There was really nothing left for Shayne Gostisbehere to do in college, anyway. The junior defenseman, drafted in 2012 by the Philadelphia Flyers, just won the national championship with Union College and was named the most outstanding player of the Frozen Four.
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In the process, he showed Flyers fans exactly what they wanted to see in a defensive prospect: Speed, a great shot from the point, great vision, strong defense. Pretty much everything the team needs in a defenseman right now. He did on national television, on the Wells Fargo Center ice. Couldn’t have written a better script.
He’s now officially done with college. Gostisbehere has signed his three-year entry-level contract with the Flyers, the team announced Tuesday. He’ll report to the Adirondack Phantoms this weekend, where he’ll make his professional debut. The Phantoms season ends on Saturday.
Gostisbehere won’t play with the Flyers in the postseason, but he’ll certainly be in the mix to make the team out of training camp next year, and he’ll probably practice with the Flyers as a “Black Ace” during the playoffs.
Hopefully the Flyers are still smart and patient with his development track, though, despite desperately needing a defenseman like him at the NHL level. He was a dominant college player but will certainly need some time to adjust to the pro game. It’ll be fun to see how he plays in the AHL this weekend.
