Tanner Laczynski

The Philadelphia Flyers have reached an agreement with restricted free agent Tanner Laczynski, signing him to a two-year contract. The first year of the deal, (2022-23) will be a two-way contract, while the second will be one-way. It will carry an average annual value of $762.5K at the NHL level, meaning it is worth the league minimum in both years. Per CapFriendly, the deal breakdown is as follows:

2022-23: $750K NHL / $125K minors / $175K guaranteed
2023-24: $775K NHL

Laczynski, 25, is an interesting candidate for a bottom-six role with the Flyers this season, after playing six games with them since turning pro. A sixth-round pick in 2016, he played four years at Ohio State University before joining the organization in 2020, and has spent the majority of his time in the minor leagues with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.

Still, with his versatility–Laczynski can play both center and wing–size, and work ethic, he could be in line for a shot at the opening night roster. That is likely helped by another injury, this time to Bobby Brink, coming down the pipe in recent weeks.

One thing that could hurt his chances is his waiver-exempt status, which will allow him to be freely moved to the minor leagues this season. That status will change in 2023-24 when his contract also switches to a one-way deal, suggesting that the Flyers plan on having him in the NHL by that point. There’s no guarantee that happens though, and Laczynski will still need to fight and claw for ice time if he wants to be a full-time option. If he can accomplish that, he’ll set himself up for a nice negotiation down the road, as this contract will take him right to unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2024.

The Philadelphia Flyers will be without Tanner Laczynski once again, as the young forward is expected to undergo hip surgery according to head coach Alain Vigneault. At this point, Laczynski is expected to miss the entire season.

As Vigneault explained, he simply hasn’t been able to see much of Laczynski to this point because of the series of injuries the young forward has dealt with. After signing out of Ohio State University in 2020, the sixth-round pick has had high expectations and barely any game action. Laczynski has played in just 19 games with the organization, 14 of those at the AHL level. In his five games with the Flyers, he has failed to register a point.

Now with another lost season, it’s hard to know what lies ahead for the 24-year-old. He will not reach Group VI unrestricted free agency because he doesn’t have the required professional seasons, meaning he’ll be a restricted free agent next summer. The Flyers could extend him a qualifying offer or work out a different deal, but it’s not clear at all where he would sit on the depth chart after missing the entire 2021-22 campaign. A late-round pick that made his name in a four-year college career, this is an extremely disappointing result for Laczynski’s early time as a pro.

Wade Allison meanwhile, who was ruled out earlier this month with a high ankle sprain, is also consulting with doctors on whether he needs surgery. Just a few days ago it was reported that the sprain was believed to be quite serious and could keep the young forward out several months, likely the result if it is determined surgery is indeed required. The 23-year-old Allison was expected to push for a full-time role with the Flyers this year, but could now be one of four players–including Laczynski, Zayde Wisdom, and Kevin Hayes–who have required surgery in the preseason.