Ronnie Attard May Not Be in Flyers' Future Plans

A year or so ago, a young defenseman started to get noticed by Flyers upper management. He wasn't the most talented of the crop of defenders the team had, but he had heart. He had a grit and determination that impressed new head coach John Tortorella. If there is one thing he loves, it is a player who plays with a lot of heart. It's something that has endeared players like Bobby Brink and Nick Seeler to the coach. And thus it was so that Ronnie Attard began to be regarded as a prospect to watch.

Attard was a frequent call-up when other veterans were getting hurt. Ryan Ellis, Tony DeAngelo, Marc Staal, Ryan Braun, Rasmus Ristolainen, etc.....all veteran players. All had to be filled by younger talent until they got healthy again. Attard was one of those guys.

He was fast without being speedy. He was physical without being reckless. The 2019 third-round pick had been an offensive-minded defender while playing for Western Michigan Univ. He scored two goals with two assists in a late-season call-up in 2021-22 in a 15-game audition. Playing for the Phantoms, he had a scoring touch that was hard not to notice. And yet...

Ronnie Attard is likely not in the Flyers' future plans

When called up to active duty with the Flyers, he couldn't put it together. While scoring 10 goals in 48 games for the Phantoms, he scored none in 12 games for the Flyers last season and posted just two assists.

Ok, defensive players are supposed to be playing defense, not be scorers. I'll grant you that. However, he started making mental mistakes. Passes up the middle of the ice were intercepted and became scoring chances, if not outright goals. Mistakes like these were made often during the embarrassing shutout preseason loss the other night to Montreal. Granted, he didn't have the only bad performance (Cal Petersen....looking at you!), but his mistakes stood out.

Here's the thing. He's also 25. Yes, that is still young. However, he has had NHL-level experience now over the last three years as well as AHL experience. When you bring in his NCAA and USHL years, he shouldn't be making these basic mistakes anymore.

Not only this, but other younger players have leapfrogged him on the (unofficial) depth chart. Besides the seven defenders on the roster (Ristolainen, Seeler, Travis Sanheim, Cam York, Jamie Drysdale, Erik Johnson, and Egor Zamula), it is clear that the team management holds others in slightly higher regard. Hunter McDonald is turning heads. Oliver Bonk is still getting reps with the team in training camp. Louie Belpedio and Adam Ginning are among the guys who could be called up for stints due to injury. Emil Andrae could still make the team. Helge Grans is still lurking as another choice defender. One name missing: Attard.

While 25 is still young, the team has several prospects between 18 to 23 that they are ready to bring up. Attard is slowly being pushed aside. This is despite the team signing Attard to a two-year deal last year.

With this logjam forming, something has to give. Either Attard has to get better or the Flyers may have to move him. That could be to a team that needs a young defender or as a tag-along in a deal for someone else. It could also be that Attard is going to be an AHL-lifer and just not be an NHL sort of guy.

It's sad to see that a guy who has so much potential and heart not be able to put it together consistently at the level that they've been dreaming of since being a young man. Attard showed us glimpses, but glimpses don't keep you on an NHL roster. The Flyers may soon have to face the reality that Attard is not in their plans.