New winger Nic Deslauriers had options but felt Flyers were a ‘perfect fit’

When the clock struck noon on the first day of Nic Deslauriers’ first venture into free agency, the Flyers were far from the only ones calling.

Deslauriers’ phone kept ringing with teams presenting offers and others asking him to hold tight while they drew up their own. The interest was something Deslauriers has worked hard for, considering he’s not a flashy player who racks up points but rather a gritty one who does the dirty work.

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At the end of the day, he felt Philadelphia — both the team and the city — was the best place for a player like that.

“Every time I played there, it was kind of that rough and tough game,” Deslauriers said. “You know, I think just the way that the structure of just not the team but the city as well, it’s a blue-collar city.”

His phone call with Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher and coach John Tortorella was the main selling point. As he listened to them make their pitch, Deslauriers was sold on their determination to take a step forward from last year’s dismal season and felt he could make a difference. He wound up signing a four-year, $7 million contract with the organization.

Deslauriers said he knows exactly what will be expected of him without Fletcher telling him. The left winger has created a strong identity for himself, one that was solidified after he was traded last season by the Anaheim Ducks to the Minnesota Wild to help them in the playoffs.

While with the Wild, he played in 19 regular-season games and five playoff games. He showed his toughness on the forecheck and the penalty kill, something he felt really helped him on the open market. While he had three goals and no assists over those 24 games, he said that isn’t what he’s focused on. He is measured more by intangibles, maybe the most important being his willingness to answer the bell and stick up for his teammates — but only when the time is right.

“It’s not always good to just fight every time,” said Deslauriers, 31. “There’s a purpose in the game. Sometimes it can change momentum. And I think that’s the thing that kind of opened the eyes of a lot of teams, especially from last year [after] getting traded. They love that I don’t just do it just to do it.”

The Flyers already have two players who fight — Zack MacEwen, another gritty fourth-liner, and depth defenseman Nick Seeler. Deslauriers and Seeler dropped the gloves against each other during the March 29 game between the Flyers and the Wild.

Despite embracing his identity as an enforcer, Deslauriers isn’t happy to settle into that one role. He said he’s well aware that the players around him get faster and younger every year, so he’s doing what he can to keep up, like working on his power skating.

The decision to choose the Flyers was not an easy one to make, Deslauriers said, but now that it’s settled, he feels it will be the “perfect fit.” He knows the struggles the team had last year, but he’s no stranger to that.

“I’ve been in Buffalo,” Deslauriers said. “That was a reconstruction as well.”

He was encouraged by the fact that Fletcher told him the Flyers locker room stuck together through it all, and the locker room is almost identical to last year, outside of the addition of Tony DeAngelo and the losses of Claude Giroux and Oskar Lindblom. Deslauriers is already familiar with Rasmus Ristolainen from their time together in Buffalo, as well as Sean Couturier and Kevin Hayes. Hayes was one of the first to reach out to him.

Deslauriers said he’s looking forward to getting to know his new teammates and his new home.

“Usually the organization plays the way the city is, and the city seems to suit me well,” Deslauriers said.

“I’m excited to add to this.”

Tortorella looks to round out his coaching staff with the expected hiring of Rocky Thompson, according to reports. Thompson will most likely serve as Tortorella’s offense and power-play coach, as fellow assistant Brad Shaw will oversee the defense and the penalty kill.

Thompson, 44, most recently served as an associate coach for the San Jose Sharks and is known for being a player’s coach. He did not coach during the 2021-22 season because he was unvaccinated, as the NHL required for people in close contact with the players. Thompson cited a medical exemption as the reason for not receiving the coronavirus vaccine.

While with the Sharks, Thompson coached the defensemen and the power play.

Before joining the Sharks, Thompson coached in the WHL, AHL, and in the NHL as an assistant with the Oilers. He also spent two years as the head coach of the Windsor Spitfires of the OHL.

As a player, Thompson was known as a fighter, and in 25 career NHL games, he racked up a whopping 117 penalty minutes.