Rarely does the pre-season mean much for established NHL veterans. It’s usually just a time to shake off some rust, hope they don’t get injured, and get ready mentally and physically for the exciting grind that is the NHL season.
There was a little extra rust on the skates of Sean Couturier and Cam Atkinson. The duo are both quality NHLers with over 1,400 combined games to their names. Couturier has been nominated for the Selke Trophy twice and won it in 2019-20. Atkinson has seven 20-goal seasons under his belt, topping out at 41 in 2018-19. They count for a total of $13.625 million against the cap, each at different stages of lengthy contracts with some form of trade protection.
One unfortunate thing they share, though, is the amount of games played last season: zero. Atkinson came close to playing early in the season before it was determined he needed neck surgery in December. Couturier nearly dressed for a couple of games late. He was cleared for game action in April, but the Flyers chose to play it safe and keep him out of game action in what had become another lost season.
For Couturier, the wait has been even longer. The longest-tenured Flyer hasn’t played for the Orange and Black since Dec. 18, 2021. Couturier underwent back surgery in Feb. 2022 and appeared on track to return last fall before his back flared up just before camp, ultimately necessitating a second surgery.
But both returned to the ice during this pre-season, playing in four of Philadelphia’s six pre-season contests. Each recorded two points in their action — both assists for Couturier, both goals for Atkinson. There was definitely rust for both, although as the exhibition campaign wound down, each seemed to be resembling their prior selves.
Doing that in the regular season, of course, will be a much bigger challenge. With both players in their early 30s, their NHL careers would likely be nearing the point of downswing even without injuries. There’s a lot at stake for each player — and the Flyers — regarding their bounce-back efforts.
Sean Couturier
Couturier officially became the Flyers’ longest-tenured player when Claude Giroux was traded to the Florida Panthers in March 2023, although he hasn’t played a game since becoming that. Still, there’s no doubting Couturier’s importance on and off the ice. He’s been an alternate captain since 2017-18, which is also the year he emerged as one of the game’s premier defensive centers.
It was no secret that center was one of the team’s biggest weaknesses last season, to the point where natural winger Noah Cates was moved there in his first full NHL season. Cutter Gauthier’s jump to the NHL level should help alleviate those concerns. But if that’s coupled with Couturier returning to form, the Flyers could have a wealth of centers, especially if Cates and Morgan Frost continue to grow.
The consequences for Couturier not returning to his past levels are more severe than Atkinson’s. If Atkinson fails to return to form, the Flyers can easily ride out the last two seasons of his contract. After all, the team isn’t expected to be particularly good in either year. If Couturier is healthy enough to play but can’t live up to expectations, then the Flyers are stuck with a $7.75 anchor for the next seven years. And if his health diminishes again to the point where he can no longer play, then the Flyers would have to place him on long-term injured reserve and deal with the decreased flexibility that using it triggers.
There are bigger implications for Couturier’s future, too. Two-way centers seem to have some of the better aging curves of any play-style. Comparables such as Patrice Bergeron, Anze Kopitar, and Jordan Staal were or are all still very productive players deep into their 30s. That means while his age may not seem to fit the Flyers’ return-to-contention timeline, it’s definitely possible he’s still around and productive.
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Additionally, Couturier is just 423 games, or roughly just over five full seasons, from Bobby Clarke’s Flyers record for games played. It looked like Couturier might be a shoo-in to surpass Clarke when he signed his extension. Now, he desperately needs a strong, healthy 2023-24 season to get back on that pace.
Cam Atkinson
Atkinson seems like the perfect player to be a role model to several of the Flyers’ young forwards. John Tortorella certainly doesn’t appreciate players who try to get too cute and aren’t committed to defense. Atkinson, who played for Tortorella from 2015 to 2021 with the Columbus Blue Jackets, blossomed into a trigger-happy, two-way forward who was an incredibly effective penalty killer. You can already see shades of his development in Owen Tippett’s, and with any luck, smaller-scoring forwards such as Frost and Bobby Brink will see similar progress in their games, as well.
Even if Couturier returns to a high level of play, trading him would still be difficult. It’s never easy to move a 30-year-old under contract for seven more years at an expensive cap hit that also has a full no-move clause. Atkinson has no such protection, is only signed through 2025, and costs a pricey but cheaper $5.875 million. The Flyers also likely wouldn’t hesitate to retain 50% and bring his cap hit to about $2.94 million. They could even bring in a third team to slash Atkinson’s average annual value down to just under $1.5 million. If Atkinson can just be a solid middle-sixer, teams would love to have him at that price.
But looking at the here and now, Atkinson can also be a huge part of establishing the winning culture the Flyers seek to build. Atkinson always gives his all on the ice and by all accounts is a leader off of it. His familiarity with Tortorella is a benefit as well. The Flyers should be trying to find more players like peak Atkinson, not less. His age and contract status mean he probably won’t be in Philadelphia much longer, one way or the other. However, he can still provide plenty of value to the organization before his time is up.
Looking Ahead
The true test of Couturier and Atkinson’s futures in Philadelphia (and potentially elsewhere) starts Thursday. It will be Couturier’s first NHL game in 663 days and Atkinson’s first in 548. It certainly would be understandable to see them start slow. But as the 2023-24 season starts to progress, we’ll have a better idea of where their level of play stands — and what that means for how the Flyers should utilize them going forward.
