It seemed like ever since he got here, people have been tearing poor Owen Tippett to shreds. It makes sense. He, plus a first-rounder, was what the Florida Panthers paid to obtain the services of Claude Giroux for just a few weeks. He scored four goals with three assists in his first 21 games as a Flyer. BOOOOOORING!
In his first full season, he tallied 27 goals with 22 assists. The following year, he set career highs with 28 goals and 25 assists. Then he had an "off year", scoring just 20 goals with 23 assists on a team that was struggling during John Tortorella's last year as head coach. Last season, with a new coach, he scored 28 goals with 23 assists to crack the 50-point mark again. Ho hum.
Tippett isn't flashy. However, he has flashes of greatness. The thing is, we want more. If he scores 28, we want 30. If he gets 50 points, why not 60? Part of the issue is that the Flyers, up until last year, have been in crazy states of transition and injuries. He's been part of that. Ok, he hasn't been injured, but his linemates change fairly often. It's hard to get into a rhythm like that.
He does have a lot of speed. When matched up with someone like him, that could be a dangerous combo. The thing is, he is very, very, very streaky. He can go on a tear, say four goals in the first three games, and then not score for the rest of the month. When he is hot, watch out. When he is cold, you can see he is trying too hard and getting inside his own head.
For those reasons, he's been a popular trade candidate for the last few seasons. But that will be harder now as the no-trade clause in his contract kicks in. And to be honest, trading him away, unless you are getting someone who is a top-line center who will kill it for the next 10 years, is ludicrous. Where else are you going to get a guy who is averaging 25-30 goals a season and paying them just $6.2 million? If you haven't noticed, NHL salaries have been soaring this summer. Tippett's contract is a bargain for what he is worth. Maybe that makes him desirable to other teams, but what are you getting in return?
So maybe, just maybe, we can put the Tippett trade rumors to rest this year. He can put up another boring 28-goal season with 40 assists. He'll spark a playoff run. Ho hum. But when surrounded by a lot of younger talent that seems hungry and willing to take off, Tippett could be one of those guys other teams forget. That could make him a very dangerous sniper. If that happens, watch out! 30-40 goals might not be out of the question.
If the pressure isn't on him to perform because young stars like Porter Martone and Matvei Michkov are scoring, Tippett could flourish and become what we've been waiting for. If he is ignored by opposing teams, he could rack up career highs in goals, assists, and/or points. That bodes well for the Flyers this year.
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