Everybody’s talking about the kids.
Sam Morin, Shayne Gostisbehere, Robert Hagg, Travis Sanheim and now Ivan Provorov make up a group dubbed the “Fab Five.” These defensemen are the future of Flyers hockey in a coming year. Might be this one, might not.
The Flyers had to prepare for patchwork while also waiting out previous long-term deals that are still in effect.
Ultimately, the team will keep seven defensemen on the roster for six starting spots. Here is what the current group looks like without the Fab Five.
Mark Streit – At 37, Streit is the senior member of the Flyers defensive group, entering his third season with the team. Streit signed a four-year deal with the Flyers prior to the 2013-14 season, leaving him with two seasons remaining on his current contract.
Michael Del Zotto – Del Zotto was arguably the best Flyers defenseman last season and at just 25, he could actually still be a piece of the future. After scoring 10 goals and adding 22 assists in 64 games last season, he was rewarded with a two-year contract extension that begins this season.
Nick Schultz – The 33-year-old Schultz proved to be effective after he was originally signed to be the team’s seventh defenseman and ended up playing in 80 games last season with so many injuries hitting the Flyers blue line. He, too, was rewarded with a two-year contract that begins this season.
Andrew MacDonald – MacDonald has the Vincent Lecavalier contact of the defensemen. The 29-year-old was acquired by the Flyers in the 2013-14 season and signed a six-year deal that began last season. MacDonald still has five years remaining on his contract, by far the most of any defenseman.
Luke Schenn – Schenn is actually the longest-tenured Flyers defenseman with three seasons already complete. His fourth may be his last, as it is a contract year for the 25-year-old.
Yevgeni Medvedev – The Flyers took a flyer on the long-time KHL defenseman. The 33-year-old veteran is about to begin his first NHL and is on a one-year contract with the Flyers.
Radko Gudas – Though acquired at last year’s trade deadline, Gudas was already finished for the season after knee surgery. Gudas is in the final year of a three-year deal signed while with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Brandon Manning – Manning has been straddling the line between the NHL and AHL. The Flyers did give him a one-way, one-year contract this season, but it’s hard to believe there will be any room for him.
With five prospects waiting in the wings, possibly ready to make the jump in the next calendar year, who could stay long enough to fill the rest of the spots? What is a realistic timetable for the kids to come up given the eight spots that are already filled.
In some cases, it is simple. With four players — Luke Schenn, Medvedev, Gudas and Manning — in the final year of their contract, they are either gone at the conclusion of the season or prime trade candidates if one of the kids steps up this season or if the team struggles to make the playoffs again, unless one of them proves his value to the team in its current state.
Streit is also a prime trade candidate at the deadline. With only one year remaining on his contract following the 2015-16 season, it could still be considered a rental of sorts to have Streit for just over one season.
The same could go for Schultz and Del Zotto. While Del Zotto seems to be more of a piece for the future — they are only the Fab Five after all — Schultz could be that veteran blueliner that helps a team late in the season.
It is also worth noting that while four spots could easily open up in the next year, it doesn’t mean that all five kids will be ready at the same time.
Sanheim is just 19 and will likely be in juniors for another season before beginning his professional career.
Provorov is 18 and unless he makes the team this season or next, he has at least two more seasons of junior hockey ahead of him.
In reality, the Flyers already did the patchwork for this season with one and two-year deals that will expire just in time for the Flyers to re-evaluate the prospects and see how close they are.
The one eyesore of this plan is MacDonald, who still has five years left on his contract. If the Flyers ever needed to open up his spot on the roster, it would likely take an offseason buyout. In short, they are stuck with him.
But the rest of the contracts are manageable in length and make for likely trade candidates all things considered. Streit and Schultz seem to be ideal veteran acquisitions for a contending team — see Kimmo Timonen.
Realistically, the only year where the Flyers could have a real problem on their hands is this season. With eight players already holding contracts, it’s going to take an incredibly impressive preseason from one of the kids to crack the roster, especially a Provorov or Sanheim who either must stay for the entire season or go back to juniors.
For Morin, Gostisbehere and Hagg, the ability to swap them between the Phantoms and Flyers is a benefit. Whether it be due to injury or poor performance, the Flyers can simply give one of them a chance while allowing them to regular work at a professional level and further develop in Lehigh Valley.
The timeline is sooner than you think. And for some, it could even be weeks away. But even if that doesn’t happen for any of the Fab Five, the spaces will be opening up soon.
Kevin Durso is managing editor for Flyerdelphia. Follow him on Twitter @Kevin_Durso.
