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Could Ivan Provorov be the best defenseman in Flyers history?

By Colin Newby

Ivan Provorov, Philadelphia Flyers (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
Ivan Provorov, Philadelphia Flyers (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /
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Approaching Desjardins and Timonen – The Second Tier

Eric Desjardins and Kimmo Timonen make up the second tier of all-time great Flyers defensemen. They are 2nd and 3rd in points among defensemen, averaging .53 and .52 per game, respectively. They are ranked near the top in most major statistical categories, with Desjardins at a slight edge based on a longer tenure in the prime years of his career.

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The gap between Provorov and the tier of Desjardins and Timonen is more narrow than you might realize. Provorov has already won 2 Barry Ashbee trophies in his first 4 seasons, and a healthy 2021 season would very likely bring him another. Desjardins won 7 total Barry Ashbee trophies while Timonen won 5. Longevity will be required for Provorov to catch Desjardins in points, but Provy’s durability and position in the franchise’s long-term plans make it entirely possible.

Fabled Broad Street Bullies defensemen Ed Van Impe, Jimmy, and Joe Watson, and Andre “Moose” Dupont also rank near the top of the all-time Flyers list, but Provorov will likely sit atop all 4 of them in career points and most other major statistical categories within the next 2 seasons.

15 Feb 2000: Eric Desjardinas #37 of the Philadelphia Flyers gets ready for the puck during a game against the New Jersey Devils at the Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Devils defeated the Flyers 4-2. Mandatory Credit: David Leeds /Allsport
15 Feb 2000: Eric Desjardinas #37 of the Philadelphia Flyers gets ready for the puck during a game against the New Jersey Devils at the Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Devils defeated the Flyers 4-2. Mandatory Credit: David Leeds /Allsport /

Where will Provy finish as a Flyer?

Ivan Provorov is undeniably climbing the list quickly at a young age with promise for the future. It is a fair expectation that he could surpass Desjardins and Timonen to become the 2nd best defenseman in Flyers history within the next 2-3 seasons and certainly by the end of his current contract.

Although Provorov is unlikely to approach Howe’s outstanding point total, his best chance to surpass Howe as the greatest Flyers defenseman of all-time is to prove himself as a bonafide number 1 defenseman for a Stanley Cup winner, one thing Howe never accomplished.

Recent playoff workhorse defensemen like Duncan Keith of the Chicago Blackhawks and Victor Hedman of the Tampa Bay Lightning have won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP, and Kris Letang of the Pittsburgh Penguins and John Carlson of the Washington Capitals also solidified themselves as core members of their respective Stanley Cup winning teams.

If Provorov can reach that level of playoff acumen, he will certainly be in the conversation with Mark Howe as the best defenseman in franchise history.

The question will undoubtedly be revisited in the coming years.

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