Philadelphia Flyers 2024-25 Player Preview: Owen Tippett

Interestingly, the best player the Flyers have from the 2017 NHL Draft wasn't selected by them. Selected 10th overall by the Florida Panthers, Owen Tippett couldn't quite carve out a spot on the team. As the Panthers went into "win-now" mode, they flipped him to the Flyers for Claude Giroux. Over the last two years, they have made two trips to the Stanley Cup Finals, capturing their first title this year. However, they did it without Giroux, who has since moved on to Ottawa, and without this year's first-round pick, which the Flyers flipped to Edmonton.

For a while, it seemed that Tippett would always be the "guy that was traded for Giroux". And in his first 21 games in Philly, he didn't impress. He scored four goals with three assists on a floundering team. That was before John Tortorella became head coach.

In their first year together, Tortorella unlocked the magic that was buried within Tippett. He scored 27 goals with 22 assists. Last year, he topped those numbers with 28 goals with 25 assists, breaking the 50-point boundary for the first time.

Owen Tippett has thrived in Philadelphia

Tippett plays as if he doesn't have a plan. He just gets the puck and goes to the net. If he can get 28 goals that way, I'm not going to complain. If the 25-year-old can control his shot just a little bit better, he could double that. He's got talent. You gotta give him that.

He is, perhaps, the most fun Flyer to watch on the ice. He is definitely one of the most improved players since Tortorella arrived. It's also why the Flyers signed him to an eight-year extension earlier this year.

If Travis Konecny is going to be this team's version of Giroux, then perhaps Tippett will be a hybrid of Jakub Voracek and James van Riemsdyk. If so, that's perfectly fine. Tippett is just hitting his peak. We are going to see the best out of him for virtually the next decade. Strap in and watch as it is going to be a fun ride.