He had a couple lower body injuries at the start of the season. Possibly a high ankle sprain.
Top 20 Flyers prospects: Assistant GM Brent Flahr weighs in...
How that has impacted his play is anyone's guess. He's never really been an "elite" skater as the Assistant GM seems to think, but he could probably stand to carry the puck a little more and look to create for himself. Every once in a while he'll wheel with the puck and leave you wondering why he doesn't do it more often, but more often than not he elects to go for safe, high percentage play, and on this Michigan team, with little skill up front, plays often go to die (aka not the '01 NTDP crop). For a guy known for his skill and offensive package, he plays a pretty conservative game. He has some of the smoothest, softest hands you will find in a teenage defenseman. He could probably afford to add a little more risk to his game.
Aside from a couple plays in the Minnesota series last weekend, his defensive positioning has been excellent pretty much all year. He's undersized but you would never know it. He has good gaps. A good stick. He never leaves himself vulnerable for big collisions. His internal clock is phenomenal when it comes to moving the puck in the defensive zone. His puck retrievals and puck pickups are top notch as well.
I know Michigan has some big recruits coming on campus next season, but a lot of times potential doesn't equal success at the college level (see: Wisconsin). Personally, I would like to see him turn pro. He's a really polished player for his age, who I think would benefit from the higher pace and tempo that pro hockey can offer. I certainly don't think he would be hurt playing another season in the Big Ten but I think he's ready for the next challenge.
His value is in his floor. He has very few holes in his game. He's pretty much good at everything and he has the skill and more importantly the smarts to hit the upper limits of his offensive ceiling. What he lacks are the top notch physical traits that generally come with top half of the first round prospects. I'll stay away from the point projections because that is very much dependent on PP time and I've wasted too much time thinking people would eventually figure out that Provorov isn't an ideal PP1 type.
Without speaking in absolutes, I would be shocked if he's not a really good 2nd pair defenseman with the potential to offer #2 value if he gets the keys to PP1. I think he's going to be a micro-stat darling, especially with transitioning the puck out of the DZ. He's as efficient as I have seen in that department. Provorov and Sanheim locking down the top 4 left side slots could impact his outlook, but I think he'll work his way in to the mix in some form or fashion.
