Owen Tippett is proving the critics wrong and showing his value

We all thought we had Owen Tippett figured out. Blazing speed and an outstanding shot, but with a tendency to disappear for long stretches before ultimately putting up numbers every year that weren't anything truly special. And while he hasn't fully shaken this reputation yet, Tippett has been a driving force of late, and his value to the team is coming into sharper focus.

Start with the fact that he has been absolutely flying around the ice during the team's recent hot streak, scoring five goals in the last eight games to bring him to within a goal of Travis Konecny for the team lead. Most promisingly, Tippett leads the team in shots by a wide margin this season, and he's also played with a physical edge to his game, as he sits second on the team in hits behind Garnet Hathaway.

Owen Tippett's improved play this season is huge news for the Flyers

Tippett sagged in these areas last season, but he has returned to the form that saw him pile up career highs in goals (28) and points (53) two seasons ago. Now, he has put himself in a good position to potentially top these numbers if he keeps up his torrid play of late. His current shooting percentage would be a career high as well, and any objective observer of the team can tell you that he's been the team's most dangerous and consistent offensive player the past few weeks.

And there's the challenge. Can Owen Tippett keep up this consistent play? He honestly looks like a 40-goal scorer many nights, but his seasons are too often punctuated by an unexplainable disappearing act. As a result, he was thought to be a prime trade candidate recently, and you will likely still hear murmurs about it this offseason. That's not all bad news, because the better Tippett plays down the stretch, the more value he'll have — either to helping the Flyers' cause long-term or as the potential centerpiece of a trade to bring in some outside help that the team still desperately needs.

We're all familiar with the situation by now. The Flyers lack a 1C, 1D, and other essential elements of a contending club. Meanwhile, they're pretty stacked on the wing and need to use that depth to their advantage. They already toppled the first domino when they flipped Bobby Brink to Minnesota at the deadline for promising defenseman David Jiricek. Still, there may be more to come, especially with Porter Martone on the way imminently. Tippett probably seemed like the obvious choice to be moved next, but his recent performance should give everyone pause.

Many weren't fans of the Flyers giving Tippett an 8-year extension two years ago, but the Flyers are looking smart for doing it right now. His $6.2 million annual cap hit will only look better as the salary cap increases, and he has the potential to look like a flat-out bargain in the near future. Tippett will have a modified no-trade clause kicking in this summer, potentially limiting where the Flyers can send him, although it shouldn't be a huge deterrent if that situation arises. Still, there's no harm in keeping a player around when he shows this kind of jam on a nightly basis, so there should be no rush.

All credit to Owen Tippett, who has used this season to turn himself into a solid contributor on the ice and a valuable asset for the organization if they choose to pivot in another direction. Tippett is realizing the potential that the Flyers saw in him when they dealt away Claude Giroux. It's taken longer than all parties would have hoped, but he's helping the team win games, and he plays a style that's actually fun to watch, which is a nice bonus for the team's long-suffering fans.

The challenge for Owen Tippett will be to finish this season strong, which he should be highly motivated to do since he has his career-best numbers in his sights. He looks like he is putting his history of no-shows behind him, and the Flyers are turning into a much more competitive team as a result.