VOORHEES, N.J. – Some considered Jakob Pelletier almost a throw-in when the Flyers traded Morgan Frost and Joel Farabee to Calgary for a package in which Andrei Kuzmenko was the headliner back in February.
But Kuzmenko barely had time to unpack his suitcase before he was shipped off to Los Angeles at the March 7 NHL trade deadline.
Meanwhile, Pelletier had all sorts of trouble just getting to Philadelphia because of visa complications and when he did arrive, not much happened for a while.
But suddenly he caught fire. In his last 10 games he posted three goals/six points with a plus-1. He connected with Owen Tippett on a couple of nifty scoring plays and looked right at home on the defensive side of the puck.
“I think I showed in the last nine or 10 games that I can bring offense,” he said Saturday afternoon on the final day of exit interviews at the Flyers Training Center. “I think me, ‘Poehls’ (Ryan Poehling) and ‘Tip’ (Owen Tippett) got some chemistry going.”
The restricted free agent said he doesn’t expect to have any issues negotiating a new contract with the Flyers. With the team on a rebuild and trying to get just about as young as possible, the 24-year-old Quebec native should fit in just fine.
Pelletier sounds like a pretty upbeat guy and felt comfortable almost right away in a Flyers locker room known for its positive energy.
“It was pretty easy (to fit in),” he said. “When you get traded, you get scared people won’t like you or whatever. But the guys here had kind of open arms as soon as I got here. You can see that this group is tight and they’re going to battle each night. It’s kind of nice to be a part of that, for sure.”
>York ready for reset
It was a fairly challenging year for Cam York. He had to endure the effects of a nagging injury, he lost his position on the No. 1 defense pairing with Travis Sanheim and then there was the blow-up in Toronto with former coach John Tortorella which many felt was the last straw in the bench boss’ firing.
But he came on strong toward the end, particularly after Brad Shaw, his defense coach the past few seasons, was named as interim coach to replace Tortorella.
“I thought it was better, just being able to play with a little more freedom,” York said. “Maybe not gripping the stick as tight. It felt good to get back to that and have that mindset.”
Like Pelletier, York is a restricted free agent. Because he is such a revered talent, the Flyers most likely would prefer to get him signed to a contract which will satisfy both sides.
Good health would certainly help get him back on track. He wasn’t completely healthy for a good portion of last season after getting banged up early in the schedule.
“I probably wasn’t a hundred percent,” he conceded, “or where I needed to be physically. The timing of it just kind of sucks, because the first 10 games you’re getting body ramped up for the season and getting your legs under yourself. I thought I was just kind of playing catch-up after that.
“Our training staff did a good job. Throughout the year it was something we were working on. I’m excited to go into the offseason on a healthy note.”
>Seeler upbeat about his season
Defenseman Nick Seeler sounded upbeat about his year. He finished the year fourth in the NHL in blocked shots (200) and led all players on the team in plus-minus with a plus-10.
“I felt great this year, I thought I had a really good year,” he said. “I felt my confidence was growing throughout the year. I thought I was consistent in doing my job well. I’m happy with how the year went and there’s a lot to build on here.”
>Strong finish for Poehling
Poehling came on strong toward the end of the season. In his last 13 games, he produced seven goals/14 points.
“I was very pleased with how I played there at the end (on a third line with Tippett and Pelletier)),” he said. “It’s always nice when you get an opportunity to showcase who you are as a player and I did what I wanted to do with the time I was granted with. So pleased with how I played there at the end and hoping that motivates me for a good offseason.”
