Union College defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere has come a long way since the Flyers drafted him in the third round (78th overall) of the 2012 NHL Draft. He's played for the gold medal winning Team USA at the 2012-13 World Championships. He's increased his production at Union. He's continued to improve defensively, although the converted forward is primarily an offensive-minded Dman. Importantly, he has also added some muscle to his 5-foot-11 frame.
Gostisbehere was listed at 170 pounds at the time the Flyers drafted him. My first impression of him at the Flyers 2012 Development camp was he was that his skill level -- skating, passing and shooting -- was very high but his frame was pretty small and I didn't know how much bulk he could add.
In the time since then, Gostisbehere has worked hard to start building more physical strength, although he's probably not going to a fireplug type like Kimmo Timonen (who, despite his lack of height, has powerful legs and is quite strong pound-for-pound). The main thing is just that he doesn't get physically manhandled when he gets to the professional level.
The Flyers' organization is encouraged by what it's seen across-the-board from Gostisbehere in the year-and-a-half since he was drafted.
"Shayne has gotten bigger and stronger, as have all our prospects since their Draft year. As you know there are guys who are playing in the NHL with varying sizes. When the time comes that Shayne has the opportunity to play at the NHL level, his size will not be an issue," said Chris Pryor, the club's Director of Scouting.
From a defensive standpoint, Gostisbehere will face some adjustments when he gets to the pro level. He takes his share of risks with the puck and relies on his mobility to recover if he turns the puck over and gets caught out of position. Although he's not a big body checker, there is also a bit of a feisty streak in his game.
Offensively, Gostisbehere had strong instincts in reading the play. He already has an NHL-caliber shot from the point and he can thread the needle with many of his passes. He will be a power play defenseman at the pro level, although whether that will be of a first-unit caliber remains to be seen. There's less time and space at the top level.