A look into the fantasy upside of Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Ivan Provorov …

In this edition of the Journey, we’ll take a look at the career and fantasy potential of 2015 first round pick Ivan Provorov.

Heading into the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, there were three defensive prospects thought to be the gems of the class: Noah Hanifin, Zach Werenski and Ivan Provorov. While Hanifin was the highest-ranked, Provorov was thought to be the most NHL-ready.

Born in Yaroslavl, Russia in 1997, Ivan Provorov played for the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl youth program before crossing the pond and settling in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. He played for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights Bantam team in 2011-12 and registered 28 goals and 33 assists for 61 points in 27 games. The following season, he played for the Knights U16 youth and midget teams tallying a combined 56 goals, 77 assists and 133 points in 75 games. The Cedar Rapids RoughRiders of the USHL took notice of Provorov’s rising stock and made him the fifth overall pick in the 2013 Futures Draft.

In his first season with Cedar Rapids in 2013-14, Provorov recorded 19 points in 56 games and would also go scoreless in five games for Russia’s U18 squad at the World Junior Championships. Continuing to gain notoriety for his play and seemingly limitless ceiling, Provorov was selected 120th overall by Lokomotiv in the 2014 KHL draft and also picked 30th overall by the Brandon Wheat Kings in the 2014 CHL Import Draft.

Provorov decided to stay on this side of the pond and joined the Wheat Kings for the 2014-15 season. He really came into his own as a premier defensive prospect by scoring 15 goals to go with 46 assists for 61 points in 60 games. He would add an additional 13 playoff points in 19 games as Brandon reached the WHL Final against Kelowna. He also played for Russian in the 2015 World Junior Championships and assisted on one goal in seven games. Provorov finished the season by playing in the CHL Top Propsects Game and would eventually be ranked seventh overall by Central Scouting leading up to the NHL Draft.

In the weeks before the draft, it was apparent that Noah Hanifin would likely be the first defenseman taken. Arizona at third overall and Carolina with the fifth selection were the likely destinations. Other top-ten teams interested in defensemen were Philadelphia with the seventh pick and Columbus with the eighth pick. It was ‘rumored’ all along that Provorov was on top of the Flyers draft board from the beginning. They wanted to add him to a deep, defensive prospect pool that included top WHL defenseman and 2014 first round pick Travis Sanheim among others. When Provorov still on the board when the Flyers were up with the seventh pick (Hanifin went fifth overall to Carolina), they pounced on the prospect they felt could be a franchise player for them.

Provorov quickly signed an entry-level contract and attended the Flyers development camp. Along with Sanheim, the duo was by far light-years ahead in their talent level and completed various drills with ease, impressing both the Flyers brass and fans alike. Provorov will attend training camp with the club in September and there are rumblings that there is a chance he could make the club as an 18-year old. With a crowded blue line, the greater odds are that he returns to Brandon for one more season before likely earning a spot full-time starting in 2016-17.

Fantasy Potential

In all honesty, Provorov may be the best defenseman in the 2015 draft class. He’s a quick, two-way defender with above-average offensive skills and an accurate shot that makes him a threat any time he touches the puck in the offensive zone. Throw in his exceptional play on the power play and penalty kill units and you have what equates to a complete, game-changing prospect. Provorov will be a top-pairing guy in the NHL and is capable of scoring 50+ points consistently. He’s the type of defenseman the Flyers have been lacking for years and will instantly improve the unit once he cracks the lineup. Regardless of the fantasy format, he needs to be owned in 100% of leagues. His shear offensive potential will mirror the likes of Erik Karlsson and Shea Weber, two defenders who annually make their fantasy owners proud. Don’t pass up the opportunity to draft him early, especially in keeper leagues. Defensemen historically take a long time to develop; this case seems different. He has the potential to contribute right away.

Dobber Prospect Rank:  24th overall defensive prospect in Dobber Hockey’s Top 215

Fantasy Outlook: A-

Pros: Quick, accurate shot, smart with puck, special teams specialist, two-way player

Cons: Experience

Anticipated NHL Arrival:  2016-17 

Provorov highlight from Brandon

Zach Hopkins is a Senior Writer and Flyers Prospect Scout for Dobber Hockey. You can follow him on twitter @healedbyhockey