More help for Flyers defense? Provorov could be the pick

To prepare for Friday's NHL draft, to settle on the best way to use that No. 7 overall pick, Flyers general manager Ron Hextall has spent plenty of time on the phone with an old teammate, looking to improve what is already perceived to be the organization's long-term position of strength.

The Flyers are looking forward to having all those touted prospects on defense join them in the years to come: Travis Sanheim, Shayne Gostisbehere, Robert Hagg, Samuel Morin. Nevertheless, Hextall has been probing the mind of former Flyers defenseman Kerry Huffman - now the director of player development for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights of the Atlantic Youth Hockey League - for insight into Ivan Provorov. Born in Yaroslavl, Russia, Provorov is 18 years old, 6 feet tall and 201 pounds, and presumed to be one of the first two defensemen drafted Friday. The Flyers reportedly regard him as the top player on their draft board - among those who might be available, that is - and because Provorov played for the Knights for two years, Huffman and the program's other coaches have been deep wells of insight for Hextall and the Flyers' scouting staff.

"They've expressed a lot of interest in Ivan," Justin Lyle, the Knights' coach and general manager, said in a telephone interview. "The word is they're looking for a defenseman, and he'll be the next defenseman after [Boston College's] Noah Hanifin.

"Ivan is an extremely strong skater, extremely physically strong young man. He's extremely knowledgeable, very confident in his physical play. I know that's what Philly likes. That's the way Philly's always played."

True enough, but for the entirety of their 48-year existence, the Flyers have never developed a Norris Trophy-caliber defenseman. Their best - Mark Howe, Eric Desjardins, Kimmo Timonen, Chris Pronger - began their pro careers outside the organization, and Hextall appears committed to filling that hole in the franchise's history by hoarding as many talented, young defensemen as possible. In his first pick as a GM, he selected Sanheim the first round last year, and so far the kid has validated Hextall's judgment, emerging as the top prospect in the Flyers system.

To hear Lyle and one of his fellow Knights coaches, Alex Vasko, tell it, Provorov might prove a better pick than Sanheim. Vasko is himself a native of Russia and the Knights' recruiting liaison there, and he learned of Provorov's desire to familiarize himself with North American culture so he could facilitate his transition to the NHL. He arranged for Provorov to come to the United States, though from a cultural standpoint, the biggest difference between Wilkes-Barre and Yaroslavl might be the Wegmans just off Route 81.

Provorov's adjustment was seamless. In 102 games with the Knights, he scored 84 goals, collected 194 points, and learned to speak English. Interest in him from scouts intensified last season, his first with the Brandon Wheat Kings of the Western Hockey League, when he had 61 points in 60 games at the major-junior level.

"It's his dedication to the game," Vasko, who has traveled to Sunrise, Fla., with Provorov for the draft, said in an e-mail interview. "He sees game situations perfectly and makes correct decisions most of the time. It is the best combination of understanding the game and being physically ready for the toughest battles. In addition, he is a very skillful player."

If it seems excessive for Hextall to draft another defenseman so high - and the Flyers may even have to trade up to guarantee they'll get Provorov - remember that, in the 21st century NHL, a team's success is largely predicated on its defensemen's ability to skate and to move the puck. Look at the teams that have won or contended for the Stanley Cup in recent years. The Chicago Blackhawks have Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook, Niklas Hjalmarsson, and Johnny Oduya. The Tampa Bay Lightning have Victor Hedman and Anton Stralman. The Rangers have Ryan McDonagh and Dan Girardi. And on and on.

The Flyers had no defensemen of that caliber on their roster last season, and they may not for a while, depending on how patient they want to be with those prospects. But when the time comes, better to have too many than too few, and if Provorov is that good, if the Flyers believe him to be the best player available regardless of position, why not take him?

"When I first saw Ivan play, I thought, 'I can't wait to see him play in the National Hockey League,' " Lyle said. "He's very confident with the puck, and he's also very strong on the puck. Put that together with the confidence and the hockey I.Q., and you have a kid who can bring the puck up the ice on a power play or move the puck. He's a very unique defenseman in this draft."

He's also the Flyers' primary quarry. Ivan Provorov is what Philly wants and plays the way Philly has always played, and after all those phone calls, all that research, on Friday night Ron Hextall will finally face the test of tracking him down.

@MikeSielski