Jamie Drysdale Might Need Another Surgery In Offseason
It was a tough season for Flyers defenseman Jamie Drysdale as he battled injury woes at multiple parts of the year. Speaking with reporters today (video link), the blueliner indicated that when he was in the lineup, he was often playing hurt and that he might need a procedure done this summer to get back to full health for next season. The 22-year-old was the centerpiece of the return they received for Cutter Gauthier back in January but he was limited to just 24 games with his new team and 34 on the season, a year after playing in only eight contests in 2022-23. Drysdale is still viewed as a key piece of Philadelphia’s future and they’ll certainly be hoping that he can not only stay healthy but be an impactful player next season.
Flyers Reassign Bobby Brink, Olle Lycksell, Ronnie Attard, Adam Ginning
With their season coming to an end at the hands of the Washington Capitals last night, the Philadelphia Flyers have reassigned several waiver-exempt players to their AHL affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. In the transaction, the team will be sending forwards Bobby Brink and Olle Lycksell, as well as defensemen Ronald Attard and Adam Ginning north to Lehigh Valley.
Of the four, Brink spent the most time at the NHL level this season, suiting up in 57 games for the Flyers. Over that stretch, Brink scored 11 goals and 23 points in total, sitting 12th on the roster in scoring. While he did not manage to crack the 60-game mark this year, Brink should rather easily crack the opening night roster next season as a middle-six option.
Lycksell, on the other hand, likely has more offensive potential compared to Brink, based on his strong back-to-back seasons with the Phantom. Scoring only one goal and five points over 18 games for the Flyers this season, Lycksell was more than productive with Lehigh Valley earlier in the year, scoring 19 goals and 38 points in only 36 games.
On the blue line, Attard and Ginning are both remarkably similar in size and stature. Of the two, Attard has the upper hand on the offensive side of the puck, while Ginning excels more defensively. Even though Philadelphia has some openings in their defensive core this summer, both defensemen should expect similar roles next year.
While the Phantoms still have three games left to play in the 2023-24 AHL season, they are likely headed for the same fate as last year, poised for sixth place in the Atlantic Division. If the season were to end today, Lehigh Valley would match up against their interstate rivals, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.
Flyers Sign Massimo Rizzo To Entry-Level Deal
10:46 a.m.: Rizzo’s deal carries a $925K cap hit, per PuckPedia. That’s broken down into an $832.5K base salary and a $92.5K signing bonus each season. When assigned to the minors, he’ll earn a $70K salary.
10:19 a.m.: The Flyers announced this morning that they’ve signed center prospect Massimo Rizzo to a two-year entry-level contract beginning next season. Financial terms were not disclosed, nor did the team confirm if he’ll join AHL Lehigh Valley on a tryout to end the campaign.
Rizzo, 22, was selected by the Hurricanes in the seventh round of the 2019 draft but had his signing rights picked up by Philadelphia in an August 2023 trade. This was part of a complicated saga that saw the Flyers buy out the final season of defenseman Tony DeAngelo‘s two-year, $10MM contract so that he could sign with Carolina.
The Hurricanes drafted Rizzo out of Penticton in the British Columbia Hockey League, and he didn’t make his collegiate debut for the University of Denver until 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. He broke out in a big way with the Pioneers, averaging well north of a point per game across his three seasons there and capturing two national championships. Rizzo capped off his university career with 10 goals, 34 assists and 44 points in 30 contests this season and a +24 rating. That earned him NCHC Second All-Star Team honors, a nomination to the NCAA Second All-American Team for the West Region, and Denver’s Hobey Baker Award nominee for the top player in college hockey.
The high-skill playmaker will make a decent case to challenge for a roster spot as soon as next season, although it shouldn’t be viewed as a major disappointment if he begins 2024-25 in the minors. The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler named him the fifth-best prospect in the Flyers system in February, trailing only 2023 top-10 pick Matvei Michkov and rookie winger Bobby Brink among forwards. His ELC will expire in 2026, making him an RFA at that time.
Flyers Sign Hunter McDonald To Entry-Level Deal
The Flyers have signed left-shot defenseman Hunter McDonald to a two-year, entry-level contract that begins in the 2024-25 season, per a team announcement. Financial terms were not disclosed. McDonald, a 2022 sixth-round pick, was already on an ATO with AHL Lehigh Valley.
McDonald made his professional debut on March 23 and has made nine appearances with the Phantoms, adjusting well with two assists and a +5 rating. He turned pro after his sophomore season at Northeastern University, which was shortened by an injury that kept him out for most of the first three months of the campaign.
2023-24 was a bit of a step back for McDonald, who was named to the Hockey East conference’s All-Rookie Team and was awarded Best Defensive Defenseman honors in his freshman year after posting 14 points and a +21 rating in 35 games. In 23 appearances this season, though, he mustered only six points and a +3 rating.
The 21-year-old is a shutdown-only threat and has been since joining the junior hockey ranks in 2019. His 14 points during his freshman year with the Huskies exceeded most offensive expectations. The New York native has NHL-ready size at 6’4″ and 205 lbs and is a decent outlet passer, but otherwise has poor offensive instincts and is a slow skater with even slower acceleration. He’s still an incredibly strong defender with a high-end ability to box out opposing forwards around the net, but he carries a third-pairing ceiling at the NHL level.
McDonald’s deal expires after the 2025-26 season, at which point he will be an RFA. He will be eligible for unrestricted free agency in 2029.
Seth Jones And Alex Vlasic Will Play At World Championships
Despite their recent collapse, it doesn’t appear as though the Philadelphia Flyers are planning to make a coaching change to replace John Tortorella anytime soon. This news comes from TSN’s Darren Dreger who reports that Flyers sources have told him that “Torts is not leaving the bench.” The speculation around Tortorella’s job security makes sense given that the team is mired in a 1-6-3 streak in their last ten and are currently chasing a playoff spot after sitting comfortably in third place in the Metropolitan Division just a few short weeks ago.
The Flyers are winless in eight straight games and have looked lost the last month, particularly in their last three games where they have been outscored 19-7 by the Buffalo Sabres, Columbus Blue Jackets and Montreal Canadiens. Last night’s 9-3 loss to Montreal was particularly difficult to watch as the Canadiens dominated the Flyers from start to finish which further added to speculation about Tortorella’s future.
In other evening notes:
- Aaron Portzline of The Athletic is reporting that Columbus Blue Jackets forward Adam Fantilli won’t play again this season after suffering a lacerated calf against the Seattle Kraken back on January 28th. While that news isn’t overly surprising given that there are just a handful of games left on the NHL schedule, what is surprising to hear is that the 19-year-old rookie might play for Team Canada at the IIHF World Championships if he is healthy a month from now. Fantilli played for Team Canada last year at the tournament and could return on May 10th if he is at 100 percent. Last year’s third-overall pick will finish his first NHL regular season with 12 goals and 15 assists in 49 games.
- Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times is reporting that Chicago Blackhawks defensemen Seth Jones and Alex Vlasic will suit up for Team U.S.A. at the IIHF World Championships. The 22-year-old Vlasic hasn’t represented the United States internationally for over five years, last suiting up for the Americans at the U18 World Championship in 2018-19. Jones last suited up internationally two years ago at the World Championships when he captained the Americans to a fourth-place finish.
Flyers Sign Oscar Eklind To Entry-Level Deal
The Flyers have signed undrafted free agent winger Oskar Eklind to a one-year, entry-level contract for next season, GM Daniel Brière announced today. The deal carries an AAV and cap hit of $950K, the maximum allowable.
Eklind, 25, was under contract for next season with Luleå HF of the Swedish Hockey League, where he spent his 2023-24 campaign. However, the contract can be terminated for a fee as the NHL and SHL have a transfer agreement.
The 6’4″, 220-lb winger has spent his entire career in his home country. His rights have never been held by an NHL team, but career highs across the board this year, plus his appealing size, led to some recent interest.
A power forward, Eklind had 17 goals and 11 assists for 28 points in 48 games with Luleå last season, along with a +5 rating and 64 PIMs. His season ended late last month after they were swept in the quarterfinals of the SHL playoffs by Växjö Lakers HC.
He’s coming off his sixth full season playing in the professional ranks and his eighth overall with SHL or HockeyAllsvenskan (the Swedish second-tier pro league) experience. Luleå was his fifth organization in the Swedish tier system in the last seven years, also spending time with the Malmö Redhawks, IK Pantern, Mora IK, and Brynäs IF before landing with Luleå on a transfer last offseason.
Eklind pauses his SHL career for now with 30 goals, 28 assists and 58 points in 160 games, along with 125 PIMs. He didn’t fare much better in the HockeyAllsvenskan, posting 31 goals and 66 points in 183 games with 115 PIMs.
He’s a long shot to make the Flyers’ roster out of camp, and if he does ever crack an NHL roster, it’ll likely be exclusively in a fourth-line role. He has the shot necessary to stay afloat in the league, as he does physicality, but his overall play-driving ability and sluggish acceleration up the ice limit him from having much upward mobility.
Eklind will be 26 this summer, but since his birthday isn’t until after July 1, he should maintain RFA eligibility when his contract expires in 2025. He’ll have his NHL rights controlled by the Flyers indefinitely if the Flyers issue him a qualifying offer at the end of next season, even if he opts not to stick around and return to Sweden.
Injury Notes: Couturier, Hamonic, Oshie
It has been revealed that Philadelphia Flyers captain Sean Couturier is facing a sprained shoulder, per NHL.com’s Kevin Kurz (Twitter link). Couturier seems to have dodged more serious injury and continues to carry the day-to-day injury designation given to him on Wednesday and is questionable for the team’s Friday night game.
Couturier has had an eventful season since being named Philadelphia’s first captain since Claude Giroux on February 14th. He’s since managed just three assists through 20 games, adding 11 penalty minutes and a -17. The cold streak has earned him two healthy scratches that he hasn’t yet vindicated – riding a six-game scoreless streak since returning to the lineup. Couturier managed 30 points in 41 games of the season but has since fallen apart. Hopefully a clean bill of health following this shoulder injury can bring with it a resurgence on the scoresheet.
Other notes from around the league:
- The Ottawa Senators are expected to be without defenseman Travis Hamonic on Thursday night due to a lower-body injury, per Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun (Twitter link). Hamonic has missed 16 of Ottawa’s last 17 games with this injury and continues to miss time even after being removed from injured reserve on March 19th. He’s played in just 48 games this season, recording six points, 40 penalty minutes, and a -10. He joins Thomas Chabot on the team’s sideline, with Tyler Kleven benefiting most from the pair’s absences.
- T.J. Oshie missed the Washington Capitals practice on Thursday, instead seeing the team’s doctor for an upper-body injury. Head coach Spencer Carbery shared that the injury will hold Oshie out of Washington’s next two games, per Bailey Johnson of the Washington Post (Twitter link), as the Capitals face a back-to-back on Thursday and Friday. His next chance to return will come on Sunday, when Washington hosts the Ottawa Senators. Oshie has played in just 47 games this season, recording 11 goals and 19 points.
Sean Couturier Out Day-To-Day With Undisclosed Injury
A difficult season for Flyers captain Sean Couturier continues. The 31-year-old sustained an undisclosed injury in Monday’s 4-3 overtime loss to the Islanders, and head coach John Tortorella is “not sure when he’ll be back,” he told reporters today (via Jordan Hall of NBC Sports Philadelphia). He carries a day-to-day designation, though, and hasn’t specifically been ruled out of Friday’s contest against the Sabres. He’s without a point and has a -4 rating in six games since returning from back-to-back healthy scratches in mid-March, not the response he or Tortorella was looking for. Couturier’s recent struggles have been a significant reason why the Flyers’ playoff chances have dropped by about 25% in the past few weeks, as they now find themselves in a nearly neck-and-neck race with the Capitals and Red Wings for two playoff spots. He’s logged over 15 minutes in a game just twice since the beginning of March and has played mostly fourth-line minutes since his healthy scratches. The 2011 eighth-overall pick has at least managed to remain mostly healthy after missing most of the last two seasons due to back injuries, but his offensive impact has been greatly diminished with 11 goals and 36 points in 70 games, his worst point-per-game pace in nine years.
Flyers To Reinstate Jamie Drysdale From Injured Reserve
Flyers defenseman Jamie Drysdale will come off injured reserve ahead of tonight’s game against the Islanders after missing over a month with a shoulder injury. Philadelphia will likely make a corresponding transaction later Monday, as activating Drysdale gives them an excess of nine healthy defenders on the active roster with two of them being waiver-exempt (Ronald Attard, Adam Ginning).
Philly fans cringed when Drysdale sustained the injury on Feb. 25 against Pittsburgh, appearing to reinjure the shoulder that kept him out of all but eight games last year. A weeks-long absence isn’t ideal for the young blueliner as he tries to make his mark after being acquired from the Ducks midseason, but avoiding anything longer-term is still good news. Drysdale wasn’t overly impressive in 17 games with the Flyers, scoring twice and adding two assists, but he did log much-improved possession numbers from his time in Anaheim.
After the Ducks drafted Drysdale with the sixth overall pick in 2020, he had a breakout rookie campaign two seasons later, scoring 32 points in 81 games as a 19-year-old. The torn labrum less than a month into the 2022-23 season stunted all of his momentum, though, and he hasn’t been able to recapture his pre-injury form. A lower-body injury also cost him most of the early going of this year with Anaheim, and all in all has been limited to 27 appearances across his two clubs.
The sinking Flyers will gladly welcome his presence as they fight to turn things around and secure a playoff spot. They’ve gone 3-5-2 in their last 10 games, dropping them out of third place in the Metropolitan Division and putting them only two points ahead of the Red Wings, who have a game in hand, for the second wild-card spot in the East. Outside of their top pairing of Travis Sanheim and Cameron York, Philly doesn’t have many skilled puck-movers on their back end, and plugging Drysdale back into the lineup should allow trade deadline pickup Erik Johnson to be relieved of his overmatched top-four spot alongside Nick Seeler.
Seeler Will Play Tonight, Hathaway Fined For Embellishment
- The Flyers will get a key blueliner back in the lineup tonight as the team announced (Twitter link) that Nick Seeler will return to the lineup. The 30-year-old had missed more than three weeks with a lower-body injury. Seeler has played in 63 games so far this season, logging nearly 17 minutes a night while leading the team in blocked shots with 184. That helped earn him a four-year, $10.8MM contract extension earlier this month.
- Still with the Flyers, the league announced yesterday that winger Garnet Hathaway was fined $2K for embellishment. It’s the second time he has been cited for that infraction. Each citation between now and the end of the season will result in an increased fine for the 32-year-old who leads all NHL forwards in hits with 294 so far.