The Philadelphia Flyers traded the longest tenured captain in franchise history, Claude Giroux, at the 2022 NHL trade deadline. In return, they received a first-round pick (eventually traded to draft Jack Nesbitt) as well as a third-round pick (Denver Barkey). Owen Tippett was the roster player sent to Philadelphia, having some of the biggest shoes any player could ever have to fill as a Flyer, and perhaps not an ideal developmental scenario given the turmoil in the front office in the following months.
Having traded Giroux for him, Tippett was considered vital. This was the biggest trade the former general manager, Chuck Fletcher, would have in his time here, and one of the more important trades the franchise has made since the turn of the century. It would be the catalyst to the “retool”, but also an admission of failure from a team attempting to compete. Owen Tippett wore the “traded for Giroux” label for a couple of years, but now, he’s made his own way and is one of the most important Flyers on and off the ice as they turn their focus back to being a playoff team.
Tippett may be back in trade talks
Selected eight picks after Nolan Patrick in 2017, Tippett has landed himself two contract extensions with the Flyers. The latest one, signed in 2024, is set to keep him a Flyer through 2032. This alone would make a trade unlikely, as players with six years of term left on their contracts very rarely get moved. We see the odd sign-and-trade, as with Mitchell Marner and the Vegas Golden Knights last summer, but typically when you sign a player to eight years, they’re in your long-term outlook.
Recently, there’s been rumors of Tippett being included — or at least asked about — from other front offices looking to deal with the Flyers. It isn’t about Tippett being unhappy here or any frustration with the player, rather, the Flyers have a perceived strength at the winger position and are in great need of an impact center. Tippett’s immense skill set has always been intriguing, and it can’t hurt to ask, but Philadelphia has made clear that they aren’t shopping one of their most talented players.
I’m told that Owen Tippett – VAN rumor from yesterday had some truth to it. Was told this morning that it was the Flyers that said no. Now, obviously if PHI said no, it had nothing to do with Quinn Hughes. But, thats something now to watch as that saga unfolds. #LetsGoFlyers
— Brandon J. Sommermann (@B_Sommermann) December 4, 2025
Nevertheless, here he appears on Matt Larkin’s NHL Trade Board, updated as recent as January 22, as a “Tier three” trade candidate with “uncertainty over his long-term fit in Philly” due to just how many wingers the team currently has on the roster and in the pipline. No other Flyer forward is on the list.
Tippett’s on-ice impact
Tippett can be a frustrating player. The physical traits are incredible: he’s 99th percentile in 20-22 miles per hour bursts, 22+ mph bursts, and clears Nathan MacKinnon’s top speed, which feels impossible. Last season, his hardest shot was in the 92nd percentile among all NHL players, and 99th percentile the season before. He’s an exciting player to watch play hockey and has the natural gifts that just about every single hockey player would want to have. The difference is that MacKinnon is on pace for over 64 goals, while Owen Tippett is coming off a 20-goal season.
We’re not asking him to be Nathan MacKinnon, as the Colorado Avalanche star is one of the two or three best players in the world. What we do need, and Tippett has delivered so far this season, is better consistency. Since a 10-game goalless drought in November, which was broken by a goal and three assists in a shootout win in St. Louis, Tippett has minimized the inconsistency that have plagued his career thus far. Most goal scorers tend to do their damage in bunches, but he’s been able to help the Flyers through increased playmaking ability on nights where he’s missed his own chances.
This season, per MoneyPuck, Tippett leads the Flyers in expected goals with 16.3. This is just behind Leon Draisaitl (16.7) and clears players like Sidney Crosby (15.7) and Artemi Panarin (15). Even more encouraging is that he’s already cleared his expected goals mark from last season — his lowest actual goal scoring season since becoming a full time Flyer in 2022-23 — in 400 fewer minutes, and it passes the eye test. In fact, he’s being deployed on defensive zone draws more than he ever has. Per Evolving-Hockey, he’s made himself a 60th percentile defensive player as well.
Tippett has already drawn more penalties, has had more shots on goal per game, and is shooting two percent higher than last year — a career best 12 percent. He’s simply a more dangerous player than he was a year ago. Though he’s only on a 25-goal pace this season through 49 games, it feels much less disappointing than the previous campaign’s 20. If he gets hot again, like he tends to do every so often, he could easily threaten 30 goals and provide plenty of surplus value on his $6.2 million contract.
Can he even be replaced effectively?
The Flyers have a litany of effective and NHL caliber wingers at their disposal. It makes a lot of sense to deal from this position of strength, especially considering their dire need for high-end talent elsewhere in the lineup. Since the acquisition of Trevor Zegras doesn’t seem to have appeased the issue, we’ve gone back to the trade board watching and waiting for another crack at our white whale: a quality scoring center.
Naturally, Tippett’s palatable salary ($6.2 million per year) makes him an easy target to package in these big-game trade talks. With Zegras, Travis Konecny, Tyson Foerster, Matvei Michkov, and soon to be Porter Martone all eyeing top-six wing minutes, Tippett might be the unfortunate victim of a full house. The numbers suggest he might be the best of the bunch though, at least for now, and is the only one capable of ramping up his play to dominate a game from end-to-end. None of them have the top-end speed that Tippett has. Such a dynamic skill set is difficult to replace, especially in one player.
I don’t think there’s another player on the Philadelphia roster capable of simply creating a goal this way. There’s three Vancouver Canucks, the goaltender, and Owen Tippett. Sometimes, you really appreciate having a player who can score a goal like this.
None of the other wingers on the roster, with the exception of Travis Konecny, even have the track record of Owen Tippett. Foerster was certainly due for his breakout, but injury has derailed his season, and it remains to be seen if he can regain his form after yet another surgery. Zegras is shooting above his expected goal totals, so perhaps he’s been lucky, and the numbers this season may not be his true talent level. Michkov and Porter Martone are young and won’t reach their peak powers until closer to 2030, though we expect them to be excellent players before then if this rebuild is going to work.
On the other hand, you have to trade good players to get good players, and that includes players we like. Tippett is playing as well as he’s ever played and should carry good value around the league at his price. They aren’t trading Michkov or Konecny, and it’s very unlikely Martone is moved. Someone’s going to have to be eventually, and all we can do is hope they make the right choice.
