3:40 pm: The Philadelphia Flyers have announced the signing, confirming that it will be a four-year, $10.8MM contract extension for Seeler. The deal will also carry a M-NTC for Seeler in the first two years of the contract.
9:59 am: Half of the Flyers’ top shutdown pairing appears to be off the trade block — for multiple reasons. Not only has Nick Seeler landed on injured reserve Wednesday with a lower-body injury, but his camp is making significant progress on a contract extension to keep him in Philly, Darren Dreger of TSN reports. Anthony Di Marco of The Fourth Period adds the deal is expected to be three or four years in length and will carry an average annual value of around $3.3MM.
In a transaction corresponding with Seeler’s IR placement, the Flyers recalled blue-liner Adam Ginning from AHL Lehigh Valley. It’s the 24-year-old’s first recall of the season.
Seeler, 30, has emerged from the woodwork to emerge one of the league’s most competent two-way defensive pairs alongside Sean Walker, who’s also seen his name bandied about heavily in trade talks. The two pending UFAs have been crucial in helping the Flyers break out for a likely playoff berth, posting a team-high 55.9% expected goals share in their 645 minutes together this season, per MoneyPuck. Seeler’s seen more limited usage at even strength – averaging 14:46 per game compared to Walker’s 16:47 – but he is tied for the team lead with a +15 rating alongside top scorer Travis Konecny. His overall 16:58 average per game is a career-high.
He’s slowly developed into a multi-competent NHL player after starting his career as a bottom-of-the-lineup enforcer with the Wild in the late 2010s. Since joining the Flyers in 2021, Seeler has accumulated six goals, 23 assists, and 29 points in 183 games. One of those goals and 12 points have come in 63 games this year.
While not guaranteed, Seeler’s extension increases the likelihood of Walker finding a new home within 48 hours. The Flyers are far ahead of schedule in their rebuild, and GM Daniel Brière has preached patience and not sacrificing long-term success for short-term gains in the weeks leading up to the deadline. Walker could command a first- or second-round pick plus a handful of other desirable assets based on the market set by the Chris Tanev swap last month after the Flyers took him on as a cap dump in a three-way trade with the Blue Jackets and Kings last summer involving Ivan Provorov.
Seeler is in the final season of a two-year, $1.55MM extension he signed in May 2022. His deal carries a two-way structure this season ($775K NHL/$350K AHL/$375K gt’d), although at no point has an AHL assignment been considered for him.
Unfortunately, the Minnesota native will miss a handful of contests as the Flyers try to maintain third place in the Metropolitan Division. Assuming his IR placement is backdated to when he sustained the injury on Monday against the Blues, he’s been ruled out for a pair of pivotal contests against the Panthers and Lightning this week.
Ginning, a second-round pick in 2018, could make his season debut if Walker is dealt by Friday or if the Flyers opt to dress seven defensemen. He’s appeared in 52 contests with Lehigh Valley this season, scoring twice and adding 11 assists for 13 points with a -9 rating. He’ll be an RFA with arbitration rights this summer after completing his two-year, $1.85MM entry-level contract.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports.
TSN’s Darren Dreger was the first to report the official deal for Seeler.