Shayne Gostisbehere

Mired in trade rumors for years, Gostisbehere was finally shipped to Arizona in late July for a pair of draft picks in what amounted to a salary dump for Philadelphia. The rearguard had clearly fallen out of favor with the Flyers' coaching staff, although he performed considerably better a season ago (9 goals, 20 points in 41 games) compared to 2019-20 (5 goals, 12 points in 42 games). Gostisbehere is a talented but flawed defender. He's highly effective both in transition and running a power play, but he struggles mightily in his own zone. Gostisbehere is likely going to have a major role on a thin Coyotes blue line in 2021-22, which should result in solid point totals and an ugly plus-minus rating. He's a mid-rounder defender for fantasy purposes, albeit one that offers little in terms of hits and blocks.

Gostisbehere represents an interesting option for fantasy managers, especially those who remember his 65-point campaign in 2017-18. It's clear there's offensive upside for the 27-year-old, but he may not have the favor of head coach Alain Vigneault after appearing in just 42 games last season. Sure, Ghost Bear dealt with a knee injury, but he didn't get his job back when he was healthy. With Matt Niskanen's retirement, a big role on the Flyers' blue line awaits, and it could be the defensively-suspect Gostisbehere who takes it by the reins. With just 12 points to his name last year, betting on a big comeback could be risky. He has a track record worthy of a late-round pick -- just don't be afraid to cut loose this Flyer if he doesn't regain his scoring touch in the first few weeks of the campaign.

The 26-year-old has essentially alternated between great and poor seasons during the first four years of his NHL career. Seasons ending in odd numbers have been rough for Gostisbehere, and 2018-19 was no different. While he scored nine goals, he also submitted a career-low 37 points while posting an ugly minus-20 rating. After averaging 21:27 of ice time per game in 2017-18, Gostisbehere logged just 19:40 per contest last season. While it might be tempting to place some of the blame for Gostisbehere's poor season on that decrease in playing time, he actually lead all Flyers defensemen in power-play minutes for a second straight campaign, but was only able to post 14 points on the man advantage -- a sharp decline from the 33 power-play points he racked up during the previous season. All of this is obviously concerning, but a lot of these question marks also arose after the 2016-17 campaign, and Gostisbehere answered his doubters by submitting the best season of his young career the following year. It's hard to bet on Gostisbehere's up-and down pattern continuing in 2019-20, but it's not out of the realm of possibility given his talent.

“Ghost” rebounded from a very disappointing 2016-17 to post some impressive numbers last season. In 78 games, he scored 13 goals and 65 points with a plus-10 rating. He experienced similar success in 2015-16, scoring 17 goals and 46 points in 64 games, but that season, he recorded an unsustainable 11.2 shooting percentage. Last season, the 25-year-old registered just a 5.9 shooting percentage, meaning his 2017-18 success is much more likely to continue. Of course, it helps that half of his points came with the man advantage (seven goals and 26 assists), and his shot volume increased too. After the usual elite suspects on the blue line are gone, owners would be smart to draft Gostisbehere, who could be competing for the Norris Trophy very soon.

A breakout star in his rookie year, Gostisbehere predictably fell back to earth as a sophomore, though his 39 points (23 of which came on the power play) certainly came in handy for fantasy owners. That minus-21 rating? Not so much, but at least he was in good company; nearly everyone on the Flyers struggled mightily at even strength. Ghost Bear is still a mere 24 years old, and we've seen what he's capable of doing on offense; with no one in the way of him enjoying major minutes this season, it’s reasonable to expect a step forward to some degree, but that'll depend on how his fellow youngsters come along -- not to mention whether the addition of Brian Elliott can help stabilize Philadelphia’s net. It’s promising that Gostisbehere was able to maintain solid health last year, appearing in 76 games, and his tantalizing high-floor, high-upside combo makes him an excellent pick for just about any fantasy blue line.

Precious few defensemen have burst onto the scene with the sort of offensive spectacle that Gostisbehere brought with him upon being recalled from the AHL last November. He produced immediately, racking up 16 points in his first 22 games despite averaging less than 19 minutes of ice time. But that was just the appetizer – Ghost Bear’s main course was a record-setting point streak of 15 games, the longest ever by a rookie blueliner. No other NHL defenseman, Erik Karlsson included, has put together a streak like that in the last two decades. Gostisbehere ended up with 17 goals (sixth among blueliners), 46 points (17th) and 22 power-play points (tied for 13th) despite playing just 64 games. And that wasn’t even with first-unit minutes. As the 23-year-old enters his second NHL campaign, it’s scary to think just how good he could become. However, it’s worth noting his injury history – he had an ACL tear two years ago and underwent offseason surgery in May on his hip and abdomen, though that isn’t expected to affect his availability for the start of the season.

Gostisbehere got a taste of NHL action in 2014-15 when the Flyers called him up from AHL Lehigh Valley for two games in October, but shortly after returning to the minors, he suffered an ACL tear that would keep him sidelined for the rest of the season. The 22-year-old, who recorded five assists in five games with the AHL club before the injury, is expected to be back at 100 percent health by the time training camp opens in the fall. A strong camp might be enough for Gostisbehere to make the Flyers' Opening Night roster, but it’s far more likely that he heads back to Lehigh Valley in order to gain more seasoning. Once the 22-year-old shakes off the rust in the minors, he'll likely earn quick consideration for a return to the Flyers, as his tremendous skating ability and superior offensive instincts would certainly be welcome on the back end. The puck-moving blueliner sees the ice remarkably well and projects as a key fantasy player a few years down the road.

Following his graduation from Union College, Gostisbehere joined AHL Adirondack for the last two games of their season, registering a minus-2 with no points. It's expected that he'll start the upcoming season in the AHL and look to put together a solid rookie campaign in his first full year as a pro. He had a very successful NCAA career -- he ended it by taking home the ECAC Player of the Year and Best Defensive Defenseman awards -- and will look to show that he can translate his collegiate experience into success at the much more difficult minor-league level. Keeper owners should remember his name even if they can't spell it -- he has top-four stalwart and power-play QB written all over him.