Gustafsson relishes chance to show his stuff
Erik Gustafsson, who for the Flyers symbolizes not only the replacement for departed veteran defenseman Matt Niskanen, but essentially represents the team’s lone offseason personnel upgrade, is trying to fit in on an expedited schedule.
“It’s a little difficult,” said the 28-year-old Chicago Blackhawks alum. “At the same time, I’m trying to ask if I have any questions to the coaches and players. I think I’m getting hold of it pretty quick here. The camp is only 10 days. I’m feeling confident right now. It’s all good.”
That might be a bit of an optimistic viewpoint, considering Gustafsson is coming off a disappointing season. He’s a two-way defender, but after registering 17 goals and 60 points in 79 games in 2018-19, Gustafsson dipped to only 26 points in 59 Hawks games last season before being shipped to Calgary in a rental deal on the eve of the trade deadline for a third-round pick. He played seven games for the Flames, then directed his agent to field free agent offers.
The pandemic market wasn’t exactly hot. Gustafsson took a one-year, $3 million offer from the Flyers ... less than a week after they made Niskanen’s retirement public.
Not surprisingly, with an intra-squad scrimmage before an empty house being played out at Wells Fargo Center Sunday night, Gustafsson might feel he has something to prove starting now.
“I am kind of excited, even if it’s kind of like a scrimmage,” Gustafsson said. “Just playing a real game, coming in, in the morning, having a morning skate, going home and being ready for a game at night. It’s going to be huge for me and the whole team, too, before the real season is starting.
“It’s going to be fun. I think it’s going to be a whole other game out there from the regular scrimmage (at Skate Zone practices). I think it’s going to be fun.”
It should be fun for Flyers head coach Alain Vigneault to have some defensive depth this season despite the departure of Niskanen. He might have his work cut out for him to fit in, but Gustafsson was a huge and timely addition in the offseason.
“Obviously, a new player to a new team and a new organization; for the most part, I have liked what I have seen,” Vigneault said about Gustafsson. “I do think as he gets more familiar with the way we want to do things, the way we approach our preparation, our expectations ... I think the more he understands, the better he is going to play. It is hard for someone coming in to a new style of play, new emphasis on different things.”
With Vigneault and defensive assistant Mike Yeo often favoring a lefty and righty combo on the blue line, Gustafsson has spent much time with right-handed physical defender Robert Hagg the past week in the very shortened training camp. That has allowed Gustafsson’s learning curve for a completely new system to be extended somewhat, and communication is easy for him since Hagg is a fellow Swede.
“I can speak English, but it’s always easier to speak Swedish,” Gustafsson said. “He’s been here for a long time, so he knows all the plays we are going to make or calls. He’s been helping me out a lot.”
This
••• scrimmage might have
been very big for fellow defender Shayne Gostisbehere, who has been working much of the past week to rejoin Ivan Provorov on the Flyers’ top defensive pairing. But the Ghost was kept out of practice and won’t be in the scrimmage Sunday night due to ... due to what?
“At this point, he is unavailable just like (prospect Wade) Allison and that is all I can say about players during training camp that are not at practice,” Vigneault said.
Just like the playoffs in the bubble, all’s mum when it comes to any kind of illness or injury for players amid a pandemic.