The Philadelphia Flyers have signed another draft pick, once again giving them a contract that starts right away. Ronnie Attard has signed a two-year entry-level deal with the club that kicks in immediately and will allow the college defenseman to see NHL action down the stretch. Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher released a statement on the deal:
We’re very happy to have Ronnie sign with us after a great career with the Broncos. He is a big, mobile defenseman who has steadily improved his game each season. We are excited to have him join our group and look forward to his continued development at the pro level.
Attard, 23, just finished his third season at Western Michigan University, where he exploded offensively this season to the tune of 13 goals and 36 points in 39 games. Originally selected 72nd overall in 2019, he combines size and skating ability to blend into the prototypical modern defensemen. The fact that he’s right-handed–a side that has given Philadelphia trouble in recent years–is no small thing, as he profiles as a potential partner for Ivan Provorov or Cameron York, depending on whether his game translates well to the NHL level.
The fact that he’s getting a chance to play this year shows just how confident the Flyers are in his development to this point, though expectations should probably still be tempered for the young defenseman. As a 1999 birthday, he was in his third year of draft eligibility when Philadelphia took him in 2019, undrafted his first two years because he offered little more than his size. That changed in his final year with the Tri-City Storm when he took a big step forward, but rushing him into important minutes could be a mistake, even if the Flyers have little to play for down the stretch.
two down, one to go