Some guys, because of trades, are going to be linked fairly or unfairly when it comes to sports and the Philadelphia Flyers are no exception. Eric Lindros will always be connected to Peter Forsberg. Mark Recchi will always be connected with John LeClair. Rod Brind'Amour will always be linked to Keith Primeau. Likewise, Jamie Drysdale will always, always, always be compared, connected, and linked to Cutter Gauthier, the former Flyers prospect who decided that he didn't want to play in Philadelphia.
Gauthier is playing now for the Ducks. He was brought up just in time for the end of last season. He appeared in one game and got an assist. He was expected to be a big piece of this team moving forward. But that is gone now. No time to think about how he and Matvei Michkov would've looked great together.
Instead, we got Drysdale. Drysdale was selected by the Anaheim Ducks sixth overall in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft. He was rated one of the top defenders in the draft. He made his debut in the shortened 2020-21 season. He played his only full season in 2021-22 as a 19-year-old. He scored four goals with 28 assists that year but posted a -26 for a next-to-last-place team. He also played just shy of 20 minutes a game. He wasn't super physical (just 40 hits registered), but his talent was in the transition. He collected 19 steals and blocked 72 shots while turning the puck over 49 times. For a young guy on a bad team, those aren't bad numbers. That's what the Ducks were hoping for.
Instead, what they got is what can't be helped: injuries. Just as the Flyers experienced with Nolan Patrick, a promising career was being derailed and sidelined with injuries. He appeared in just eight games in 2022-23 after tearing his glenoid labrum in his shoulder. He suffered another lower-body injury at the start of the next season when he was traded to the Flyers.
Jamie Drysdale could help jumpstart the Flyers power play if healthy
He played in 24 games for the Flyers, scoring two goals with three assists. Then he got a shoulder injury again. It was hoped that he could help jump-start the Flyers horrendous power play. One of his goals and one of his assists were on the man advantage.
Drysdale is 22 now. That's still pretty young. Most likely, he has a longer leash on him than some of the other defenders because of the high cost to acquire him and because of his youth. Drysdale is hoped to be the quarterback on the power play and to give some sort of offensive jump when transitioning. He could make a great second-line partner with Nick Seeler or a top-line defender with Travis Sanheim if he can perform up to his potential. Worst comes to worse, he could be valuable on the third line.
The key to his future is his health. If he can stay healthy, it is almost guaranteed that he can begin to develop. He is a player that the Flyers must have patience with. He is also someone that Nic Desaluriers needs to protect at all costs. If someone hits him, Deslauriers needs to hit them back.
If healthy, Drysdale looks as if he could become a player in the mold of Kimmo Timmonen. If he can develop into that sort of player, the Flyers and their fans will be very pleased. For now, let's just get the kid healthy enough to hit the ice.