Here’s how the Flyers can keep Gostisbehere around

Don’t look now, but here comes Shayne Gostisbehere.

Flyers fans aren’t terribly surprised. This is what the future is supposed to look like, but the way the 2012 third-round pick is playing, the future is looking pretty close to now.

The 22 year old was tied for third heading into Sunday’s action in scoring among rookie defenseman. He was only five points behind St. Louis’ Colton Parayko…only he did it in half the amount of games played.

For all the talk of Flyers general manager Ron Hextall wanting to be patient, Gostisbehere might just be too good to send back down to the minors. The only reason he’s here is that Mark Streit and his $5.25 million salary-cap hit went on long-term injured reserve so the Flyers had an opening on defense and enough money to afford Gostisbehere’s $925,000 entry-level contract.

Once Streit recovers from his detached pubic plate and comes off LTIR — a potential return looks to be two weeks away — the Flyers will go back to having roughly $67,000 in cap space if Gostisbehere were sent back to the minors.

Somehow, the Flyers need to find a way to keep him around. Even though the Florida native missed most all but five professional games last season due to an ACL tear, it’s clear that he can be a player in the NHL now.

“I think in years past you used to think, ‘Well, a guy’s got to be 26, 27 before he can be a regular player,’” said St. Louis Blues coach Ken Hitchcock, who punted on having young Patrick Sharp and Justin Williams on his roster when he coached the Flyers. “Now it’s the other way around we’ve got defensemen who are 22, 23 years old that can play in the league.

“Man, there’s a lot of NHL defensemen that don’t look like they need much more time to be elite players. He’s in the mix with a bunch of other guys where it looks like he can contribute and help you.”

Already, Gostisbehere is tied in points among Flyers defensemen with Streit (in two fewer games). It looks like he’s here to stay, but how do the Flyers afford it?

It seems as though there are two ways of doing it without performing major surgery on the roster.

Trade Streit: It would be extremely unlikely for a team to trade for a player before seeing him return from injury. If the Flyers sent Gostisbehere back to the minors temporarily it would give teams the chance to see Streit play while healthy.

Streit, who turned 38 on Friday, was running the Flyers’ top power-play unit before his injury. He can still move the puck and, seeing as how he didn’t come to the NHL until age 28, he has a bit more tread on his tires than most defensemen his age. His four-year contract expires after next season, so he wouldn’t even be a rental for a potential suitor. He’d be around longer.

With injuries to Sam Gagner, R.J. Umberger and Luke Schenn since Streit got hurt, the Flyers really liked having extra allowance to make call-ups and have some breathing room. If they could find a buyer for Streit, they could keep Gostisbehere around and still have the most salary-cap space they’ve had in recent memory without using LTIR allowance.

Resulting salary cap situation: ≈ $ 4.325 million under

Send Scott Laughton to the Phantoms: As Gagner inches closer and closer to a return from a concussion, the Flyers will once again have too many healthy bodies up front. One solution to both that problem, which could kill two birds with one stone, could be solved by sending Laughton down to the minors.

First of all, Laughton, 21, is not subject to waivers, so the Flyers wouldn’t have to lose an asset as an organization. Secondly, Laughton has averaged only 10:52 of ice time per game, almost exclusively on the fourth line. As his statistics show, that’s not an effective place in the lineup for him.

His demotion would both allow Gagner to get into the lineup and allow the Flyers to keep Gostisbehere.

Salary cap situation: ≈ $5,333 under

If the Flyers somehow kept Gostisbehere and Streit on the roster, it’s unclear who would quarterback the top power-play unit. Six out of Gostisbehere’s nine points have come on the power play, alongside Claude Giroux and Co. Streit may not get his old job back right away.

Gostisbehere is also a marketable player in a season in which the Flyers haven’t been terribly exciting. He’s already along billboards along I-95 and the Flyers’ marketing department may like having him around just as much as coach Dave Hakstol does.

Just as suddenly as Gostisbehere breathed life into the Flyers, it’s becoming evident clearly that they can’t let him go back to the minors. If only they can find a way to afford him.

Dave Isaac; (856) 486-2479; disaac@gannettnj.com .