Flyers need young defensemen to power offense in 2017-18

After some significant offseason retooling - headlined by the drafting of forward Nolan Patrick second overall and the trade of forward Brayden Schenn to the St. Louis Blues for center Jori Lehtera - the Philadelphia Flyers are set to take strides in 2017-18 after finishing seven points behind the Toronto Maple Leafs for the Eastern Conference's second wild-card spot. And much of that progress will be due to their young group of talented defensemen.

But first, here's a preview of how Philadelphia's forward lines could look on opening night, courtesy: dailyfaceoff.com.

The Flyers ranked 26th last season with a five-on-five shooting percentage of 6.65, while having positive rates in both Corsi For percentage and scoring chance percentage. Offensive leaders Giroux and Voracek were particularly unlucky, shooting well below their career averages. As a result, the Flyers finished tied for 20th with 2.59 goals per game.

A progression toward their expected performance along with the continued development of their young talent should help the Flyers gain the 0.6 and 0.8 goals per game they need to match the 2016-17 output of division rivals Washington and Pittsburgh, respectively.

And a large portion of the Flyers' offense needs to - and will - come from a young but promising defense corps, led by returnees Shayne Gostisbehere and Ivan Provorov, and infused with up to three rookies playing large roles.

(Photo courtesy Getty Images)

Gostisbehere takes the reigns

Gostisbehere had a phenomenal and unexpected 2015-16 rookie season in which he finished second in Calder Trophy and 17th in Norris Trophy voting. He was called up from the AHL part way through the campaign to play 64 NHL games, in which he scored 17 goals and finished fifth on the team with 46 points.

His sophomore campaign took a major step backward. Gostisbehere was a shocking healthy scratch on multiple occasions and finished the season with just 39 points in 76 games. Defensive miscues were to blame for a lack of trust from the coaching staff.

In truth, Gostisbehere operated at a Corsi For rating of 52.57 percent in 2016-17, with the Flyers recording 52.10 percent of the scoring chances at five-on-five when he was on the ice. Similar to a young and not yet trusted Erik Karlsson, Gostisbehere was used sparingly on the penalty kill, recording just 5:37 of ice time when the Flyers were shorthanded.

It's time for the Flyers' coaching staff to accept Gostisbehere's rare lapses in exchange for the offensive production he can provide with increased playing time. He will need to lead the team in average ice time - while playing exclusively at five-on-five and on the power play - in order for the offense to reach its ceiling.

(Photo courtesy Action Images)

Sanheim will follow Werenski to Calder contention

Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski followed in the footsteps of Gostistbehere in 2016-17, as an older defender rising to the top of the year's rookie class. Werenski finished third in Calder and 18th in Norris voting one year after being selected eighth overall.

The tide could shift back to the Flyers in 2017-18, as 21-year-old Travis Sanheim vies to make the NHL roster three years after being selected 17th overall by the Flyers.

Sanheim spent the two seasons after his draft year in the WHL, recording 133 points in 119 games. He was placed in the AHL last season and produced 37 points in 76 games. With coaches praising his quick adaptation to the more defensive league, he's expected to crack the Flyers' opening-night roster.

(Photo courtesy Action Images)

Out with the old bad

With Gostisbehere and Provorov locked into the Flyers' 2017-18 season - and with Sanheim also penciled in - 30-year-old Andrew MacDonald, 26-year-old Brandon Manning, and/or 26-year-old Radko Gudas are expected to fill out the rest of the back end. The trio combined for 53 points last season.

MacDonald has played just 189 games over the past three seasons, and he posted a three-year-low Corsi For rating of 48.00 in 2016-17. While he's under contract for the next three campaigns at a cap hit of $5 million, the Flyers are not adverse to cutting ties with sunk money.

See: Ilya Bryzgalov and the 10 years remaining on his buyout with an annual payout of $1.64 million.

(Photo courtesy Action Images)

A pair of 21-year-old defenders in Robert Hagg and Samuel Morin, who each played just one NHL game last season, will also be vying for roster spots as potential replacements for the ineffective MacDonald. Hagg recorded 15 points and a plus-10 rating in 58 AHL games last season, while Morin had 16 points in 74 games.

The quintet of Gostisbehere, Provorov, Sanheim, Morin, and Hagg comes in at an average age of 21.2 years old.

While unproven on defense, they could provide the push the Flyers' offense will need in order to compete in a very tough Metropolitan Division.

(Advanced stats courtesy naturalstattrick.com)