Is a Flyers reunion with Ivan Provorov a likely possibility?

If we were to look at the Flyers roster, especially on the defense, here's what we would see. We have a broken-down question mark in Rasmus Ristolainen. A rising veteran star in Travis Sanheim, who is solid, but could use a partner. An older, but fundamentally sound guy in Nick Seeler. Flashy, young players in Jamie Drysdale and Cam York that we are still trying to figure out who they are. We have intriguing prospects in Egor Zamula and Emil Andrae.

On some nights, they can be one of the best defensive units in the league. On others, they look as if it is their first night on the ice with each other. There is not a lot of consistency. Could it have been because of their previous coach? Could it be a lack of chemistry or a lack of talent? Unclear.

For the Flyers to move forward, it's no secret that the defensive corps needs to be patched up. But how? Is Oliver Bonk ready to make that leap? Is there a trade the Flyers could/should make, or a free agent who could fix things? Is it possible that new head coach, Rick Tocchet, could fix things just in how he manages the team?

Aaron Ekblad is the prize free-agent defender in this market. But former Flyer Ivan Provorov will be a free agent. He is in the upper tier of the free agent defender class. Would a reunion with Philadelphia be out of reach?

Philly fans like reunions but....

As Philadelphia fans, we like it when our players return. We were happy that Tocchet and Mark Recchi came back as Flyers. Dick Allen made a triumphal return to the Phillies as did Wilt Chamberlain to the Sixers after the Warriors left town. Jeremiah Trottier came back as a hero to the Eagles. Heck, some are secretly hoping that Claude Giroux will don orange and black again.

With that said, Provorov is an intriguing return candidate. While in Philly, he posted solid defensive numbers and won the Barry Ashbee Trophy four times as the team's best defender. He could hit and looked as if he could quarterback a power play, something the Flyers have been lacking in a while.

He was traded away two seasons ago, Daniel Briere's first as GM, that brought the team Sean Walker and Cal Petersen. Part of the impetus of the deal was that Provorov and John Tortorella didn't really jive. With Tortorella gone, would Provorov be a good veteran fit?

Probably not. While he might be a great asset when it comes to having Matvei Mihckov here, as both are Russians, he was kinda moody. When he wanted to play well, he was amazing. When he seemed like he didn't care, he played like that. He never seemed to reach his full potential as a player in Philadelphia.

That's all in the past. So, maybe away from the spotlight in Philadelphia and Tortorella, he flourished in CBJ, right? Well, no. Yes, he scored more than 30 points in both seasons in Columbus, but he also regressed in his defensive numbers. This past year, he dealt out just 28 hits and made just 127 blocks. The year before, he made 66 hits with 155 blocks. His giveaways in Columbus went up from 40 in his first season to 120 last year, a career high.

With his defense metrics trending in the wrong direction, he becomes a liability. For a guy who just turned 28 and is coming off a $6 million contract, he should be prepping for a huge contract. Granted, there may be someone who overpays for him, but he may not get it. He might not get much of a pay raise.

Columbus did not trade him at the deadline, when they might have been able to move him and possibly make the playoffs. He has a younger brother who will be playing for Ohio State. He may want to say in Ohio. Even if he doesn't stay in Columbus, the Flyers shouldn't look at him.

Yes, the Flyers' defense is a mess, but Provorov didn't help his case all that much while he was in Philly. Likewise, his performance in Columbus shows he is probably on the downward trend in his career a bit earlier. Yes, he has only missed a handful of games in his career. However, he always seems to benefit from whomever he is paired with. His best overall season came when he was paired with Matt Niskanen. When left to his own, with a weaker partner, he doesn't elevate them, but instead falls to their level.

Provorov wasn't bad, but he wasn't great. He was not much of a fan favorite and never really endeared himself to the fan base. If we are going to spend money on a top-tier free agent, I'd rather spend money on a guy who is more consistent. Reunions are nice, but this is one ex-Flyer who should stay an ex.