FLYERS RE-SIGN COUSINS, SIGN LABERGE TO ELC
The Philadelphia Flyers made two in-house signings on Thursday, re-signing restricted free agent (RFA) Nick Cousins to a one-year contract and inking 2016 second-round pick Pascal Laberge to an entry-level contract (ELC).
There was no negotiation required with Cousins. The center, who will turn 23 on July 20, accepted the qualifying offer the Flyers made to retain his RFA rights. The one-year, two-way contract will pay him $937,125 in the National Hockey League and $70,000 if he is in the American Hockey League.
No longer on an entry-level contract, fourth-year pro Cousins would have to clear waivers before the Flyers could send him to the AHL. Last season, after a Feb. 6 recall, he dressed in 31 of the final 33 games of the NHL regular season, posting the first six goals and 11 points of his 47-game NHL career to date. He also dressed in all six of the Flyers' games in their Eastern Conference quarterfinal round loss to the Washington Capitals.
Cousins, who had 38 points in 38 games for the Phantoms before his second NHL recall (and third career recall) last season, enjoyed his best stretch of hockey for the Flyers between February 11 to 23, centering a line with Scott Laughton and Matt Read.
At one juncture, Cousins had three goals and four points in a five-game span and played 17:31 (his NHL career-high to date) in a 3-2 shootout loss in Montreal that saw Cousins score both in regulation and the shootout. The stretch ended with a 3-1 loss in Carolina in which Cousins' line was the best trio on the ice for either team and in which Laughton enjoyed what was widely considered his top NHL single-game performance to date.
Offensive creativity has never been a problem for Cousins. Over the first three years of his pro career, but especially the last two seasons, he worked hard to overcome deficiencies in his skating and play without the puck -- critical elements for the 5-foot-11, 188-pound center to go from a one-dimensional player who was also prone to bad penalties to more well-rounded player. After year one, he did not seem to be an NHL track but he has turned things around in impressive fashion the last two seasons.
As Cousins found a niche in head coach Dave Hakstol's Flyers lineup in the second half of last season, his reputation for being an agitator and chirper on the ice began to emerge at the NHL level as well. With greatly increased frequency, opposing players wanted to get at Cousins, who nevertheless was only whistled off for four penalty minutes in 36 games with Philly.
Entering training camp, Cousins does not have an NHL starting job sewn up. If he has a subpar camp and preseason, he won't make the team. However, for the first time in his career, Cousins seems to be in good position to claim a Flyers opening-night roster spot.
Cousins may even be above or at least on par with 2012 first-round pick Scott Laughton on the pre-camp depth chart -- although that is more of a fluid and hypothetical status that is subject to change in a hurry. It's certainly nothing to bank upon, and will have to be quickly re-affirmed in what could shape up to be some intensive competition for a few up-for-grabs roster spots. There are already more candidates than there are available spots among the 12 opening night starters at forward plus a spare 13th forward.
With the first two games of the 2016-17 regular season being in Los Angeles and Arizona, the Flyers could take along as many as 14 forwards. Keep in mind that top-six forward Brayden Schenn is suspended by the NHL for the first three games of the season, so a 14th forward would temporarily move up to the 13th slot and be the next one to dress in the event of an injury. Beyond the first three games, it remains to be seen if the Flyers carry a 14th forward, an eighth defenseman or just one spare apiece on the front line and back end.
Once the team finally plays the home opener on October 20, the Flyers will be at home for four of six games and will not have significant travel again until they have to take two separate flights to Canada in early November. They will be in Montreal for a Nov. 5 game at the end of a home-road-road three-in-four gauntlet and, later, travel from Philly to Toronto for a Nov. 11 front end of a road-home back-to-back set with the Minnesota Wild at the Wells Fargo Center the next night. Before the Flyers get to this stretch of games, they may not have a need for a 23rd player (i.e., 14th forward or eighth defenseman) depending on how things go injury-wise and performance-wise.
At least Philly has the cap flexibility and enough viable options to make such decisions as the time comes to do so.
The recent signing of Russian forward Roman Lyubomov (who can play any forward position) and the signing of veteran fourth-line center Boyd Gordon (who seems likely to make the team barring injury) has intensified the competition for playing time and spots.
While Pierre-Edouard Bellemare's NHL roster spot seems safe, his regular linemate Chris VandeVelde could be in a battle for playing time. Matt Read, if not traded (which seems unlikely at least right now), no longer has a guaranteed starting spot, either, but his roster spot itself is not in jeopardy. The recently signed Dale Weise, who figures to move all around the lineup as needed, is a lock to make the team and enter the season as a regular starter barring injury. Ditto Michael Raffl.
Among Cousins, VandeVelde, Laughton, Lyubomov and Jordan Weal at least two could be opening night roster casualties. Right now, Weal's chances of an opening night NHL job do not seem great. He will need an outstanding camp.
Read must regain his pre-2014 form or he could be in a battle to avoid the healthy scratch list (which he fell upon a couple of times last season for the first time in his career) and Gordon must excel in faceoffs and penalty killing to stay in the hypothetical lineup.
Laughton was the Flyers' first-round pick (20th overall) of the 2012 NHL Draft. He has struggled somewhat at center thus far in his 107-game NHL career, but showed some promise as a winger during the same stretch of the 2015-16 season in which Cousins enjoyed his best slate of games.
For a player who entered the pro ranks touted as a future two-way standout and possibly a shutdown pivot at the NHL level, Laughton has thus far struggled with some of the details of playing center in the NHL. However, he's still just 22 and had a good camp last year. Production wise, Laughton has 27 points to date (nine goals, 27 assists) in the NHL. He is coming off a frightening injury suffered in Game 3 of the playoff series against Washington. Laughton had to be immobilized and stretchered off the ice after he went into the end boards awkwardly and head-first while jostling with Capitals defenseman John Carlson.
The Flyers drafted Cousins in the third round (68th overall) of the 2011 NHL Draft. Along with Jakub Voracek and the eighth overall pick (Sean Couturier) of 2011 Draft, the pick used on Cousins' selection was acquired from the Columbus Blue Jackets in the Jeff Carter trade.
With the re-signings of Weal and Cousins to one-year, two-way deals, the Flyers now have two remaining restricted free agents in the arbitration-eligible Schenn and Brandon Manning. Barring settlements beforehand, Schenn's arbitration hearing is scheduled for July 25 and Manning's for August 2.
Laberge, selected by the Flyers in the second round of the 2016 Draft after Philadelphia swapped the 18th and 79th overall picks with the Winnipeg Jets for the 22nd (German Rubtsov) and 36th overall picks, signed an ELC worth up to $925,000 per season at the NHL level. All entry-level contracts are two-way deals.
The 18-year-old's contract is eligible to "slide" (meaning it does not count against the 50-contract NHL maximum and the first year of the contract is delayed) for up to two seasons. That is a virtual certainty for Quebec Major Hockey League forward Laberge. The Flyers organization believes he has eventual NHL impact offensive player skills, especially once he fills out his still-skinny frame, as well as some grit and strong off-ice character.
However, there's a lot of physical development and refinement of Laberge all-around game to be done in the next two to four years. Getting him under ELC now simply shows the organization's commitment to his development and belief in his long-range potential.
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2016 FLYERS ALUMNI GOLF INVITATIONAL
The 2016 Flyers Alumni Golf Invitational will be held on July 18 at the Philadelphia Cricket Club. The event will raise money for the Flyers Alumni Association, Flyers Charities and BLOCS.
The Golf Invitational will offer a round of golf, lunch, cocktail reception and dinner program.
Subject to changes and additions, the following Flyers Alumni -- widely representing every decade of team history -- will be attending: Ray Allison, Bill Barber, Frank Bathe, Craig Berube, Brian Boucher, Jesse Boulerice, Danny Briere, Terry Carkner, Lindsay Carson, Jeff Chychrun, Bob Clarke, Bill Clement, Steve Coates, Riley Cote, Doug Crossman, Barry Dean, Eric Desjardins, Andre "Moose" Dupont, Doug Favell, Todd Fedoruk, Ross Fitzpatrick, Mark Freer, Larry Goodenough, TJ Gorence, Paul Holmgren, Ed Hospodar, Mark Howe, Kerry Huffman, Bob "the Hound" Kelly, Tim Kerr, Orest Kindrachuk, Mike Knuble, Ian Laperriere, Mitch Lamoureaux, Neil Little, Brad Marsh, Phil Myre, Bernie Parent, Dave Poulin, Brian Propp, Chris Pronger, Luke Richardson, Don Saleski, Dave "the Hammer" Schultz (attending but not golfing), Ilkka Sinisalo, Derrick Smith, and Joe Watson.
For more information,
click here.
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