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Philadelphia Flyers Gauging Trade Interest In Scott Laughton

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The Philadelphia Flyers are reportedly gauging interest in centerman Scott Laughton on the trade market, per TSN’s Darren Dreger. Dreger shares that, while Philadelphia would be hesitant to move Laughton, they’re willing to hear offers with the market for centerman now largely dried up. Only three centermen remain in TSN’s Trade Bait series – Adam Henrique, Sean Monahan, and Jack Roslovic – after Elias Lindholm was moved to the Vancouver Canucks.

Teams were reportedly offering late first-round picks for Laughton last summer, though Philadelphia preferred to hang onto the depth centerman. The team drafted Laughton 20th overall in the 2012 NHL Draft and awarded him his NHL debut in the very next season. He’s played in every season since, totaling 569 games and 219 points across 11 years with the Flyers, establishing himself as a focal piece of the team’s bottom-six forwards and penalty-killing units. He has even earned a power-play role over the last few seasons, helping him reach a career-high 43 points in 78 games last season. That scoring production hasn’t continued into this year – with Laughton boasting just 20 points through 50 games, his lowest point-per-game pace since the 2020-21 season.

Still, a bottom-of-the-lineup centerman who can play on both special teams carries undeniable value. Laughton’s contract makes him even more valuable, with the 29-year-old sitting at a $3MM cap hit over the next three seasons – the second-cheapest among any centermen on TSN’s trade board and the only one with a contract beyond this season. A first-round pick is likely the starting bid in any Laughton trade discussions, though it may take a lot more to get Philadelphia to part with the 500-game veteran of the club.

Five Players Facing Charges Connected To 2018 Sexual Assault Investigation

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5:50 p.m.: Attorneys representing Foote have confirmed that the London Police Service has charged him with sexual assault, per Westhead. Claiming innocence in the statement, Foote’s attorneys did not confirm what plea he would enter.

4:50 p.m.: Attorneys representing Hart have confirmed that the London Police Service has charged him with sexual assault, per TSN’s Chris Johnston. Claiming innocence in the statement, Hart’s attorneys did not confirm what plea he would enter.

4:45 p.m.: Attorneys representing Dube have confirmed that the London Police Service has charged him with sexual assault, per Westhead. Dube will enter a not-guilty plea before the court.

3:14 p.m.: Attorneys representing McLeod have confirmed that the London Police Service has charged him with sexual assault, per Westhead. McLeod will enter a not-guilty plea before the court.

2:41 p.m.: Five players whose rights are owned by NHL teams are facing charges stemming from a London, Ontario police investigation into an alleged 2018 sexual assault involving members of the Canadian men’s national junior team, TSN’s Rick Westhead reports Tuesday. Per Westhead, Flyers goaltender Carter Hart, Devils center Michael McLeod, Devils defenseman Cal Foote, and Flames winger Dillon Dubé have been directed to surrender to London police.

Senators forward prospect Alex Formenton, who has not been under contract with the team since 2022, is the fifth player facing charges and surrendered himself to London police Sunday, according to his attorneys.

Robyn Doolittle of The Globe and Mail first reported last week that five players had been told to surrender to police to face charges connected to the 2018 incident. Neither the NHL nor the Flyers, Devils, Flames, or Senators have released statements on the matter.

As Ian Mendes and Chris Johnston of The Athletic outlined Tuesday, discipline for players involved in off-ice misconduct falls under the jurisdiction and discretion of league commissioner Gary Bettman. If league action is taken against any of the five players named, they have the right to file an appeal with an independent arbitrator.

It is unclear whether the Flyers, Devils and Flames have the jurisdiction to terminate the standard player’s contracts of Hart, McLeod, Foote, and Dubé, given the definition of a material breach of the contract is not expressly defined.

All four players remain on indefinite leaves of absence from their respective teams. Formenton is on an indefinite leave of absence from HC Ambrì-Piotta in the Swiss National League, where he’s contracted for the 2023-24 season.

The London Police Service is expected to hold a press conference next Monday to comment further on the charges. Attorneys for Hart, McLeod, Foote, and Dubé did not respond to or declined requests for comment from Westhead.

Philadelphia Flyers Sign Ryan Poehling To Two-Year Extension

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The Philadelphia Flyers announced that they have signed forward Ryan Poehling to a two-year, $3.8MM contract extension. Poehling has appeared in 44 games with the Flyers this season, netting 14 points, six penalty minutes, and a -8.

Poehling is in his first year with the Flyers, moving away from the rival Pittsburgh Penguins. He’s earned a pay raise over the one-year, $1.4MM deal he’s on with Philadelphia, settling into a comfy role on the third-line and penalty kill. With this two-year extension, the 25-year-old will get his first chance to settle into a role since making his NHL debut with the Montreal Canadiens at the end of the 2018-19 season. He spent the next three seasons between Montreal’s NHL and AHL lineup – ultimately totaling 85 games and 22 points with the club. His year with Pittsburgh was his first spending an entire season with the NHL lineup. Poehling was part of a very strong late-first round in the 2017 NHL Draft, getting selected a few picks after Robert Thomas and Filip Chytil and just before Jake Oettinger and current teammate Morgan Frost.

Poehling signed his two-year extension on the same day that teammate Owen Tippett signed an eight-year extension with the Flyers. Tippett has become a favorite for Philadelphia’s top brass, largely thanks to the 18 goals and 30 points he has through 46 games this season. Tippett has become a force under head coach John Tortorella, scoring 27 goals and 49 points in 77 games last season and seemingly only getting better. It’s an exciting surge forward for the 24-year-old, who had yet to really get it going. Tippett was also a part of the 2017 Draft class, rounding out a top 10 that yielded Cale Makar and Elias Pettersson.

Kevin Kurz of The Athletic was the first to report the extension.

Flyers Sign Owen Tippett To Eight-Year Extension

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11:53 a.m.: TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports the Flyers have finalized the contract with Tippett at the reported eight-year term and $49.6MM value. It’s unclear what trade protection, if any, the deal will include.

9:19 a.m.: The Flyers and winger Owen Tippett are “closing in” on a long-term deal, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman said Friday. Friedman added it will be an eight-year deal carrying an AAV between $6MM and $6.5MM. Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reports the total value of the deal will be $49.6MM, or a $6.2MM AAV.

Tippett came to Philadelphia in March 2022 as the focal piece from the Panthers in the Claude Giroux trade. The 2017 10th overall pick had struggled to get out of the gate after nearly five years in the Florida organization, posting 14 goals and 33 points in 94 games while averaging around 12 minutes per game.

The now-24-year-old was drafted for his speed and shooting ability, as evidenced by his 44 goals in 60 games with the OHL’s Mississauga Steelheads as a 17-year-old. It took a move to the Flyers to make it happen, but those hallmarks of his game have blossomed at the right time.

His first full season in Philadelphia was a success, exploding for 27 goals and 49 points in 77 games on a Flyers offense that finished near the bottom of the league in 2022-23. Through 46 games this year, he’s notched 18 goals and 30 points in 46 games – a 32-goal, 53-point pace over 82 games.

That kind of production, if sustained, will make this contract one of the better value bets in the league at its midpoint. Tippett’s deal will take up 7.1% of the salary cap when it goes into effect, a similar share of the cap to Blues winger Pavel Buchnevich and Flames winger Andrew Mangiapane when they signed mid-term deals with $5.8MM cap hits in 2021 and 2022. Both were similar in age to Tippett when signing their deals.

Mangiapane’s production has stuttered in the years following, while Buchnevich is the Blues’ premier offensive talent and posted over a point per game in the last two seasons. Tippett likely ends up somewhere in the middle. If the consistency in his play between this year and last is any indication, he’s on track to churn out totals in the 30-goal, 55-point neighborhood over the life of the contract.

By signing him to a max-term extension now, the Flyers lock Tippett up at a controlled price throughout his most valuable seasons. He’ll be 32 when the deal ends – young enough so that Tippett could sign a lucrative mid-term deal, but old enough that the Flyers would feel comfortable walking away if the demand is too high. The likelihood of Tippett’s production regressing is also much lower than if Philadelphia waited another two or three years to give him a long-term extension.

It’s unlikely Tippett advances much past what he is now – an extremely high-end secondary scoring threat. With the salary cap increasing at its projected rate, though, $6.2MM per season works out quite well for that kind of production, especially for a player who’s consistently shouldered top-six minutes since coming to the Flyers. He’s posted strong possession numbers, too, boasting a 50.1% Corsi share (2.4% higher than the team’s share without him on the ice) at even strength since the trade to Philly.

Tippett was destined for RFA status this summer with arbitration rights after completing a two-year, $3MM contract. He will be eligible for unrestricted free agency for the first time when his new contract expires in 2032.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Flyers Unlikely To Be Big Buyers Before The Trade Deadline

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  • The Flyers have been one of the biggest surprises of the season, sitting second in the Metropolitan Division heading into tonight’s action. However, don’t assume they’ll change plans and become buyers at the March 8th deadline.  Speaking with reporters today (video link), GM Daniel Briere indicated that the team is still thinking about the future and that they shouldn’t be counted on as being big buyers by then.  However, he also suggested that he won’t necessarily look to move out veteran pieces for the sake of making trades either.  Philadelphia has been speculated as a possible seller, especially on the back end with blueliners Sean Walker and Nick Seeler set to become unrestricted free agents but it’s definitely possible that they largely stand pat with how well their season has gone.

Philadelphia Flyers Place Owen Tippett On Injured Reserve

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  • With several roster moves taking place today for the Philadelphia Flyers, the team also announced that they have placed forward Owen Tippett on injured reserve retroactive to January 21st. Unfortunately, with the Flyers’ last game before the All-Star break coming on January 27th, this means that Tippett will have to wait until February 6th to get back into a game. On a similar pace to last season, Tippett has scored 18 goals and 30 points in 46 games for Philadelphia so far this year.

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Carter Hart Granted Indefinite Leave Of Absence

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In a rather shocking announcement coming from the Philadelphia Flyers, the team has granted goaltender Carter Hart an indefinite leave of absence due to personal reasons.

It is an unfortunate development for both the player and the team, as Hart is in the midst of yet another quality season for the Flyers. Including this season, over the last three years, Hart has produced a 47-56-20 record in Philadelphia, carrying a solid .906 SV% and 2.99 GAA. Although the amount of wins is likely not where he would like them to be, the strong play of Hart this year has helped put the Flyers squarely in a position to make the playoffs for the first time since the 2019-20 season.

Given that speculation surrounding the specific reasoning for Hart’s leave of absence would be inappropriate, if Hart has broken a team conduct rule within the organization, it is more than likely the team will announce that in the near future. If Hart is dealing with a separate family matter away from the arena, that would inherently deserve privacy.

Moving forward, in Hart’s absence, Samuel Ersson should assume the starting role, as he has put together an impressive season by all accounts. In 22 games played for the Flyers this year, Ersson carries a 12-6-3 record while producing a .909 SV% and 2.36 GAA. Furthermore, even though Hart has garnered the majority of starts in net for Philadelphia, Ersson leads the team in shutouts with three.

In a corresponding roster move, the Flyers have announced they will be recalling goaltender Calvin Petersen from their AHL affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Acquired as a salary dump from the Los Angeles Kings this past offseason, Petersen has only managed two games in Philadelphia in his first season with the club. Playing primarily for the Phantoms, Petersen has not done particularly well, earning a 5-8-2 record in 15 games with a very modest .890 SV%.

Flyers Recall Olle Lycksell, Assign Bobby Brink To AHL

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The Philadelphia Flyers have recalled forward Olle Lycksell from the Lehigh Valley Phantoms and in a corresponding move loaned forward Bobby Brink to the Phantoms as well.

Lycksell is having a good season with Lehigh Valley as he has registered 16 goals and 12 assists in 33 games. He was held scoreless in his lone NHL game earlier in the season and does have nine career NHL games to his credit. Last season, the Oskarshamn, Sweden native dressed in eight games for the Flyers and had an assist. The 24-year-old is on the smaller side at just 5’11” but he has good offensive instincts and can make plays with the puck.

Brink has been a healthy scratch in the last three games and was loaned to the AHL to likely get back into some games. The 22-year-old is having a decent offensive season with seven goals and 11 assists in 38 games but has seen his ice time dramatically reduced over the last five games in which he has dressed. Brink had eight points in his first ten games of the season but has been held scoreless in the last seven games as his struggles have coincided with his reduction in ice time. Brink will likely have an opportunity to regain some of the confidence he showed earlier in the season and find his scoring touch once again.

The Flyers have been one of the biggest surprises in the NHL this season and currently sit in second place in the Metropolitan Division. They dropped two games on the weekend to the Colorado Avalanche and Ottawa Senators as they had their win streak snapped at five games.

Snapshots: Xhekaj, Vilardi, Lucius

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Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman shared on the 32 Thoughts podcast that the Philadelphia Flyers may have been one of the many teams to inquire about Montreal Canadiens defenseman Arber Xhekaj. Xhekaj has generated a lot of interest around the league since making his NHL debut last season, largely because of the 148 penalty minutes he’s totaled in only 68 career games. He’s added 34 penalty minutes in 17 AHL games, embodying the old-school enforcer style that’s dwindled in recent years. Xhekaj already has five fights on the season – three in the NHL, including one against Ryan Reaves, and two in the AHL.

Xhekaj has added modest scoring on top of his hefty grit, netting 11 points in the minors this year and three points with Montreal. He’s carved out an impressive role in the NHL, despite going undrafted in his juniors years. Xhekaj signed his first NHL contract out of Montreal’s 2021 training camp, inking a three-year, $2.5MM entry-level contract. He spent the first year of this contract in the OHL, with the deal officially beginning last year. It’s unclear what Montreal might want in return for a defenseman currently in the minor leagues, but there’s no doubting why there’s interest in the 6’4″, 204lbs 22-year-old.

Other notes from around the league:

  • Gabriel Vilardi will be a game-time decision for the Winnipeg Jets’ Monday night matchup against the Boston Bruins, per head coach Rick Bowness. Vilardi has been in and out of the lineup in his first season with the Jets, appearing in just 26 of the team’s 44 games. But he’s made his presence felt when he can, managing 11 goals and 20 points. Vilardi appeared at Winnipeg’s Monday practice but was seen speaking with Bowness after practice. If he can’t go, the team will likely turn toward Axel Jonsson-Fjallby, who has five points through 24 games this season.
  • Winnipeg Jets prospect Chaz Lucius is slated to have season-ending surgery on his ankle. It’s yet another significant injury for the 20-year-old centerman, who has only managed 59 league games over the last three seasons. Lucius was on a hot streak in the minor leagues this year, managing 13 points in his 17 apperances. The Jets will hope for the best from the former 18th-overall selection as he sets his sights on next season.

Owen Tippett Out Day-To-Day

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Philadelphia Flyers forward Owen Tippett has suffered a lower-body injury and will be out on a day-to-day basis, the team announced today. The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz adds that Tippett was “walking around fine after the game and the hope is it’s just a mild ankle sprain.” There was some fear that Tippett might miss more time, but that appears to not be the case. The Flyers will nonetheless be without Tippett on a short-term basis, though.

Tippett, who will turn 25 in February, is in the midst of his second full season with the Flyers. It took the 2017 10th overall pick some time to get going at the NHL level, but he’s now up to 18 goals and 30 points in just 46 games on the season. After scoring a career-high 27 goals last year, Tippett is now on pace to score 32 goals, which would be a career-best. With Tippett out, the Flyers will lean on players such as Travis Konecny, Joel Farabee, and Cam Atkinson more heavily to provide goal-scoring.

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