Danny Briere has been a busy man today. Hours after signing Owen Tippett to an eight-year extension, add Ryan Poehling to the list of players staying beyond this year. He and the Flyers have reportedly agreed to a two-year extension. The AAV is expected to come in around 1.9M. It’s a slight bump in price from the 1.4M he took this past summer. The contract will take Poehling into unrestricted free agency.
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The Flyers took a flier on Poehling this offseason. Looking to add some speed to their bottom six, he was the perfect player to take a look at. Philadelphia was able to afford to take a look at someone like Poehling as they were aiming to see what players they could build a team around. Signing a one-year contract, he was willing to bet on himself to turn it into something bigger down the line.
Poehling has shown he can be more than a fourth line forward as he has been given a chance in the top six throughout the season. He’s not going to score a ton of goals, topping off at nine goals during the 2021-22 season. He is at five goals now, so there's a chance he could reach a new career high if all goes well. Poehling is also four points away from setting a new high in points as well.
Having players like Poehling helps build out an NHL roster. Surrounding top-talent with viable skill players who can fill in higher up in the lineup if need be is important. And take the New York Islanders fourth line for example when it comes to rostering players who can turn the energy and momentum in your favor.
Back in November, Poehling talked about his excitement in being a part of what this organization was building.
“One hundred percent, I love it here,” Poehling said in an interview with The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz. “I’ve always wanted a place to call home in the NHL. … I just love playing for one certain team. I’ve found a group that I love being around, and we have something special here, where we’re all so young and developing together.
Now he will get to be a part of what looks to be a Flyers team on the cusp of finding their full identity.