Cam Atkinson is playing his final games in what was a short stint in Philadelphia
Heading into the 2024 offseason, Cam Atkinson will have one year remaining on a deal that involves an AAV of $5.875 million, and it’s one that would otherwise be tough for Daniel Briere to move elsewhere if he didn’t have room to retain 50 percent of the 34-year-old’s salary.
Atkinson came to Philadelphia in 2021-22 following a long stint with the Columbus Blue Jackets. He can still be productive, so this would be the opportune time for Briere to send one of his older players elsewhere during this rebuild while Atkinson gets a chance with a more serious contender.
Barring some unforeseen run of success, it’s hard to see the Flyers going far in the playoffs before they continue to rebuild this program, so sending Atkinson elsewhere, even for a mid-round pick, makes sense.
He has a 10-team modified no-trade clause, but that shouldn’t be too difficult to navigate should Briere find the correct trading partner. Like Laughton, Atkinson holds special teams value, and his overall possession quality sits at plus-6.5, which could be enticing to some front offices.
But his actual on-ice goals for at even strength vs. on-ice goals allowed sits at a meager 30 to 50, and that can be a problem. However, from a possession quality standpoint, it does show that moving Atkinson to a better team will result in more respectable numbers.