Kraken Will Add the Flyers’ Ghost to Their Army
Looking at the calculus going into the selection, Patrick, Voracek, and, yes, Gostisbehere, were all Hakstol guys. JVR has value and a contract that likely could be moved after next season, but I don’t believe that Hakstol would choose him over the others. I think Ron Francis may, in this case, defer to his coach who has intimate knowledge of the Flyers.
Voracek would seem to be a good cornerstone piece for the Seattle franchise. He is a skilled winger that can create offense. But the contract is an issue, and there would need to be a degree of certainty that Voracek would be productive for at least the next two seasons. Voracek’s productivity under Hakstol’s Flyers is without question, but he did not bring the same effort or smart play we see under Vigneault. While the pubilc relations risk is low on a Voracek selection, the question of his value to the team is not, especially if Hakstol is not lobbying hard for a Voracek selection.
Patrick, represents a risk both on the ice, and the reaction of the fan base. I actually think Hakstol may favor Patrick the most of the players available, but Kraken GM Ron Francis may not go for it with other safer bets on the board. This may be the time for Francis to use a little GM magic. Chuck Fletcher has been fleeced in the expansion draft before. If Hakstol wants Patrick, it maybe worth a call to Fletcher to see if you can’t shake loose Patrick from the Flyers while still getting the player you want.
That player is Gostisbehere. Hakstol’s penchant for generating offense from the blueline makes Gostisbehere a perfect fit for that style, even with his defensive imperfections. He becomes more productive and dangerous if he is paired with a defensive eraser to clean up the back end, and there are many such option in this year’s free agent market. The west-coast based Kraken maybe a perfect fit for UFA Travis Hamonic, a skilled and defensive minded player who could be a perfect right handed compliment. With an unblemished cap, Seattle should be able to offer the most for Harmonic. In Seattle there are the resources and the will to finally get Gostisbehere the help he needed with the Flyers.
Most of the Flyers fans will be sad to see Gostisbehere selected by the Kraken, even ardent critics, of which I am one. But it will be a better place and a fresh start for him, and I expect great success for him personally and for his new team, and for that I am happy. Almost as rewarding will be a toppling of another false narrative in what seems to be the era of false narratives. Hakstol was always trying to get the most out of Gostisbehere, not destroy him, and his selection by the Kraken should prove once and for all in what regard he has always been held.