Philadelphia Flyers fans, don’t fret: Jamie Drysdale is the right-handed defenseman you’re looking for
Let’s just rip off the bandaid. The Philadelphia Flyers lost the Cutter Gauthier trade.
But he didn’t want to be a Philadelphia Flyer. Simple as that. All parties moved on, and now the Anaheim Ducks have added one of the best prospects in the world to an already stacked pipeline.
“It’s been going on for a while,” GM Danny Briere told reporters Monday night. “We tried to give him space. We tried to get in touch with him many times and they would not communicate as far as the Gauthier side. At some point, we had to make a decision. And we thought with what happened just a few days ago, this was our time to get the highest value.”
So the frustration among the fanbase – one of the most passionate in the NHL – is understandable. But the Flyers capitalized as best they could on the situation, trading Gauthier just days after winning the World Junior Championship, during which he gave an MVP-caliber effort.
#Flyers engaged upwards of 18-20 teams that Cutter Gauthier would sign with over the last weeks.
GM Danny Briere and president Keith Jones both traveled to Sweden to see Gauthier at #WorldJuniors to try and attempt to get everything back on rails, before pulling trigger today.
But getting Jamie Drysdale in return is no small potatoes here. And once the frustration wanes, the fanbase can shift its attention to a guy who can hopefully become the star defenseman they’ve been seeking for a while now.
It’s easy to look at the short sample size of the past two years and get scared off. The injuries, the average results, everything. But he was also playing 19 minutes a night at 18, nearly 20 minutes at 19 and more than 21 minutes this year as a 21-year-old. Drysdale was thrown into the fire as a young duckling.
It wasn’t that long ago that Drysdale was considered one of the best defensive prospects in the world. He was drafted sixth overall in 2020, but many had Drysdale ahead of Jake Sanderson that year thanks to Drysdale’s dominant two-way play that made him so dangerous with the Erie Otters. By 17, he was already playing a crucial role with Canada’s world junior team – a rare opportunity for a defenseman his age.
With the OHL shut down in 2020-21, Drysdale had no playing option but to turn pro early. He played 81 games in 2021-22 and quickly established himself as a future 50-point scorer and Anaheim’s No. 1 defenseman of the future.
A shoulder injury in October of 2022 put the brakes on what was supposed to be a stellar year for the young defenseman. He struggled with no points in eight contests, but it can be chalked up to growing pains on a brutal team. A lower-body injury has limited him to just 10 games in 2023-24, but with five points, he’s making up for lost time.
It’s worth noting that Flyers senior advisor Bob Murray – who drafted Drysdale when he was GM of the Ducks – spoke highly of the right-handed defender, which helps.
The biggest thing that stood out was Drysdale’s puck skills. He can lead the power play, both while stationary and under pressure. He’s not going to kill guys with his speed, but he knows how, and when, to use it. Had Drysdale had a third year with Erie, there’s no question he would have had 80-90 points with how he distributes and shoots the puck. Most 19-year-olds are busy leading their major junior teams, not playing critical minutes in the NHL. There’s a reason very few 18-year-old defenders make the jump immediately, but Drysdale had the maturity and talent to make it happen.
One current NHL head scout even called Drysdale one of the most dominant puck-moving defenders to come out of the CHL in well over a decade.
“I feel bad for Cutter… well I don’t really feel bad for Cutter when he comes to Philadelphia. It’s gonna be a rough ride here and he earned it. We’re Philadelphians and we want people who want to be here with us.” – Dan Hilferty pic.twitter.com/DAXTvkHomO
— Snow The Goalie: A Flyers Podcast (@SnowTheGoalie) January 9, 2024“The confidence, the skating, the awareness, he has it all,” the scout said. “He dominated at all levels. He ate minutes for breakfast and could go 1-on-1 with just about anyone – offensively and defensively.”
Drysdale isn’t big at 5-foot-11, but he’s strong. He’ll outwork an opponent along the boards if he can’t outskate them. Drysdale also has a stout level of hockey sense you don’t always find in young defensemen, especially as more and more continue to focus on the offensive side. But Drysdale will rarely be caught throwing the puck up the middle for a dead opportunity – he thinks things through and fast.
“Drysdale is a highly talented player, a smooth skater as well, an all-around defenseman,” Briere said. “I see him being a top-pair defenseman for the Flyers for a while.”
The Flyers only have two right-handed defensemen – 29-year-olds Sean Walker and Rasmus Ristolainen – so Drysdale gives them a potential No. 1 option for a very long time here. Helge Grans is the most notable RHD defensive prospect in the team’s system, but he’s no a PP1 quarterback with the potential to put up 40-50 points a year. With the right development and deployment, Drysdale solves a big hole in Philly’s pipeline – albeit at quite a cost.
“When healthy, Drysdale is better than most give him credit for,” a scout said. “The issue is he hasn’t been healthy. But he’s still so young with plenty of NHL experience, and if he can get a full season together, that confidence could go such a long way. His potential in junior, in the AHL and as a rookie showed he has a high ceiling. Every team needs a right-handed D like him.”
The big thing to remember here: we’re talking about a 21-year-old. He missed nearly an entire NHL season, but only Braden Schneider of the New York Rangers has played more among defenders from the 2020 NHL Draft.
The Flyers have acquired Jamie Drysdale & 2nd round draft pick 2025 in exchange for rights to Cutter Gauthier. Drysdale still has a potential to be an elite offensive defenseman, however those injuries didn't help him for sure. Gauthier didn't want to play for Philly. pic.twitter.com/5UMtC8cIpX
— Andy & Rono (@ARHockeyStats) January 9, 2024Sure, Drysdale’s defensive play needs a bit of seasoning, but that’s the case for every defenseman at that age once they crack the NHL. Let’s not forget all that missed development time due to COVID-19 at such an essential time in a young player’s development, plus the nearly entire year lost in 2022-23. It’s been anything but easy, and I’m not hitting the panic button any time soon. And you shouldn’t either.
But it’s up to Drysdale to prove his worth here. I don’t think this trade will ever look good for the Flyers. Gauthier’s potential has scouts drooling. It will be a disaster if Drysdale doesn’t become a top-four defenseman. The Flyers need to develop him correctly, especially after all the injuries. The Flyers don’t need to overwork him by any stretch this year. Treat him like a rookie again if you have to. Just. Get. This. Right.
The wounds aren’t going to heal any time soon for Flyers fans. I get it. It stings, and it’s going to for a long time. But give Drysdale a chance, because many of those who have kept close tabs on him over the past five years believe he’s the real deal.
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