While most Philadelphia Flyers fans were ecstatic Monday to see Andrew MacDonald placed on waivers, meaning he’ll likely be sent to the minors and far away from the NHL roster, most didn’t consider what it meant for his replacement, Brandon Manning.
A slow developer, at 25 years old, Manning has nailed down a roster spot at the beginning of a season for the first time in his career.
After spending three seasons with the Chilliwack Bruins of the WHL, Manning was signed by the Flyers as an undrafted free agent before the 2011-12 season.
Manning made quick impressions, playing four games with the Flyers that season and six the next including an AHL All-Star nod, while looking more and more like he’d challenge for a spot in the upcoming years.
Mar 17, 2015; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Andrew MacDonald (47) skates against the Vancouver Canucks during the first period at Rogers Arena. The Vancouver Canucks won 4-1. Mandatory Credit: Anne-Marie Sorvin-USA TODAY Sports
But the Prince George native never made an NHL appearance in 2013-14 despite scoring 10 more points for the Phantoms, albeit in eight more games, than the previous season.
However, last year, Manning hit new highs in several categories. He scored a career-high 43 points, 11 goals and 32 assists in 60 games for the Phantoms in a veteran defenseman role for the club and doubled his games in the big league with 11 for the Flyers last year.
And during those showings, Manning looked more and more like an NHL-ready defenseman.
In the offseason, GM Ron Hextall surprised many by giving Manning a one-way, one-year contract with seven other defensemen already on the roster.
But Manning used his oppurtunity this preseason, by not only beating out MacDonald for a spot, but also Luke Schenn in a starting role this Thursday in the Flyers first game of the season against the Tampa Bay Lightning:
Luke Schenn is your 7th D ... Gagne and Lecavalier appear to be opening night scratches as we said over the weekend. Laughton deserved spot
— Tim Panaccio (@tpanotchRET) October 5, 2015
(And by Gagne, Tim Panaccio means Sam Gagner)
If Schenn is the seventh defenseman, that means Manning will be in the lineup this Thursday and likely paired with Michael Del Zotto, according to the lineups by The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Sam Carchidi:
"Defense: Michael Del Zotto and Brandon Manning; Evgeny Medvedev and Radko Gudas; Mark Streit and Nick Schultz. Luke Schenn and Andrew MacDonald were the fourth pairing.– Sam Carchidi"
With the Phantoms, Manning played both the power play and penalty kill. With the Flyers, he will likely see some penalty kill time, but not any power play segments with Jake Voracek, Streit, Del Zotto and Medvedev capable of manning (no pun intended) the points.
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As for Manning’s style of game, he’s not flashy, but he’s grown to be reliable in his own end and he’s mobile. I’m not sure if it’s smart he plays 20 minutes a game, but 15 should be a good amount.
Realistically, Manning is a solid third-pairing defensemen, but may play some more while being paired with Del Zotto.
However, Manning has shown he’s ready for big jumps lately in his career, and while most Flyers fans weren’t thinking about Manning on Monday, they will be on Thursday.
Next: MacDonald Waive, But Defense Hardly Settled