It appears as if the Flyers could soon have winger Cam Atkinson available as the winger indicated to reporters including NHL.com’s Adam Kimelman (Twitter link) that he has been medically cleared to return to the lineup. The 33-year-old has yet to play this season due to an upper-body injury and at this point, it appears that simply getting into game-level conditioning is what’s holding him back from making his season debut. Whenever he does return, Atkinson will be a welcome addition to a Philadelphia team that sits 30th in the NHL in goals scored so far this season as he finished second on the team in scoring in 2021-22 with 50 points in 73 games.
Flyers Rumors
Kieffer Bellows Clears Waivers; Travis Konecny Activated
Dec 2: In what should be considered a win for the Flyers, Bellows has cleared and can now be assigned to the minor leagues. The team can take a longer look at him there, hoping to turn some of that potential into production.
Dec 1: The Philadelphia Flyers took a chance when claiming Kieffer Bellows off waivers earlier this season but it didn’t pay off. After 11 scoreless games with the team, Bellows is back on waivers today, available for claim by the rest of the league. The team has activated Travis Konecny in his place.
Bellows, 24, doesn’t have a point all season after playing in 45 rather promising games last year. The 2016 first-round pick seemed to find a bit of a niche as a physical option that could contribute lower down in the lineup but all of that has disappeared this time around. Even with a strong opportunity in Philadelphia – he saw more than 19 minutes last week against the Pittsburgh Penguins – he couldn’t generate much of anything, and now finds himself on the edge of the minor leagues once again.
The difficult part now is Bellows’ contract situation. The one-year, $1.2MM deal he signed in the offseason could end up leading to him being cut loose at the end of this season by the Flyers, or New York Islanders, if they reclaim him. As an arbitration-eligible restricted free agent due a qualifying offer of the same $1.2MM, he will likely end up non-qualified if his season continues like this. It would be hard for any team to justify another deal at that price for a player that can’t contribute at the NHL level.
In his place comes Konecny, though he is still a game-time decision for tonight’s game against the Tampa Bay Lightning. The 25-year-old forward is still the team’s second-leading scorer, despite leaving a game on November 17 early. His 19 points in 17 games represent a pace that would have him setting career highs, and head coach John Tortorella obviously sees him as a top option.
Konecny has played more than 19 minutes in 12 of the 16 games he finished, contributing on both the powerplay and penalty kill. If the Flyers are going to turn things around, he’ll be a big part of it.
Flyers Would Like To Convert Artem Anisimov To NHL Deal
- Veteran center Artem Anisimov is off to a decent start with AHL Lehigh Valley with three points in his first five games with Philadelphia’s affiliate. In his latest 32 Thoughts column, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman notes that the Flyers would like to convert Anisimov’s contract to an NHL deal to add him to the roster. However, they’re currently unable to do so as they’re at the maximum 50 contracts so they’ll have to make a trade to open up a spot first unless someone claims Kieffer Bellows on waivers on Friday. Anisimov is a veteran of 771 career NHL contests and would give them someone else to try on the fourth line if they can open up a spot for him first.
Flyers Confirm Ryan Ellis Will Not Play This Season
Though it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, Philadelphia Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher confirmed to reporters including Adam Kimelman of NHL.com earlier today that Ryan Ellis will not play this season. In training camp, the team had admitted that it didn’t look likely.
Ellis, 31, has played just four games for the Flyers since arriving in the summer of 2021, acquired for Nolan Patrick and Philippe Myers. The former Nashville Predators star had five points in those four appearances, a tantalizing example of what he could have brought to the Philadelphia attack.
Instead, the team is stuck with him on injured reserve for another year, using his $6.25MM cap hit as LTIR flexibility instead. With Ellis ruled out, the team is in no danger of facing a cap squeeze later in the year, though with their recent struggles it likely wouldn’t matter much anyway. The Flyers are now 1-6-3 in their last ten after winning on Tuesday night, and don’t have the appearance of a team ready to compete for a playoff spot.
The frustrating part for fans and management alike is that Ellis has four more years on his contract after this one. Even if he never plays again, that will restrict some of the ways in which the team can operate. LTIR relief is not just free cap space, it has negative effects as well, like forcing bonus carryovers. The Flyers are paying $295K in those carryovers this year and could face more next season if a player like Noah Cates secures some of his performance bonuses.
It’s not like Ellis was ready for retirement. He won’t turn 32 until January and was legitimately in the prime of his career when the team acquired him, though injury was always a concern. In his last full season, 2018-19, the right-shot defenseman recorded a career-high 41 points. He was even better the following year, with 38 in just 49 games during the COVID-shortened campaign, but then was able to suit up just 35 times in 2020-21.
Now, it is unclear if he’ll ever get back on the ice with the Flyers or anyone else.
Scott Laughton Activated From Injured Reserve
The Philadelphia Flyers have some good news on the injury front for once, as Scott Laughton has been activated and will play tonight. The veteran forward has been out since November 19. Jackson Cates has been loaned back to the AHL to make room.
As with everything else when it comes to the Flyers right now, there is also some not-so-good news to go along with Laughton’s return. Tony DeAngelo left the optional morning skate early to meet with the medical staff and is a game-time decision, according to Charlie O’Connor of The Athletic.
Laughton, 28, had seven points in 18 games before going down, adding his trademark physicality and penalty-killing prowess to the lineup. He was averaging more shorthanded ice time than any other forward on the team, while also seeing ample powerplay exposure. Despite a career-high of just 32 points, he is one of the team’s most important forwards, and one that head coach John Tortorella obviously trusted, given the more than 19 minutes he was getting every night.
Signed to a five-year, $15MM contract in 2021, Laughton will try to help turn around a sinking ship in Philadelphia that has lost ten in a row. The Flyers sit ahead of only the Columbus Blue Jackets in the Metropolitan Division and Tortorella is showing his frustration, breaking out a classic “up and down like a toilet seat” line to describe Morgan Frost’s play (Columbus fans might remember those words from a few years ago).
The club is now at home for the next five, and if they can’t turn things around soon, the Philadelphia faithful will certainly let them know about it. Not a great situation for Laughton to try and get back into game action.
Travis Konecny Placed On Injured Reserve
The Philadelphia Flyers have moved Travis Konecny to injured reserve with an upper-body injury, while recalling Egor Zamula from the minor leagues to take his roster spot.
Konecny has not played since November 17, meaning a retroactive placement on IR would allow him to be activated whenever healthy. The forward was on the ice today (along with James van Riemsdyk and Scott Laughton), rehabbing his injury.
Zamula, meanwhile, is back after a short stint in the minor leagues. As Charlie O’Connor of The Athletic explains, the young defenseman was only sent down because of the Flyers’ busy schedule, which didn’t allow for much practice time.
Now at home for five games that all have at least one day between them, there will be plenty of time for Zamula to get on the ice with the rest of the NHL squad, even if he still ends up a healthy scratch at times.
The Flyers have lost ten in a row and now sit seventh in the Metropolitan Division.
Scott Laughton Placed On Injured Reserve
The Philadelphia Flyers will be without Scott Laughton for the next little while and have placed him on injured reserve. Laughton is dealing with an upper-body injury and is expected to miss two weeks, according to Adam Kimelman of NHL.com.
In his place, the team has recalled Jackson Cates from the AHL. The team also released injury updates on several other players. Travis Konecny will be out 10-14 days with an upper-body injury, Wade Allison is out two or three weeks with a hip pointer, and Cam Atkinson remains week-to-week. Sean Couturier and James van Riemsdyk are still on their respective schedules after surgery.
Laughton, 28, was seeing more ice time than ever before in his career, averaging more than 19 minutes a night through his first 18 appearances. That resulted in seven points on the year to go along with his regular brand of physical hockey.
He had been moved to wing recently, a move that the team also made with Kevin Hayes last night, with head coach John Tortorella explaining that he trusted Noah Cates more defensively in the middle of the ice.
That position has been a challenge this season for the Flyers, who don’t have a single center even above 48% on faceoffs and few players living up to their potential. Hayes and Konecny lead the team in scoring with 19 points but beyond those two and Owen Tippett, no other player even has five goals on the year.
Jackson Cates, the older of the two brothers, was scoreless in three games with the Flyers earlier this year. In 11 contests with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, he has scored four goals and seven points.
Latest On Cam Atkinson
The Philadelphia Flyers are decimated by injuries once again, this time to their forward corps. They’re dealing with six lineup regulars sitting on the shelf – including Cam Atkinson, who’s not technically on injured reserve but is out indefinitely with an upper-body injury sustained during training camp.
A more definite timeline is coming into view now, though. The Fourth Period’s Anthony Di Marco relays from a team source that the team hopes Atkinson can make his season debut before New Year’s Day.
When exactly that return happens is still anyone’s guess, though. Di Marco reports that the organization is unsure whether Atkinson’s return could come within the next week or within the next month. It’s evident that the Flyers are being cautious, especially considering the team’s recent string of poor injury luck.
Atkinson is still waiting to be reunited for a regular-season game with head coach John Tortorella, who mentored Atkinson throughout the majority of his 10 seasons with the Columbus Blue Jackets. In 2018-19 under Tortorella, Atkinson enjoyed a career-best 41-goal, 69-point season.
Despite a rocky year for the rest of the Flyers last year, though, Atkinson actually had his best performance since that season in Columbus. His 23 goals, 27 assists, and 50 points were all second on the Flyers.
While the Flyers’ record is much-improved this season under Tortorella, it’s due in large part to the spectacular play of Carter Hart in goal. The Flyers’ goal-scoring ranks 26th in the NHL, with 46 through 18 games. The team sits at just .500 and remains a long shot for the playoffs, but Atkinson returning and providing a 25-to-30-goal pace would improve their waning chances.
Philadelphia Flyers Re-Assign Egor Zamula
The Philadelphia Flyers can’t just have Egor Zamula sitting in the press box all season, so they’ve loaned him back to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the AHL. Over the weekend, head coach John Tortorella explained that it’s been tough for the young defenseman because he isn’t getting into the lineup and the team doesn’t have much practice time. In his place, the Flyers have recalled Tanner Laczynski once again.
Zamula, 22, is already way ahead of most undrafted defensemen in terms of development but given his upside, it’s important to keep him playing as much as possible. The last time he suited up for Philadelphia was November 5, and even then he played just over nine minutes of ice time. Through nine appearances this season, he has two points – the first two of his young career.
Signed out of the WHL in 2018, the big Russian defenseman quickly stormed his way to the NHL, making his debut in the 2020-21 season. He’s played 21 games overall, but still isn’t trusted to be one of the team’s regular six just yet. The Phantoms will certainly take him back with open arms, though, as he was outstanding for them last year with 29 points in 58 games.
In a platform year, with his entry-level contract expiring at the end of the season, a lack of NHL playing time will actually make Zamula cheaper for the Flyers to sign next summer. That said, if the team suffers any more injuries on defense, he’ll likely be one of the first call-ups.
Travis Konecny Out A Few Weeks
- Marek also discussed the upper-body injury to Philadelphia Flyers forward Travis Konecny. It’s believed Konecny suffered the injury Thursday and was ruled out of tonight’s game. Losing their points leader, even for one game, was bad enough for the Flyers, but now according to Marek, Konecny is expected to miss a couple of weeks, if not longer. The Flyers, who have outperformed expectations this season, have done so in large part thanks to Konecny’s 19 points in 17 games.