Ahead of Friday's NHL trade deadline, the Philadelphia Flyers have yet to strike any deals of substance, though their latest signing indicates that one could be coming soon.
On Thursday, the Flyers signed AHL journeyman and tough guy Garrett Wilson to a one-year, two-way contract that will carry him through the rest of the 2025-26 season, making him eligible to appear in NHL games for the Flyers this season.
Wilson, 34, has not played in an NHL game since he was, as a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins, swept by the New York Islanders in the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Aside from a one-year pitstop in Toronto with the AHL Marlies, Wilson has since played in the Flyers organization for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, serving as their captain for the last three seasons.
The 6-foot-4 enforcer has recorded no fewer than 100 penalty minutes in each of his last four campaigns, and is one penalty away from making it five.
Of course, the timing of signing a 34-year-old of this profile is intriguing, with the trade deadline less than 24 hours away at the time of this writing.
The Flyers have veterans like Nick Deslauriers (pending UFA) and Garnet Hathaway (2027 UFA) who no longer fit the team's roster and could spend their twilight years chasing a Stanley Cup with another NHL team.
Wilson, a well-respected leader in Allentown, could step in for the Flyers as an internal replacement for one or both players without the Flyers having to sacrifice veteran leadership and toughness during the process of getting younger and making space for prospects.
Now that the Flyers have assured themselves two veteran forwards with NHL experience - they just traded for Boris Katchouk as well - they presumably will feel less hesitant to subtract from their roster and their locker room ahead of the trade deadline.
For Wilson, it could be a nice reward for a player who's worn an 'A' or 'C' on his chest for the Flyers organization since 2021.