The Bruins could use a puck-moving left-shot defenseman. One is currently on waivers.
The Flyers announced on Tuesday that they had put Shayne Gostisbehere on waivers, meaning every other team in the NHL now has an opportunity to claim him. If no one claims him, he'll clear waivers at noon on Wednesday and the Flyers will presumably assign him to their taxi squad.
Gostisbehere, 27, presents a really interesting possibility, not just for the Bruins but for a lot of teams. Obviously it seems like the Flyers no longer believe in him, but other teams might… and for good reason.
It's unclear exactly why the Flyers made this move, which came as a surprise to pretty much everyone. There's been some speculation that they want to free up some cap space to make an unspecified trade to come.
Gostisbehere has a $4.5 million cap hit and is signed for two more seasons after this. Any team that claims him would inherit that contract.
So this is where the natural reaction would be: Why would any team take on that contract for a player who just got waived?
Well… because another team might still see some promise and think the Flyers just weren't capable of getting the best out of him.
Philadelphia's usage of Gostisbehere has been bizarre to say the least. Coach Alain Vigneault has made him a healthy scratch several times this year, but he's also played him on the top pairing a bunch. His 20:01 time on ice per game ranks third among Flyers defensemen this season. His 11 points (5 goals, 6 assists) in 25 games are second among their D, and he has been one of their top power-play guys when he plays.
Gostisbehere has certainly struggled defensively -- Bruins fans might remember David Pastrnak turning him inside-out one-on-one earlier this season -- but a deeper dive into some analytics suggests the positives ultimately outweigh the negatives.
Evolving-Hockey has him at 4.2 goals above replacement and 5.3 expected goals above replacement, both of which are tops among Flyers defensemen and both of which would rank second among Bruins defensemen. His defensive contributions rank in the negative, but his offensive contributions grade out quite highly.
You shouldn't expect to get the Gostisbehere who scored 17 goals as a rookie in 2015-16 or who put up 65 points in 2017-18, but you would be getting a player who can still help jumpstart an offense from the back.
Gostisbehere would bring some things the Bruins defense could use more of, namely excellent skating and an ability to lead breakouts and transitions. He could also be an asset to a power play that has been struggling of late -- either on the top unit or the second.
Would playing in a much better defensive system and being surrounded by much better defensive players help not just mask Gostisbehere's defensive shortcomings, but also help him become a better defensive player? If the Bruins think the answer is yes, they should absolutely consider putting in a claim.
The Flyers are one of the worst defensive teams in the NHL, with only the Senators giving up more goals this season. Just about everyone on that team has looked bad defensively, so it's not exactly an ideal situation for Gostisbehere to get that part of his game back on track.
The contract isn't great, but it's also not so bad that it's an immediate turnoff and not even worth considering. There's already been some speculation that his hometown Florida Panthers -- who just lost Aaron Ekblad for the season -- could claim him, but the Bruins are ahead of the Panthers in the waiver order (which is the reverse order of the standings).
The Bruins could absorb his salary and still have room to trade for a forward. If they start to run low on cap space, they could put John Moore ($2.75 million cap hit) on long-term injured reserve (he's out for the season after hip surgery) and free up more. Ondrej Kase ($2.6 million cap hit) could be another LTIR option if it turns out he won't be able to return.
They also, of course, wouldn't have to trade anything for Gostisbehere. If Don Sweeney and Co. are looking to add both on defense and up front, and if they like Gostisbehere, he could be the defensive add, sparing assets that could then be used to acquire the forward help.
Of course, it's entirely possible they just don't like Gostisbehere, or at least not for the money he's owed. They might think his defensive issues are too significant and that he wouldn't be a fit.
We'll find out Wednesday at noon if the Bruins or anyone else decided Gostisbehere was worth a waiver claim.
