Flyers Mailbag: Changes to Defensive Pairings?

In our latest Flyers Mailbag, we answer a question about the team's 2016-17 defense.

Q. What will the defense pairing look like next year assuming we don't sign any roster d-men in free agency, and also assuming [Ivan] Provorov makes the NHL team. Available d-men being: [Mark Streit], [Nick] Schultz, [Andrew MacDonald], [Radko] Gudas, [Shayne Gostisbehere], [Brandon] Manning, [Michael] Del Zotto, Provorov.

- Jarid Krause

A. Let's look at the entire landscape.

Flyers general manager Ron Hextall said two weeks ago he doesn't expect much roster change this offseason, and that looks to be the case on defense.

The Flyers' true future on the blue line will come from within. Hextall likes what he has now, which seems to be an adequate placeholder until the prospects, waiting in the wings, prove they're ready.

From Provorov to Samuel Morin, to Travis Sanheim and Robert Hagg, the future defense may not be far from materializing.

For now, though, the Flyers want to retain what's already in the fold.

Radko Gudas will be a restricted free agent Hextall hopes to keep "more long term than short term."

Brandon Manning, who pleased Hextall with his growth as the season wore on, will also be an RFA - and inexpensive.

The Flyers will most certainly let free agent Evgeny Medvedev walk.

The biggest change - and maybe the only - could be Provorov, who will seriously push the envelope.

After seeing Shayne Gostisbehere forced into action and then forcing the Flyers' hand, I see Provorov getting his chance at some point in 2016-17 and impressing.

"[Gostisbehere] started to show signs," Hextall said. "So I was like, ‘OK, we have a huge need here when Mark [Streit] went down,' and to his credit, he was day to day, game to game, and here for the rest of the year and obviously helped our team.

"They have to come in and be better than someone else that's here and, if that happens, we proved last year that we'll make room in our roster for a young player that proves to us that he's ready to play at this level and make our team better."

If anything, competition will be prevalent on the blue line.

With all that said, given the defensemen available in the question, here are the pairings.

If Provorov makes the team, he will play. His lefty shot makes sense with the right-handed Gudas.

Schultz is a veteran the Flyers lauded during the playoffs for his willingness to block shots, so he will remain with Streit.

Gostisbehere and Del Zotto gelled well before the latter went down for the remainder of the season with a wrist injury.

That leaves Manning and MacDonald as the odd men out but dependable backups.

Defensive pairings
Mark Streit-Nick Schultz

Shayne Gostisbehere-Michael Del Zotto

Ivan Provorov-Radko Gudas

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