The Philadelphia Flyers are expected to sign Owen Tippett through 2032, per multiple reports. It's a calculated risk worth taking for the winger who re-invented his game in Philly, says Jacob Stoller.
Another Philadelphia Flyers player is committing to the club for years to come.
Owen Tippett has agreed to an eight-year, $49.6-million contract with the Flyers, according to Elliotte Friedman, Frank Seravalli and others. The deal begins in 2024-25 and carries a $6.2-million annual cap hit. THN's Flyers site has more on the news.
At first glance, it’s a home run deal for the Flyers and a 24-year-old winger who has re-invented his career in Philadelphia.
Before Philadelphia acquired Tippett from the Florida Panthers in the Claude Giroux deal ahead of the 2022 trade deadline, the 10th overall pick in 2017 struggled to carve out a regular NHL role. His skill package — highlighted by his lethal shot and speed — was always intriguing, but it never shined consistently until arriving in Philadelphia.
Since the start of the 2022-23 season, Tippett has combined for 45 goals and 79 points in 123 games — including a career-high 27-goal, 49-point campaign last year.
In an interview with The Hockey News last year, Tippett revealed a big reason for last year's breakout campaign was his coach, John Tortorella, challenging him ahead of the team’s final pre-season game that year. Tortorella wanted Tippett to play a "power game."
“He said, ‘I want you to show me who you are and tell me what kind of player you are,’ ” Tippett said in February 2023. “Then he said, ‘I want everything to finish at the blue paint. Take everything to the net.’”
Unlocking that killer instinct changed Tippett’s career. Over the last two years, Tippett has developed into one of the most efficient shot-creators in the league.
This year, Tippett leads the NHL in 5-on-5 shots per 60 (13.4) among skaters that have played at least 200 minutes, according to naturalstattrick.com. He also ranks in the 84th percentile of all NHL forwards in high-danger shots on goal and 95th percentile in goals from mid-range, per NHL Edge data.
Before being placed on the injured reserve with a lower-body injury on Tuesday, Tippett’s 18 goals and 30 points had him on pace for a career-high 32 goals and 53 points. The past two seasons are encouraging signs of what's to come for Tippett, and the Flyers have him locked in from the beginning of his prime to the end of it. Only time will tell how it will turn out, but it's a calculated risk that's worth taking during the rebuild in Philadelphia.