Sportsnet: Elliotte Friedman and Jeff Marek on 32 Thoughts: The Podcast – What’s up with … on Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Ivan Provorov.
** NHLRumors.com transcription
Marek: “What’s up with Ivan Provorov?”
Friedman: “It’s a good question. It’s a good question. There’s something going on here and I think it could be something as simple as the Flyers just realize that everything has to be on the table over the next six to 18 months, to maybe it’s just time with this particular player.
There’s a wide spectrum, get that Philadelphia Spectrum,
Marek: “Oh geez.”
Friedman: “I know, of answers we could give here. I think it’s safest to just play it safe, Jeff.”
Marek: “What you should have said, by the way, is there is a broad spectrum. But that’s okay.
Friedman: “Yes. you’re right. Broad spectrum. Damn, I wish I would have thought of that. Really good.
This kind of came to my attention early Sunday morning and I was kind of working on it and it’s a difficult thing to pin down but to say that there is something going on here. Like I think you’re going to hear Provorov’s name out there.
He’s got two more years under contract. The cap hit is 6×6.75, which is very reasonable for him. It’s actually high in cash. It goes up to about $17 million in cash for the next two seasons.
This is a guy who had 41 points a few years ago and he looked like he was going to be one of the best young defensemen in the National Hockey League. I still think the talent is there but it hasn’t worked as well as it could have and should have in Philadelphia.
Now I look at this, I think probably some of it is on the player and some of it is on the team. Look, the team hasn’t been what everybody thought they were going to be, and everybody suffers with that.
But I’ve heard that there has been a conversation about, is it time. Is it just time for him to go somewhere else and the Flyers to look to send him somewhere else?
I don’t think this is anything imminent. I think this is something that might develop over a little while. But I think you’re going to hear his name. And I think he has frustration with what’s going on there and I think there’s some frustration directed towards him too. But this guy is a really talented guy and I can’t help to look at him and wonder Jeff, if he goes somewhere else and flourishes.
Marek: “Elliotte, I wonder if one of the problems here is they haven’t been able to find the right partner for Ivan Provorov. Coming out of the bubble Matt Niskanen said, I’m done. I don’t want to go through that. That’s it, I’m checked out on hockey. He retired and it really affected Provorov.
I just wonder cause he kind of like the, here comes the dated reference 4,723 for me on this podcast, he was sort of the Ken Klee to Provorov’s (Sergei) Gonchar. There’s a dated Washington Capitals reference there for ya.
I guess Ryan Ellis was supposed to be the new Matt Niskanen for Ivan Provorov and because of all the injuries, that never really happened. I just wonder if this is a situation where they just weren’t able to find the right partner for Ivan Provorov.
Friedman: “I think there’s a lot under the surface here. The word I got a lot from the person who kind of indicated that the heard this to me, was frustration. I think the player is frustrated. I think the organization is frustrated. I think the teammates are frustrated. I think everybody is just frustrated at how everything has gone in the last few years in Philadelphia.
And like I said, I think the Flyers are going to consider a lot of things. You’ve asked me before, what direction is this team going in. I think a move like this one could tell us whenever it happens. You know, what do they get in return? What do they do with the space that would be created, salary cap wise to move a player with this number?
But I have to say, I think on some level, I think it’s got to be disappointing for everybody with this. Because, like I said, after his second season, this guy looked like a stud and it just hasn’t worked. And sometimes you have to change coaches cause the voice doesn’t work with the group anymore and sometimes you have to change jobs or location for your job because it’s not working for you in that place anymore. And I’ve just wondered if, basically with everything I heard on Sunday, if that’s kind of where we are with Provorov.
Marek: “You know what he needs Elliotte? It just dawned on me.”
Friedman: “What’s that?”
Marek: “He needs the defense whisperer. He helped make Victor Hedman. He helped make Miro Heiskanen. He’s recreating Josh Morrissey in front of our eyes. Ivan Provorov needs Rick Bowness.
Friedman: “You know, I have to say. Look, I don’t want anybody radioing us, we do that plenty to ourselves, but when I first heard about this, that was actually the first team that hopped into my mind.
Marek: “See, the first that always hops into my mind with Provorov is Vegas and that’s because of Kelly McCrimmon. How excellent he was with the Brandon Wheat Kings when Kelly was the owner, GM and coach of the Wheat Kings. Got him to the top 10 of the NHL draft. But that’s cause I got so much junior hockey on my brain this past weekend.
But the more that I think about it, he needs the Rick Bowness magic wand waived over his head.
Friedman: “Yeah, I’m not sure Vegas could make that work if they wanted to. Winnipeg, for one thing, obviously, he knows the terrain, playing in the Western Hockey League and playing in Brandon.
Marek: “Playing in Manitoba.”
Friedman: “The other to is, the Jets like term. Now this isn’t a ton of term. This is two years, but the Jets really like to trade for players who have term. So I don’t know how they would feel about this but I have to say that Winnipeg was, and again, please don’t radio us, we’re not saying the Jets are trading for this guy, it’s just, it was one of the first teams I thought about because of connection, and you make a great point about Bowness.
** NHLRumors.com transcription
