1:19 p.m.: Konecny’s contract has a full no-move clause through 2030-31, reports The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz. His move protection drops to a modified no-trade clause in the final two years of the deal.
12:00 p.m.: The Flyers have signed top-line winger Travis Konecny to an eight-year, $70MM contract extension, the team announced. Teammate Travis Sanheim hinted at the news a few minutes before the announcement (X link).
The deal, which carries a cap hit of $8.75MM, will begin in the 2025-26 season and keep him under contract in Philly through 2032-33. It’s a significant raise from his previous $5.5MM cap hit.
It’s the most lucrative deal in Flyers franchise history, beating out the 12-year, $69MM pact they gave Mike Richards in 2008. The commitment demonstrated here to the 27-year-old, who’s coming off a strong season in 2023-24, is massive.
Konecny scored a career-high 68 points in 76 games, fueled by 33 goals and 35 assists, while averaging 19:50 per game. Per usual, he was an even-strength monster, posting 52 of those 68 points at 5-on-5, 4-on-4 or 3-on-3. His six shorthanded goals last season also led the league, and the 5’10”, 192-lb winger ranked eighth on the team with 90 hits.
It wasn’t technically his best season offensively, though. That came the year before when Konecny notched 31 goals and 61 points despite injuries limiting him to 60 games. That worked out to 1.02 points per game compared to last season’s 0.89.
Konecny was entering a contract year in 2024-25, and there was a wide belief the pending UFA may end up as trade bait with the Flyers still in the throes of a rebuild. But last season quelled most fears about his year-to-year offensive consistency while also reiterating he can be an effective penalty-killer, a role he only took on when John Tortorella took over behind the bench in 2022. He’s had strong relative possession impacts on the PK, too, painting a picture of a better all-around player than most would consider him to be.
Back in May, The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz expected Timo Meier’s eight-year, $70.4MM extension with the Devils to serve as a solid comparable in negotiations. Evolving-Hockey also projected a max-term extension for Konecny to carry a cap hit in the $8.8MM neighborhood. While there may be some early sticker shock on this rich of a deal, this shouldn’t be viewed as an overpay on his market value.
Beginning next season, Konecny will carry the highest cap hit on the Flyers’ roster. That honor currently belongs to captain Sean Couturier, who costs $7.75MM against the cap through 2030.
Konecny will make $7MM in actual cash in 2024-25 before his extension kicks in as part of his existing contract, which awards him a $4MM base salary and $3MM signing bonus in its final year. This is the second significant long-term deal for Konecny, who inked a six-year, $33MM pact in 2019.
It’s the fourth max-term extension handed out since the league calendar flipped to 2024-25, joining Predators goalie Juuse Saros, Canadiens rising star Juraj Slafkovsky and Hurricanes stalwart defender Jaccob Slavin. Konecny’s is the richest of them all, beating out Saros’ $61.92MM total value.
Accordingly, it’s the most consequential move of the Flyers’ offseason, although getting 2023 seventh-overall pick Matvei Michkov inked to his entry-level contract and brought over to North America sooner than expected is a close second. Michkov will likely slot in behind Konecny on the Flyers’ right-wing depth chart come opening night.
With the extension, the Flyers have already racked up a projected cap hit of $73.55MM for 2025-26 with a roster size of 18, per PuckPedia. The salary cap is projected to jump to around $92MM after increasing to $88MM this season, which would still leave them with around $18.5MM in space. That’ll be important with young building blocks Noah Cates, Tyson Foerster, Morgan Frost and Cameron York all due for new deals.
Since being drafted 24th overall by Philadelphia in 2015, Konecny has racked up 174 goals, 226 assists and 400 points in 564 career games with a -26 rating.
Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.
Another bad decision by Briere. This deal will be bought out in four years.
Perhaps…but Coots will likely be bought out first.
You can think it’s a bad choice, but 4 is comical.
highly unlikely, if he produces how he has in the past this contract is probably right about where it should be
Totally out of step for what a rebuild should actually be. I’m done.
I agree….. but at some point you need to start keeping good players and develop some team chemistry… I’m hopeful but skeptical. Not sure we have the right coach though..
You are not done. You can’t stop the chronic complaining. You’ll be back very soon.
Seems like a free agent signing. A mill overpay.
If the Flyers want to spend point a game money on a guy whose best season was 68 points, I am very much OK with that.
Flyers have had damn near zero supporting cast the last 2 years and Travis has still been very good. Question who wants to be a Flyer? Answer nobody so they needed to keep the guy that brings it every game. He will be fine through 35.
Oof.. if he got that much I can just imagine what Lucas Raymond is going to want. $8 million just went to $9 million to start..
Raymond could be a game changer. He had bell of a close out to the tear
Tell me if I’m correct
Shutdown #1 D man 9 -10 mil
Top pairing d man 6.8-8.5mil
Top 4 second pairing 4.6-7 mil
Third pairing D man 2.3-4.5 mil
Was hoping Konecny would somehow find his way to the kraken. Could definitely use his drive, skill and R shot. Would be weird though considering he and McCann aren’t really that far apart on production, but TK costs about 3-4 mill more. So long to the RW dream. Maybe the Laine thing will work out.
wow .. never thought he’d get close to 8/$70 .. reset the 60+ point and 52nd in scoring market
Flyers for life continue, 50 years without cup and the new management is still continuing in the same loser culture than the other managements. 8 years contracts over 35yo, multi millions dollars contract continue to rain in Philadelphia despite a 125% override cap. No surprise that the kids dont want to go there anymore. Jones, as president is a joke.
Rather have him over Timo Meier for the same money, no question. Flyers could be ready to win in year 2 or 3 of the 8.