sanheim, the defenseman, is among the several young blue liners who could put the Flyers over the edge defensively over the next few seasons, but also has some offensive skill that could make him a dynamic defender in the same category as Shayne Gostisbehere or Provorov. Konecny, meanwhile, as a forward, has to shoulder some responsibility in making the Flyers a more offensively-gifted team.
The services of both prospects will be welcomed in the coming years.
Provorov may serve as the leader of this group, the first to break down the wall as the rest of the prospects gain additional work in developmental levels. Konecny would head back to the OHL to play for the Sarnia Sting. Sanheim is preparing for his first season in the AHL with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
"I want to be on the Flyers, that's my goal," Konecny said, "but I've got a great group back in Sarnia so it would still be a privilege to play back there."
"Being here I'm just trying to work hard and make my game better," Sanheim said. "I'm pushing myself as hard as I can this year."
While camp has been mainly about development and getting better, it's hard not to get caught up in the potential that is within the Flyers system. Konecny and Sanheim are just two of many, but they also happen to be two of the closest to making the jump.
Kevin Durso is an editor for Sports Talk Philly. Follow him on Twitter @Kevin_Durso.
