Owen Tippett returns to practice as Flyers try to regain their swagger

SUNRISE, Fla. — The Flyers needed a reset. They also needed a healthy Owen Tippett.

Now they’ve got both.

Tippett missed the last four games with a lower-body injury he suffered against the Colorado Avalanche on Jan. 20. With the team off for the All-Star break, he got some rest before getting a few skates in Voorhees under his belt in preparation for his first practice back with the group.

“I think it’s just to get your touches in,” he said when asked what he focused on. “Obviously in a practice like that, it’s puck-focused where it’s just kind of one guy at a time going. You try to feel the puck and get the legs under you.”

The winger, who signed an eight-year, $49.6 million contract extension on Jan. 26, brings an element to the Flyers that they were missing during a five-game slide before the bye week and All-Star break.

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Known for his skating prowess and ability to drive to the net while protecting the puck, Tippett owns the fastest skating speed in the league this season, according to NHL Edge. He has 18 goals and 30 points in 46 games. Coach John Tortorella hopes that reinserting Tippett into the lineup will help to bring back some of the Orange and Black’s confidence.

“Tip makes us look faster. He’s one of the faster players in the league, and it’s funny but when you lose one or two guys with the speed, your team looks slower. He’s certainly going to bring that to us,” Tortorella said. “... The offense is something that we need to get some swagger back there. Tip generates it on himself, he doesn’t need any help. He’s going to help other people. That’s a very important guy to get back into our lineup here.”

Of course, Tortorella will tell you not to read into the line combinations at practice in South Florida. And there is no guarantee Tippett is 100% playing as he is still listed on injured reserve. But the Flyers were retooled a bit when it came to the top six. All-Star Travis Konecny skated on the right wing with Morgan Frost and Joel Farabee, and Tippett was back on the top line with Sean Couturier and now Cam Atkinson.

“Cam goes to the net hard, Tip brings that speed and is dangerous up and down on the wing there,” Couturier noted. “Yeah, definitely looking forward to it. I think they’re both definitely goal scorers, so it should be fun to play with them and hopefully set them up or vice versa.”

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The three bring different skill sets that should mesh well. Tippett is a speedster who pushes defenses back on their heels as he drives to the net off the transition; Couturier is one of the game’s top defensive forwards who is strong on the puck; and Atkinson likes to go to the dirty areas and the net front to create offensive chances.

“He’s playing really well, right now. He’s hot,” Tippett said of Atkinson, who struggled but closed out the first part of the season with 10 points in eight games. “Obviously the last couple of games before the break, I got the pleasure to watch it and I’m glad to see him going again. Obviously, when you go through something like he did at the start of the year, it’s tough on any player, but he’s turned it around in a big way and it’s good for him and good for the team.”

The team could use the boost after losing its last five before the break — which happened to come after a five-game winning streak. The Flyers are third in the Metropolitan Division, in points and points percentage, but have played more games than the teams they are trying to leapfrog. The Flyers have 32 games remaining with their eyes on a postseason spot.

“We’re kind of in a situation that a lot of people didn’t think we would be,” Tortorella said. “We’re starting the last third of the season, and we’re looking to try to do the things we want to do to get to where we want to be. But also, we are not backing off at all as far as what we’re trying to do with the organization and the big picture to it as far as rebuilding. ... We cannot lose sight of what we’re doing here, but on the other side of that, we’re trying to win every ... game we play. We’ve lost the last five. I think it’s very important that we get our energy back, our swagger back both offensively and defensively to start these last 30-plus games and try to find a way.”

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The Flyers can activate Tippett from IR without sending anyone down or placing someone on waivers. They have one spot open with 22 players on the current roster.