Drysdale Skates in Flyers Practice the Day After Trade Announcement
Jamie Drysdale's trade was announced during the first period of the Flyers game on Jan. 8, and he reported for his first Flyers practice at noon on Jan. 9.
Drysdale Skates in Flyers Practice the Day After Trade AnnouncementEveryone's head was spinning after the Drysdale-Gauthier trade that was announced during the Flyers/Penguins game on Jan. 8, but none more than Jamie Drysdale himself.
In the span of a single night, the 21-year-old defenseman went from being a bright young star for the Anaheim Ducks to being the most talked-about athlete in the city of Philadelphia. His first order of business? Reporting for the Flyers' noon practice less than 24 hours after being announced as the team's newest addition.
Drysdale took the ice at the Flyers' practice facility, donning an orange jersey and the no. 9 on his helmet, gracefully zooming through skills practice to give his teammates a glimpse at his highly-touted skating abilities. People aren't exaggerating when they fawn over those skills. The sheer effortlessness and simple beauty of how he moves, whether it be forward, backward, or sideways, is mesmerizing.
He looked to be staying close to fellow young defenseman Cam York--not surprising, seeing as the two share a mutual close friend in Ducks center Trevor Zegras. York said that he texted Drysdale immediately after the Flyers/Penguins game, and Drysdale mentioned that he will "probably be crashing with [York]" as he settles in.
The connection between these three runs pretty deep, as York explained, "Trevor Zegras lived in my house in Anaheim for a year and they were best buddies out there. Jamie was always over at my house and knows my family pretty well, so that's how I got to know him a little bit. This past summer we hung out a bunch. We got a really good player."
John Tortorella wasn't taking any questions about who Drysdale might be paired up with on the Flyers' defense, nor did he answer any questions about what the lineup would look like against the Montreal Canadiens on Jan. 10. He emphasized the importance of Drysdale getting his legs under him in practice, along with the fact he's been fitting in pretty seamlessly with the rest of the locker room.
Tortorella added that he was "getting texts all last night about [Drysdale's] character" and that the entire team is "so excited that he's here."
Not surprisingly, Drysdale was already friends with some of the young players prior to his trade, and was already receiving some guidance and advice from Travis Konecny and Scott Laughton during practice.
Tortorella made it clear that the main focus right now is getting Drysdale familiar with the Flyers' game (although he's not worried about his new defenseman picking it up quickly), and "taking the mistakes that will come with [Drysdale learning a new system]." They plan on showing a lot of tape from the defensive mistakes against the Penguins on Jan. 8, making sure not to bombard him with "analytics and numbers," rather find a balance between talking him through the playing style and having him on the ice playing in the system.