Nate Thompson landed a full-time role with the NHL Network, and he will debut on NHL Now on October 13 alongside another former Philadelphia Flyer, Michael Del Zotto, per NHL.com. Thompson seems pleased with his new full-time role, saying, "I'm thrilled to be joining NHL Network and continuing to be part of the game I love. I am looking forward to bringing my perspective as a former player and sharing that passion with hockey fans around the U.S.”
Thompson may be "thrilled," and Flyers fans will be equally "thrilled" that he's in a studio as opposed to on the ice, given his tumultuous time in Philadelphia. He first appeared with the team during the 2019-20 season, logging just one assist in seven contests across 12:37 of average total ice time before tacking on one goal (his only point) in 16 playoff games that same season.
Nate Thompson was a nightmare for Flyers fans in the 2020 playoffs
Poor play at even strength during the 2020 playoffs made him wildly unpopular with Flyers fans. While his possession metrics showed a 94.9 on-ice save percentage and five on-ice goals allowed, his contributions offensively were laughably bad.
Thompson logged a Corsi For Percentage of just 34.3 despite 75.7 percent of his starts coming in the offensive zone. He was on the ice for just two goals during those 16 contests, ending the playoffs with just a 3.7 on-ice shooting percentage.
That's almost off-the-charts bad, and it showed just how much opponents were outshooting the Flyers and taking away scoring chances when he was on the ice.
I mean, the guy literally looked afraid to do much in the offensive zone throughout that playoff run, and he was also turnover-prone when the puck landed on his stick. In short, he was a nightmare to watch, and Flyers fans were glad to see him go elsewhere for the 2020-21 season.
They also had every reason to believe Thompson never should have been in the lineup so much during the postseason, especially with younger talent that could have better helped the team in the offensive zone and provided more balanced play.
Nate Thompson wasn't finished haunting the Flyers
After spending 2020-21 with the Washington Capitals, Thompson returned to Philadelphia for the 2021-22 season, playing in 33 games and snagging just one goal and three points across 11:58 of average total ice time.
As for his metrics at even strength the second time around? Unmemorable, and that's being generous. He was on the ice for just eight goals while watching 23 go into the net. That led to an on-ice shooting percentage of just 6.3 and an on-ice save percentage of 87.1. So yeah, the NHL Network's studio is the best place for Thompson if you ask any Flyers fan. Not another stint on NHL ice.