This time last year, Shayne Gostisbehere was on top of the Philadelphia sports world. He had just concluded a rookie season in which he had exceeded all reasonable expectations, became an immediate fan favorite, and nearly became Flyers’ first Calder Trophy winner in franchise history. Gostisbehere had provided a shot in the arm for a team in desperate need of dynamic defensemen, and established himself as the first successful piece of the team’s coming youth movement.
In evaluating Gostisbehere’s rookie season, there were a few minor red flags among all the positives, even if most fans were content to ignore them in the moment.