Philadelphia Flyers' Shayne Gostisbehere Is A Special Talent

We can talk all day about some of the young talent that has stormed into the NHL this season. Chicago Blackhawks rookie Artemi Panarin has 23 points in an equal number of games, Detroit Red Wings youngster Dylan Larkin is lighting up the scoreboard with nine goals and eight assists on the season and the Arizona Coyotes‘ Max Domi is tied with Martin Hanzal for the team lead in points.

Oh, and let’s not forget about the top two picks in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft. Jack Eichel already looks like a veteran for the Buffalo Sabres, and Edmonton Oilers rookie phenom Connor McDavid is expected to be the second coming of Sidney Crosby. Unfortunately for McDavid, he is out for a couple months after fracturing his clavicle against the Philadelphia Flyers earlier this month. However, he is recovering ahead of schedule and could make a return by mid-January.

But speaking of the Flyers, they may have some young talent of their own. Rookie defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere was recently called up to the Flyers after fellow blueliner Mark Streit suffered a pubic plate detachment earlier this month.

That doesn’t sound too great.

But what has been great is the play of Gostisbehere in Streit’s absence. In only seven games, Gostisbehere has recorded three goals and two assists for five points while emerging as a menace on the Flyers’ powerplay.

For the second time this season, Gostisbehere notched a game-winning one-timer to help the Flyers defeat the Nashville Predators in an overtime thriller Friday night (the first came against the Carolina Hurricanes less than a week prior).

Gostisbehere has turned out to be a breath of fresh air for the Flyers this season. Philadelphia’s blueline is one of the worst in the league, but Gostisbehere is transforming the unit from a universal embarrassment to something worth watching thanks to his uncanny instincts and blazing speed.

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Gostisbehere is just one member of the ongoing youth movement in Philadelphia. Within the next couple seasons, prospects such as Ivan Provorov, Travis Sanheim, Sam Morin and Robert Hagg will also make their way up to the big club to help further solidify the blueline.

For right now, however, all eyes are on Gostisbehere. The sky is the limit for this youngster and, barring names like Claude Giroux and Michal Neuvirth, it’s hard to point out another player in Philadelphia performing at a higher level.