Flyers sign restricted free agent winger Owen Tippett to a two-year deal
Part of the return in the Claude Giroux trade, Tippett spent the final 21 games of the season with the Flyers.
The Flyers signed the fourth of nine restricted free agents who were extended a qualifying offer on Friday, bringing back right winger Owen Tippett on a two-year deal with an average annual value of $1.5 million.
Tippett, 23, was part of the return from the Florida Panthers for Claude Giroux at the trade deadline last season. The Panthers’ 10th overall pick in the 2017 draft, Tippett spent the final 21 games of the season with the Flyers playing primarily on the second and third lines. He registered four goals, three assists, and averaged 15:12 of ice time in that span. Despite a relatively low scoring total, Tippett generated plenty of opportunities but was seldom rewarded.
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Before joining the Flyers, Tippett played 94 games for the Panthers (14 goals, 19 assists) over the course of three seasons dating back to 2017-18. He played a total of 63 games in the American Hockey League with the Springfield Thunderbirds and Charlotte Checkers, where he was a prolific scorer, notching a combined 26 goals and 34 assists.
A Peterborough, Ontario, native, Tippett was a standout player in the Ontario Hockey League before the Panthers drafted him. In his draft year, Tippett racked up 44 goals and 75 points in 60 games for the Mississauga Steelheads. His 44 goals ranked fifth in the league and were a franchise record. In four major junior seasons with the Steelheads and Saginaw Spirit combined, Tippett collected 244 points (128 goals, 116 assists) in 213 games.
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Now, Tippett will look to firmly establish himself this season with the Flyers as a full-time NHL player and rediscover his scoring ways.
In the middle of July, the Flyers extended qualifying offers to nine of their restricted free agents — Wade Allison, Jackson Cates, Morgan Frost, Hayden Hodgson, Linus Högberg, Tanner Laczynski, Zack MacEwen, Isaac Ratcliffe, and Tippett. The Flyers have signed Tippett, Laczynski, Frost, and Ratcliffe to new deals. MacEwen will head to a salary arbitration hearing on Aug. 8.