After blocking a shot off the foot or ankle area on Monday, the Flyers have placed Nick Seeler on injured reserve. That means he will miss at least seven days, but the team can backdate it to when the injury happened. He will at least miss the Flyers next two games against the Panthers and Lightning.
He will also be shelved as the trade deadline is on Friday. However, it is not the injury that will keep him from moving. The Flyers have long been rumored to be interested in signing Nick Seeler to a contract extension. Danny Briere was said to be weighing his options with Seeler and Sean Walker. After sending Walker to the Avalanche, Seeler will earn himself a hefty pay raise in Philadelphia.
Nick Seeler's #flyers extension carries a full no-trade clause over the first two years, plus a $1.5M signing bonus in Year 1 and $1M signing bonus in Year 2.
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) March 6, 2024
The four-year contract carries a $2.7M AAV, as @DarrenDreger reported.
When recently asked about the team's feelings on Seeler and a possible trade, John Tortorella was adamant that they would not be moving the defenseman.
"We have said that from the get-go, we're not looking to trade Seeler. He's a huge part of the competitiveness of the room, that brings that room together. He's one of the true competitors that I've ever coached as far as how he handles himself." John Tortorella said after Sunday's win over Ottawa.
That is a huge compliment and goes to show how much of what Seeler does means to the team. He is not afraid to throw his body in front of shots. He is willing to stick up for his teammates. And his teammates value what he brings to Philadelphia. He leads the league in blocked shots (184). His 10.32 blocks-per-60 minutes are up from previous years so he has gotten more efficient in his decision-making. Imagine being willing to put your body on the line that many times. He is not the most physical guy, as he's around 96th in the league in hits (112). However, any willingness to hit someone goes a long way.
It has been an interesting journey for Seeler as just a few years ago there was a chance he wasn't going to return to the NHL. He cited needing a physical and mental break from the game. He signed a one-year deal with the Flyers in the summer of 2021. He earned himself a two-year contract and a slight raise after that. He was the team's nominee for the Masterton Trophy during the 2022-23 season. And now he has turned that into another multi-year deal and a hefty pay raise.
Seeler recently talked about his want to stay in Philadelphia. He has never thought about going anywhere else. And now he got his wish to stay with the Flyers.
"No. No. I just want to be here,” Seeler said in an article with The Athletic's Kevin Kurz. “I love it here. When you find a place in this business that you feel respected and how well they treat their players, that’s someplace you want to stick around. I’ve never wavered on that.”