As soon as the Flyers traded away veteran defenseman Ivan Provorov last month, it was clear the Flyers needed someone with experience to help fill that role.
The signing of free agent Mark Staal to a one-year, $1.1-million contract on Monday could very well be the answer.
Staal, 36, helped the Florida Panthers make it all the way to the Stanley Cup Final last season. The Panthers eventually lost to the Vegas Golden Knights in the championship series.
The 6-4, 208-pound Staal played in all 82 regular season games for the Flyers last season. During the playoffs, he was one of four defensemen to play in more than 20 minutes per game.
In 1,101 career games, Staal has registered 52 goals/229 points. He’s one of 363 players to have competed in at least 1,000 NHL games.
The Thunder Bay, Ontario native has played for the New York Rangers (2007-20), Detroit Red Wings and the Panthers. From 2008-13 he played under current Flyers head coach John Tortorella. For 10 seasons, he served as an alternate captain.
