Despite the recent call-up of young defensive prospect Shayne Gostisbehere from the AHL, Philadelphia Flyers' general manager Ron Hextall has not and will not rule out potentially making a move for a veteran player, according to a report from Frank Seravalli of The Philadelphia Daily News.
After losing both Andrew MacDonald and Braydon Coburn for "about a month" to foot injuries, Hextall's in-house choices for replacements are thin, at best. Still, he's committed to not breaking the bank or hindering the team's ability to make moves in the future.
"I can tell you I'm hoping to get a defenseman for a hell of a lot less than $2 million," Hextall said.
The Flyers have reached out to free-agent defenseman Ryan Whitney to gauge his interest, Seravalli noted. Whitney is currently signed with HC Sochi, a Russian KHL team, but has an "out" clause in his contract, should an NHL club come calling.
There has been no movement though on Whitney's part. His agent, Paul Krepelka, said, "Ryan is signed with a KHL team as of now. I don't want to comment any further than that - I'll leave that up to Ronnie."
Meanwhile, the 21-year-old Gotisbehere made his NHL debut Saturday night against the Detroit Red Wings, and played admirably, despite his youth and inexperience. He registered one shot in 12:27 of ice time, according to a separate report from Seravalli.
Still, it is against Hextall's stated preference to have Gotisbehere play in the NHL before he is ready.
He prefers that players hone in on their skills at the AHL level until they are fully prepared for the increased physicality and monumental jump in skill of the professional arena.
"In a perfect world, you let the kid stay there and play, but we don't live in a perfect world," Hextall said yesterday. "You know, you come up with a plan and vision and sometimes you have to adjust and be flexible. Assuming we don't make anything happen real quick here, we'll call up one guy and get through Saturday and go from there."
Gotisbehere's stay will not likely last long, and with Coburn and MacDonald both out for extended periods, it's looking more and more likely that the Flyers will make a move sometime in the near future to bolster their blueline depth.
