ANAHEIM - Flyers general manager Ron Hextall used the word "fine" when describing Shayne Gostisbehere's sophomore season.
The player they call Ghost has been adequate. Nothing great. Nothing extraordinary.
Nothing like last season.
The swift and elusive defenseman took the NHL by storm in 2015-16. Seventeen goals in 64 games. An NHL record for rookie defensemen with a 15-game points streak. A second-place finish in the rookie-of-the-year voting.
More than anybody, he was the reason the Flyers revived their season and earned a playoff berth.
Fast forward to this season. Gostisbehere, 23, has shown flashes of that greatness, but the skating room is tougher to find.