The 2022-23 season wasn't a banner campaign for Tanner Laczynski.
The 2022-23 season wasn't a banner campaign for Tanner Laczynski.
Flyers fans were hoping to see several of the Flyers' youngsters take noticeable steps forward during the 2022-23 season, and many of them did. Owen Tippett at times appeared to be one of the more dynamic players on the roster, Morgan Frost put together a career year, and Cam York established himself as a regular in the lineup after starting off the season in Lehigh Valley.
Tanner Laczynski's season, however, wasn't quite as positive as his teammates'. Rather, it was quite a disappointment, and once again, injuries weren't doing him any favors.
Season In Review
Not much was expected of Laczynski going into the 2022-23 campaign, but that's not to say fans weren't holding out hope that he'd develop into, at the very least, a useful piece as a bottom-six forward.
Selected in the sixth round of the 2016 NHL Entry Draft, Laczynski ended up putting together a solid collegiate career over four years at Ohio State, logging 48 goals and 143 total points in 138 games with the Buckeyes. He's even seen some success in the AHL over the last couple years, posting 14 goals and 30 points in 44 games with the Phantoms since the 2020-21 season. But despite the success in Columbus and Lehigh Valley, his talent just hasn't translated to the NHL.
Injuries certainly haven't helped him in that realm.
Soon after making is NHL debut in 2021, Laczynski underwent hip surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right hip. A few months later, just after the start of training camp, he ended up requiring another surgery — this time on his opposite hip. Initially expected to miss the entire 2021-22 season, Laczynski recovered ahead of schedule and appeared in one game for the Flyers, plus 28 for the Phantoms.
Finally, this past season, Laczynski missed three months of action nursing a lower-body injury, which limited him to just 32 games (plus two more with the Phantoms).
Even when he was healthy, though, head coach John Tortorella wasn't impressed with what he saw.
"I haven't seen, whether injured or not, I didn't see (progress) before he was injured. I just need to see more," said Tortorella in March.
Laczynski averaged just 9:31 of ice time per game in his 32 appearances with the Flyers in 2022-23, and for the most part, he was unable to make the most of his opportunities when he got them. The 25-year-old finished the season with a total of four points while logging some of the worst 5-on-5 play-driving numbers on the roster (44.09 Corsi For percentage, 28.57 Goals For percentage, 1.54 Expected Goals For per 60).
Laczynski's special teams usage was almost nonexistent, and given his ineffective play at even strength, few were surprised when he was banished to the press box as a healthy scratch toward the end of the season.
Standout Moment
While Laczynski's season was mostly uninspiring, it didn't come without some high points.
Against the Calgary Flames on November 21, Laczynski scored his first NHL goal with a nice redirection on a spinning wrister from Kevin Hayes. He also put together a solid two-assist performance against the New Jersey Devils in the Flyers' season opener, but there's nothing quite like watching a young player NHLer net their first goal.
Bottom Line
Laczynski has lost a ton of valuable reps over the last two years due to injuries, and it's getting to the point where time could be running out. He has one year remaining on his contract at a tiny cap hit of $762,500. The 2023-24 campaign will be crucial for him as he looks to lock down a full-time role in the NHL, but if he is unable to win over Tortorella and make a positive impact, it'll be hard to imagine the Flyers choosing to ink him to another contract.
Verdict:
Statistics courtesy of Natural Stat Trick and NHL.com.