There was no hesitation on the part of Philadelphia Flyers general manager Ron Hextall on Monday when he was asked whether his top center deserved to be a frontrunner for the Selke Trophy, given to the forward who demonstrates the most skill in the defensive component of the game.



“To me, [Sean Couturier is] the guy,” Hextall bluntly stated. “Am I a little biased? Yes, I probably am, but I do watch other games quite often. He’s a horse for us. He’s played against top lines every night. He’s produced at a high level. His defensive play is phenomenal, and you look at what he’s done offensively, and to me, I believe he should win.”



In 2017-18, Couturier has delivered a breakout season of epic proportions. Already the team’s most effective 5-on-5 player for two years running, Couturier’s offensive performance took a leap into elite territory even as he remained the team’s “shutdown” center.