Philadelphia Flyers Sign RFAs Wade Allison, Linus Hogberg To New Deals

Chuck Fletcher’s offseason to-do list is nearly complete.

On Friday, the Philadelphia Flyers general manager announced that he’d come to terms with two more restricted free agents on new contracts.

Forward Wade Allison signed a two-year deal, while defenseman Linus Hogberg inked a one-year pact.

Just one Philadelphia RFA now remains unsigned: 26-year-old journeyman forward Hayden Hodgson.

Allison On Board

A robust right winger with shock of red hair that makes him look every inch a Flyer, Allison’s new contract carries an average annual value of $785,00 at the NHL level.

Selected by the Flyers in the second round back in 2016, Allison will turn 25 on Oct. 14. But he remains waiver exempt for up to 39 games this season, according to CapFriendly. That’s because he didn’t turn pro until 2020, after completing four years at Western Michigan. And in the last two years, he has logged just 15 NHL games.

In both seasons, he was sidelined by pre-season ankle issues. In 2020-21, he recovered to get into 14 games near the end of the year. He showed a nose for the net, putting up seven points in 14 games, and didn’t hesitate to use his 6’2″, 205-pound body all over the ice.

Last season, Allison was assigned to Lehigh Valley in December, after recovering from his high ankle sprain. But his call-up to the big club lasted just 12 shifts. He played 8:16 and delivered one hit in the Flyers’ 6-3 road loss to the Buffalo Sabres on January 22 before suffering a sprained MCL which took him out for another 13 games.

When Allison returned to action, it was back to the AHL. All told, he logged 10 goals and 17 points in 28 games with the Phantoms last season.

Allison’s new deal is a two-way pact this season, which means he’ll earn less if he plays at the AHL level. The contract becomes one-way in the 2023-24 season when he’ll require waivers for minor-league assignment.

Allison plays the type of game that could endear him to new Flyers’ coach John Tortorella. Even with an outstanding training camp, he’ll be in tough to land a job with the big squad, barring injuries or a trade. At this point, Cam Atkinson, Travis Konecny, Owen Tippett and Zack MacEwen sit above him on the depth chart at right wing. Rookie Tyson Foerster could also make a push for NHL consideration in the preseason.

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Two-Way For Hogberg

Linus Hogberg was also drafted in 2016, in the fifth round. The left-shot Swede turns 24 on Sept. 4, and came over to North America two years ago. He played his first five NHL games with the Flyers at the end of last season, picking up two assists. He also had no goals and eight assists in 58 games with the Phantoms in 2021-22.

Like Allison, Hogberg is waiver exempt to start this season: in his case, for 58 games. His new contract is a two-way deal, which carries an average annual value of $750,000 at the NHL level.

He’ll come into the new season behind incumbents Ivan Provorov, Travis Sanheim and Cam York on the left side of the blue line. In addition, Nick Seeler and Kevin Connauton both have NHL experience and can fill in on either side. The new arrivals this fall on the left side include 2018 second-round pick Adam Ginning and 2019 fourth-rounder Mason Millman. Farmhands Egor Zamula and Cooper Zech are also returning.

Flyers Hire New Human Performance Boss

On Thursday, the Flyers announced another signing which has the potential to be highly impactful to the team.

According to the club’s press release, Ian McKeown joins the Flyers in the newly created position of vice president, athlete performance and wellness, following a global search process.

A native of County Down in Northern Ireland, McKeown has spent the last 12 years living in Australia, where he earned a Ph.D. in strength and conditioning from the University of Canberra. He also spent the last nine seasons as head of high performance for Port Adelaide FC of the Australian Rules Football League (AFL).

According to the release, McKeown’s approach to working with athletes “balances the technical, physical, coaching, and human elements of high-level athletic performance, and his work incorporates extensive research and data-driven decision-making. He also places a strong emphasis on areas like nutrition, sports psychology, and sports science in his performance systems.”

“In order to compete at the highest level in today’s game, our players need and deserve a modern, comprehensive performance and wellness program, and by hiring Ian for this new role, we’re investing in a world-class program that we believe will significantly impact our players and our team,” said Fletcher.

“(McKeown) will have a direct impact in reshaping and enhancing our players’ abilities to perform at the highest level each day, including in practices and games, and recover on days away from the rink.”

According to Man Games Lost, the Flyers were the NHL’s third-most injured team last season, with 585 games lost.

NHL injury visualization. Man games lost to injuries and health protocols versus team wins. Bubble size represents cumulative quality of players lost for games (Lost-ps metric) https://t.co/lRequqYI1r pic.twitter.com/WC1SLpm6dR

— Man-Games Lost NHL (@ManGamesLostNHL) May 2, 2022