The Philadelphia Flyers signed Garrett Wilson to a one-year, two-way deal Sunday, keeping a familiar face in the organization.
PuckPedia reported the contract pays $850,000 at the NHL level and $425,000 in the minors.
Wilson isn't a kid. The Barrie native is 35, and he's spent the last six seasons with the AHL's Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
He got a brief NHL look last season, playing three games for the Flyers without a point. He took five penalty minutes in that stretch.
So why bring him back? Because every farm team needs a veteran who'll stand up for the kids, and his penalty totals say he's done plenty of that.
He logged 101 penalty minutes in 54 AHL games last season, along with 16 points.
Lehigh Valley keeps its toughest veteran as Rick Tocchet's roster takes shape
Two years earlier, he piled up 216 penalty minutes in 59 games with Lehigh Valley.
There's a little offense in there, too. He posted 43 points in 68 AHL games in 2022-23.
Career-wise, the winger has eight points over 87 NHL games since Florida drafted him 107th overall in 2009.
This is a smart, cheap depth signing. It won't move the needle in Philadelphia, but it keeps a steady voice in a room full of prospects.
-
He's the bouncer who's worked the same bar for years. He knows every regular, and nobody starts trouble when he's at the door.
Lehigh Valley just got busier, too. Cole Knuble and Jett Luchanko were among the Flyers' cuts Friday, and both are expected to play big roles there.
Up top, Rick Tocchet called Saturday's 5-1 loss to Washington "a little humbling" after a 1-3 preseason.
The Flyers open Wednesday at home against Pittsburgh.
Wilson probably won't be on that ice. But if Daniel Briere needs a call-up with some sandpaper this winter, he just made sure the phone number stays local.
Is Garrett Wilson still worth a contract in the Flyers organization at 35?
Also read on Markerzone.com:
Friedman confirms a three-way Hellebuyck trade is in the picture with another star involved
