Jamie Drysdale Wants To Be Consistent For The Flyers Next Season; Says Brad Shaw Is Coaching Him In Ways He's Never Heard
Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Jamie Drysdale played 24 games for the Orange and Black after he was traded and is ready to show the front office the full potential of his talent
Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports - Jamie Drysdale Wants To Be Consistent For The Flyers Next Season; Says Brad Shaw Is Coaching Him In Ways He's Never HeardPhiladelphia Flyers defenseman Jamie Drysdale played 24 games for the Orange and Black after he was traded and is ready to show the front office the full potential of his talent.
The young d-man has struggled with injuries his whole career and has played more than 25 games in a season just twice in his four years in the NHL.
"To be honest, I felt like I was pretty hot and cold. Pretty inconsistent. It doesn't help being in and out of the lineup," Drysdale said. "It was a little bit tougher to find my rhythm and just play a consistent stretch of games. I'm looking forward to a full year next year."
He was thrust into trying to save the Flyers' abysmal powerplay and will likely get the first crack at being the QB of the first powerplay unit next season.
"I think the more reps you get, the more consistency you get with it, the more comfortable you get," Drysdale said about the powerplay. "I think that there wasn't much of that there on my end."
The trade was unexpected for Dysdale, but he told reporters that he just wanted to be healthy and do his best to move on and play.
"Like I said, when I got here, it was a whirlwind. It was definitely unexpected. I think it got a lot of traction, for lack of a better word," he said. "I just tried to push that aside. I'm with the new team [that has] treated me unbelievably since I've been here and everything like that. It's a great group, and I'm really excited to be here."
The 22-year-old was asked about his relationship with head coach John Tortorella and assistant coach Brad Shaw and how that could help him become vital to the Flyers' future.
"It's definitely been a tough couple years for me just to be just being out a lot. Shaw has been unbelievable since the moment I got here," Drysdale said. "He's a pretty wild hockey mind. Just the little details that he tells you, whether it's video or just during the game, that I've never heard in my life. Just little things here and there that I think over time will make a big difference in consistency and being a better player overall."
Drysdale likely has offseason surgery for an injury he wouldn't divulge during his exit interview. When asked if a procedure was on the table, he responded, "Probably."
Depending on his recovery time, the youngster could have a summer filled with training or rehab, but by all accounts, he expects to be ready for training camp, as he said he is excited for a full season.
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