Edmonton coaches have to be thrilled about what Luke Hyman’s puck retrieval skills will mean to the Oilers’ offense. Likewise, there's a buzz in Chicago about Seth Jones’ potential impact on the Blackhawks’ defense. Undoubtedly, the New Jersey Devils are expecting Dougie Hamilton to be a transformative player. But the July 19 acquisition that could end up having the most impact on a team is the Flyers’ acquisition of Ryan Ellis from Nashville. It was one of a trio of moves Philadelphia general manager Chuck Fletcher made to fix a defense that needed major work. Most fingers were pointed at Carter Hart’s struggles as Philadelphia’s biggest problem last season. But the messiness of the defensive play might have been the underlying cause of all of the Flyers’ troubles. Fletcher must have believed that as well because you don’t often see a general managers act as boldly as he did to bring in three name defensemen. He added Keith Yandle and Rasmus Ristolainen who are both on the last season of their contracts. But Ellis has six seasons left on a contract paying him $6.25 million per season. The contract was highly desirable to the Flyers because they believe he is a proper fit to be Ivan Provorov’s defensive partner. Philadelphia will benefit from the Ellis two-way approach and because Provorov will now be able to play his style without worrying about what his partner is doing. “You can tell as soon as you meet the guy, see him on the ice and off the ice, the way he behaves like, he's a real pro,… Philadelphia coach Alain Vigneault said. “I see him spending a lot of time with Provy off the ice, talking to one another.… At 30, Ellis is established as a player who will post 32-40 points and play strong enough defensively to matchup well with top offensive players. The only negative on his scouting report is that he’s only 5-foot-10 on his tallest days. But he is a feisty competitor. When you look at Chicago paying $9.5 million per season for Jones and New Jersey on the hook for $9 million for Hamilton, Ellis looks like a true bargain. “Everything that he was promised to be -- it's exactly what I've seen so far,… Vigneault said. “He's going to be a real big addition to our team.… Ellis said he’s mostly been following Provorov around to get an understanding for who he is as a person. “We’re working out together, riding the bike together and obviously, skating together,… Ellis said. “I just want to get to know him as a person and a player as much as possible and before game one. I think that chemistry goes a long way when you’re friends and buddies off the ice. I think it promotes good things on the ice.… Ellis clearly takes the idea of defensive chemistry quite seriously. He jokes that he wants to get as big as Provorov. “He’s a beast in the gym,… Ellis said. The two players have similarities. “He loves the game,… Ellis said. “I didn’t think that anyone loved it more than I did, but he’s right up there. He’s always here early. We always get here at the same time.… It’s been trendy for the past couple of seasons to predict Provorov is destined to win a Norris Trophy. He’s 24 now and the Ellis arrival could help him Provorov back on the path for that objective. Ellis was Roman Josi’s partner in Nashville when he won the Norris. In fact, when Josi heard he won, he said Ellis should get “half of the trophy.… Josi said having Ellis as his partner gave him the license to play the way he needed to play to be at his best. Josi didn’t have to worry what was happening with his partner. We could see a repeat of that in Philadelphia. If Provorov does win, he will have to thank Ellis and Fletcher for being bold enough to trade for Ellis.
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