Flyers Challenge Grans to Steal Roster Spot; Defenseman Willing to Change

Heading into training camp and NHL preseason, the Philadelphia Flyers defense appears set in stone on paper.

That is, for now, at least. For the sake of adding competition and taking another step forward in the rebuild, the Flyers certainly hope that this is not the case.

Assistant general manager Brent Flahr issued a challenge to defenseman Helge Grans, a highly-rated prospect acquired in the Ivan Provorov trade, on Sunday. Earn your spot.

“Helge, he’s a young guy still, but he’s played a number of years because L.A. put him in the American league as a young player. I think he’s slowly–over the years, from L.A.’s program to now–he’s kind of steadily getting better,” Flahr said of Grans. “Now, he has to find a niche for himself. Like, he’s a tall, rangy guy, he can skate, he can move the puck. He just has to find a way to beat out another player.”

Grans has a number of players in his path as he faces an uphill battle to carve out a future with the Flyers. With one year remaining on his contract before restricted free agency, Grans faces competition in the forms of Rasmus Ristolainen, Ronnie Attard, Erik Johnson, and fellow countrymen Emil Andrae and Adam Ginning.

Of the players truly on the roster bubble, Andrae appears to have made a positive impression so far, but training camp and the NHL preseason will have something to say about that.

“(Grans) has to become a real good penalty killer, maybe run the second power play or be on the second power play. But he needs to find a niche to help give him an opportunity to play games,” Flahr concluded. “It’s a big year for him.”

Grans himself acknowledged that he needs to learn and excel at other things, though he did note that his role was different than the one he had in the Los Angeles Kings organization playing in the AHL for the Ontario Reign.

“Maybe a little bit, with playing a lot of power play in Ontario,” Grans said, describing some changes going from one organization to another. “Coming here, more I realized that I need to focus more on the defensive zone and all that.”

For example, Grans had seven goals, 17 assists, and 24 points in 56 games with the Reign in 2021-22 as a 19-year-old, frequently getting power play opportunities to help weaponize his passing skills.

In the two seasons since, the 6-foot-4 Swede has just three goals, 14 assists, and 17 points in 105 games.

“I feel I’m getting more and more as a two-way defenseman, but more on the defensive side,” Grans said of his development. “Just want to get more stronger in my own zone. Yeah, stopping plays.”

Ultimately, Grans hopes he can transform into an all-situations rearguard who earns the trust of his coaches through his play. But he’ll have to earn that role through merit, not untapped potential.