NHL.com breaks down the NHL EDGE stats surrounding Jamie Drysdale after his Philadelphia Flyers debut following the trade from the Anaheim Ducks, along with his outlook for the rest of the season.
Jamie Drysdale’s versatility was on full display in his Philadelphia Flyers debut, with his new coach, John Tortorella, even dubbing him a “rover.” The trade to acquire Drysdale from the Anaheim Ducks is a significant addition, especially in terms of NHL EDGE stats, as the Flyers look to keep their strong start going and reach the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2020.
Drysdale had a power-play assist, two shots on goal and played 19:46 (1:01 on power play) in the Flyers’ 3-2 shootout win against the Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday. Drysdale, who has six points (one goal, five assists) in 11 games this season, also played on the top pair at even strength with Travis Sanheim, who’s having a breakout season and ranks 14th among NHL defensemen in even-strength points (19).
Per NHL EDGE stats, Drysdale is in the 90th percentile in average shot speed (65.44 mph; League average: 61.40 mph) this season. Drysdale’s sample size the past two seasons is very limited because of multiple injuries (he only played eight games last season because of a shoulder injury), but various advanced metrics from his rookie season indicate he has serious upside with this change of scenery.
In 2021-22, Drysdale was in the 87th percentile for top skating speed (23.04 mph) and 86th percentile for speed bursts over 20 mph (149). He also was a unique defenseman that season in terms of shot speed and skating distance, ranking in the 85th percentile in total distance skated (230.11 miles) and 80th percentile in top shot speed (96.05 mph).
Drysdale addresses Philadelphia’s biggest weakness, which is its power play. Of Drysdale's 32 points as a rookie, 12 came with the man-advantage; this season the Flyers are last in the NHL on the power play at 11.4 percent. Philadelphia also is tied for 25th in the NHL in goals per game (2.83) and has the fourth-worst 5-on-5 shooting percentage (7.8 percent).
Per NHL EDGE stats, Philadelphia’s offensive zone time percentages in all situations (41.5 percent) and on the power play (56.5 percent) each rank below the League’s 50th percentile. But even with those offensive struggles, which Drysdale could help solve over time, the Flyers (21-14-6; 48 points) are tied with the New York Islanders for third in the Metropolitan Division standings.hedsbox: NHL EDGE: Jamie Drysdale’s outlook with Flyers
If Drysdale stays healthy and eventually earns a full-time first power-play spot with exposure to top Philadelphia forwards Travis Konecny, Sean Couturier, Joel Farabee and Owen Tippett, the defenseman has the ceiling of being among the leaders at his position in categories like assists, points and/or power-play points from the date of the trade to the end of the regular season. And any improvements in the above categories would give the surprising Flyers even more staying power and boost their postseason chances.
