The Fan Blog : Eklund On Flyers: Are You sold on Drysdale yet? Why you should be..

Not sure where you're getting your info from Ek. Drysdale is ranked 78th in the league in xGF% at 5 on 5. With a smaller sample size than a lot of other players.

https://www.naturalstattr...ines=single&draftteam=ALL

Also, he reminds you of Gostisbehere. Gostisbehere in his first full season had 17 goals and 29 assists for in 64 games. He had a 65 point season in 17/18.

Drysdale has had a handful of good games and showed some promise in those games. Overall though, he has not been encouraging.

As far as the trade goes. Most likely going to end up being a disaster. The Flyers seem to have an issue with size on the back end and it's currently preventing them from playing Andrae. Who as we speak is a better player than Drysdale is.
The trade didn't have to happen. The Flyers screwed it up royally. They're incompetent.

It's early. He's far from a bust as a draft pick. However he's not that far removed from Torts saying he "need's to learn the game of hockey." If Brad Shaw can make Risto play like he's been, I think Drysdale's right where he needs to be.

The questions, Is he a true #1 Dman? Still in progress. How does he Compare to Cutter? Well Cutter ain't exactly lighting the world on fire so Jury still out.

Gotta let this one develop.

It's early. He's far from a bust as a draft pick. However he's not that far removed from Torts saying he "need's to learn the game of hockey." If Brad Shaw can make Risto play like he's been, I think Drysdale's right where he needs to be.

The questions, Is he a true #1 Dman? Still in progress. How does he Compare to Cutter? Well Cutter ain't exactly lighting the world on fire so Jury still out.

Gotta let this one develop.
- flylerid

Ristolainen's resurgence and Shaw's coaching ability are two highly exaggerated instances.

Drysdale has played 174 NHL games and Gauthier has played 39 games.

He needs to play, has he even played 50 games for the flyers? In no world should you be confident Drysdale is going to be a productive player at this point.

It's early. He's far from a bust as a draft pick. However he's not that far removed from Torts saying he "need's to learn the game of hockey." If Brad Shaw can make Risto play like he's been, I think Drysdale's right where he needs to be.

The questions, Is he a true #1 Dman? Still in progress. How does he Compare to Cutter? Well Cutter ain't exactly lighting the world on fire so Jury still out.

Gotta let this one develop.
- flylerid

No. Just, no. There are many steps before even asking that question. Let the kid show he belongs in the top 4 in a larger sample size before putting Jett sized expectations on him. If not for who he was traded for, he'd be in the AHL and Andrae would probably be playing. Andrae is the better player today.

Like Jett he was forced into the lineup, imo, for ego (to prove they were right) and PR purposes, same as Jett. The unreasonable expectations placed on these players is doing them no favors.

Is Jett a #1 center? most likely not. Is Drysdale a top pairing defender? He hasn't shown any signs he will develop into one. Neither of those questions are the fault of the players but of the unreasonable expectations the Flyers have given their fan base because otherwise, what else does the front office have to show for 2+ years? Their mythical culture?

Karl Dykhuis > JD

Ristolainen's resurgence and Shaw's coaching ability are two highly exaggerated instances.

Drysdale has played 174 NHL games and Gauthier has played 39 games.
- MJL

preach it cliff as you are correct.

Not impressed whatsoever. This trade will be a disaster. Hope to be wrong but just don’t think it is going to work out.

Not sure where you're getting your info from Ek. Drysdale is ranked 78th in the league in xGF% at 5 on 5. With a smaller sample size than a lot of other players.

https://www.naturalstattr...ines=single&draftteam=ALL

Also, he reminds you of Gostisbehere. Gostisbehere in his first full season had 17 goals and 29 assists for in 64 games. He had a 65 point season in 17/18.

Drysdale has had a handful of good games and showed some promise in those games. Overall though, he has not been encouraging.

As far as the trade goes. Most likely going to end up being a disaster. The Flyers seem to have an issue with size on the back end and it's currently preventing them from playing Andrae. Who as we speak is a better player than Drysdale is.
The trade didn't have to happen. The Flyers screwed it up royally. They're incompetent.
- MJL

Drysdale is pretty much on the same pace for points from last year when even Torts was forced for to admit he screwed up his evaluation of Drysdale. At this point Drysdale should fall to his knees and thank the heavens if he has a season like a young Ghost because he isn't reaching it on his own.

Ghost had 46 points in 64 games and was a +8. Drysdale only has 57 in his first 174 including only 11 goals while being a -75. He hasn't shown he is even remotely the player the Flyers sold the fans.

preach it cliff as you are correct.
- hello it's me 2050

Never seen a person so full of themselves, the idiot thought Ristos contract was going to be for more AAV too

Drysdale hardly belongs in the conversation with ghost. I see next to nothing with this kid except for some shiftiness. When he gets himself time and space which is rare because he has very little offensive instincts; he doesn’t know where to go with the puck.

He is undersized and is overmatched physically while displaying 25% of the offensive acumen ghost has. This kid is likely out of the league in two years. What a bust of a pick and an equally dismal trade.

The new era of orange, real movers and shakers.

It’s going to take his ability to play consistently well over a full season before I’ll be sold on Drysdale. I also don’t believe that he will ever be the pp weapon that Ghost was nor as good all around.

At this point the only similarity I see is that neither player is defensively reliable, but Drysdale has no real offensive success in the bigs while Ghost has. Obviously the hockey establishment feels that Drysdale has a superior skill set, but again he hasn't demonstrated that yet. Still too early to call him a bust but I believe tge Flyers would gladly trade him for a Dylan Cozens and a draft pick. Need centers!

Kolosov is like Bob. JD is like Ghost. These are just lazy and weak comparisons. Frankly not even close.

At this point the only similarity I see is that neither player is defensively reliable, but Drysdale has no real offensive success in the bigs while Ghost has. Obviously the hockey establishment feels that Drysdale has a superior skill set, but again he hasn't demonstrated that yet. Still too early to call him a bust but I believe tge Flyers would gladly trade him for a Dylan Cozens and a draft pick. Need centers!
- DANCER

While certainly not a defensive stalwart, Gostisbehere was not nearly as bad defensively as many made him out to be. Definitely at a disadvantage in the corners and around the net but defended rushes well and had a good stick in breaking up plays at the blue line.

Jd blows

While certainly not a defensive stalwart, Gostisbehere was not nearly as bad defensively as many made him out to be. Definitely at a disadvantage in the corners and around the net but defended rushes well and had a good stick in breaking up plays at the blue line.
- MJL

Guess you could call both "rovers" with an offense first mindset. Still not sure why they felt ineccesary to dump Ghost.

Guess you could call both "rovers" with an offense first mindset. Still not sure why they felt ineccesary to dump Ghost.
- DANCER

People acting like his last couple years here weren’t rocky are fooling themselves. Good for him on righting the ship but it wasn’t great hockey from him at the end here.

I think drysdale lacks the testicular fortitude needed to play hockey.

I think drysdale lacks the testicular fortitude needed to play hockey.
- tajidog

He does have a certain Nolan Patrick look when things get physical.

He does have a certain Nolan Patrick look when things get physical.
- landros 2

I like the kid and of course, hope he does well. However, I cringe every time he takes a big hit. It will take a while to see if JD is going to be a piece to our team going forward. I'm just hoping he can finish the season injury-free.

To be honest I see no comparison between Ghost and Drysdale. Ghost was an impact player from the moment he hit NHL ice, and has been throughout his career except when he was playing on no legs during his final seasons with the Flyers. Once he got healthy he became an impact player once again. Still one of the most annoying trades the Flyers ever pulled IMO.

I don't see the hockey IQ from Drysdale. I see a plus skater who doesn't seem to see the ice very well at either end. If Shaw turns him into a NHL defenseman it will be the same story as Ristolainen. He will have to give up any and all offensive thoughts to do so. Drysdale has neither the size nor toughness to do that. So we have to hope he finds his offensive brain while not getting crushed in his own end. I just haven't seen it yet.

I hope the Flyers unearth a gem with that second round pick, otherwise, so far, this trade has been decisively won by Anahiem.

To be honest I see no comparison between Ghost and Drysdale. Ghost was an impact player from the moment he hit NHL ice, and has been throughout his career except when he was playing on no legs during his final seasons with the Flyers. Once he got healthy he became an impact player once again. Still one of the most annoying trades the Flyers ever pulled IMO.

I don't see the hockey IQ from Drysdale. I see a plus skater who doesn't seem to see the ice very well at either end. If Shaw turns him into a NHL defenseman it will be the same story as Ristolainen. He will have to give up any and all offensive thoughts to do so. Drysdale has neither the size nor toughness to do that. So we have to hope he finds his offensive brain while not getting crushed in his own end. I just haven't seen it yet.

I hope the Flyers unearth a gem with that second round pick, otherwise, so far, this trade has been decisively won by Anahiem.
- MBFlyerfan

Risto hasn’t really sacrificed any offense, he just got a ton of PP time in Buffalo and more ice time in general. His even strength scoring isn’t much different.

Vancouver offered EP for Laughton, Cates, and Seeler. Flyers turned em down,