Are Owen Tippett’s days numbered with the Flyers?

Tied for last in the Eastern Conference with 13 points, the Philadelphia Flyers have seen their offense dry up over the past couple of games. They tallied just three goals total over the weekend in their contests versus the Toronto Maple Leafs and league-worst Calgary Flames.

Speaking with team sources on Monday, the Flyers’ offensive struggles are in large part due to the team not going to the dirty areas and getting to the front of the net. This is not a revolutionary observation, as PHLY’s Charlie O’Connor mentioned the same thing in his article yesterday. Specifically versus the Maple Leafs’ hulking blueline on Saturday, I noticed the Flyers’ forwards having a particularly hard time penetrating the middle of the ice and spending far too much time on the perimeter. 

The Flyers’ forward group is arguably more balanced than we’ve seen since pre-pandemic – but that doesn’t mean that there still aren’t flaws to it. Speaking with sources, the Flyers feel like they lack forwards willing to go to the front of the net and bang in the “ugly” types of goals they used to get from the likes of Scott Hartnell and Wayne Simmonds 10-plus years ago. Nikita Grebenkin has that skillset but, given his scarce use in the team’s top nine to this point, he has not had a prominent enough role to be effective. 

By and large, the Flyers are content with the likes of Grebenkin and their depth forwards, I’m told. More so, the Flyers have been thrilled with the play of Trevor Zegras to this point; one person told me they would’ve been in “big trouble” already this season had it not been for the play of the 2019 Anaheim Ducks first round selection. On the whole, the Flyers have not gotten consistent enough offense from most of their top nine forwards – many of which are not battling enough to go to the front of the net. 

The two forwards in particular whose games have come into question are alternate captain Travis Konecny and Owen Tippett. 

Konecny, 28, got off to an incredibly slow start this season but has registered three goals and one assist in his last four games; he has four goals and four assists total through 12 contests. Though Konecny has begun to turn things around, he hasn’t been impressing the Flyers’ brass with his overall play and effort, I’ve heard. 

Often compared to Montreal Canadiens forward Brendan Gallagher, Konecny has found success in the past by going to the front of the net and chipping in ugly goals off rebounds and deflections. Konecny has not been doing that this season, spending far too much time on the outside and not making the extra effort to get to the middle of the ice. His effort level and overall play have left a lot to be desired, according to team sources. 

This is not to say that the Flyers are looking to jettison the 2015 first round pick – though that doesn’t mean that teams haven’t kept their eyes on Konecny from a far. 

Speaking with a source close to the situation in Minnesota yesterday, I was asked about Konecny’s availability via trade. This should not come as a surprise, as I reported last week the Minnesota Wild are in the market to bolster their offense. Speaking with a Flyers source, the team would have to be “blown away” with an offer to even approach Konecny about waiving his no-movement clause, which kicked in this season in year one of his brand new, eight-year contract.

Then we get to Tippett, who has quickly become a polarizing player for the Flyers. The 26-year-old got off to a torrid start and still leads the Flyers in goals with five; he has six points total this season. Despite the hot start, Tippett has cooled off tremendously and has just one assist in his last six games.

He’s always been a streaky player, and Tippett’s peaks and valleys have become larger and larger going back to last season. While hot and cold stretches are to be expected of a shoot-first winger, the inconsistency in Tippett’s game has started to become tiresome from those within the organization, based on conversations I’ve had. The Flyers do like Tippett’s game but feel like they may not have the right player(s) to properly complement his style. 

The speedy Tippett would be best served playing with a playmaker who can slow the game down and spring him on stretch passes. Zegras is somewhat of that style of player, but unless he is playing center – and for what it’s worth, there are those in the Flyers’ front office that feel that Zegras has played better down the middle than on the wing, though his faceoff struggles have still caused head coach Rick Tocchet some reservations – the Flyers don’t have many players who gel with Tippett. Speculatively speaking, Leafs forward William Nylander is the exact type of player that would make Tippett excel. Could he end up on Toronto’s radar given its need for another top-six forward?

According to team sources, there are some internal questions as to where Tippett will fit long term with the Flyers. This was even the case under former head coach John Tortorella, who I heard didn’t know “how to use” Tippett last season, despite liking him as a player. It is no secret that the Flyers have an abundance of right-shooting wingers on their roster, so much so that both Tippett and Tyson Foerster have played almost exclusively on the left side. Tippett has arguably been a better player on the left wing, mind you, and has gotten consistent top power play time under Tocchet. 

Tippett’s name has been loosely involved in trade speculation this season, and while the Flyers are not actively shopping him, you have to wonder about his future with the team. Marc Bergevin of the Los Angeles Kings front office has taken in several Flyers games recently, causing speculation on whether they could be looking at Tippett. While I have no doubt the Kings could be, they don’t have many assets the Flyers like, I’m told. 

If (and it is very much still an if) the Flyers were to move a player like Konecny or Tippett in season, it would have to be centered around getting younger. The Flyers would consider draft picks but would ideally like NHL-ready players as the main focus of any trade as they begin to exit their rebuild. 

The Flyers are still above water in the parity-filled Eastern Conference, but their offensive struggles have begun to cause major issues. If things don’t turn around fast and the team can’t find a way to start registering more offense, we could see some changes down the line to the make-up for the forward group.

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