Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
The Philadelphia Flyers re-signed rookie defenseman Oliver Lauridsen to a two-year contract extension reportedly worth $1.2 million. Raise your hand if you’ve lost count of the amount of defenseman the Flyers have in the system. Remember, they only have seven defenseman spots on the roster.
So was this a good signing for the Flyers? Yes, for development and for their AHL affiliate.
Lauridsen is a big defenseman that knows how to use his body and he has a lot of potential. He was brought up to the Flyers late last season so he didn’t get to spend too much time in the big leagues, but it was clear that fans liked what they saw. Some even questioned why he was not called up sooner.
It’s clear that the Flyers like what they see in him since they extended his contract, but with so many defenseman on the team, it’s likely that he’s slated to go back to playing for the Adirondack Phantoms.
Lauridsen was drafted 196th overall in the 2009 NHL entry-level draft and has spent parts of the last three seasons with the Phantoms. He is a solid player,, but perhaps the Flyers are pushing for him to have some more development in the minors before calling him up again.
Lauridsen’s deal is also going to be contingent on what other roster moves the Flyers will make in the offseason. The Flyers are over the cap, so they really need to be making cap room before they sign more players. This is good for him because it means he’s not going to get traded away.
When training camp rolls around, we’ll truly see if Lauridsen’s fate is set in stone. I hope he impresses this year and gets a starting spot on the roster.
Deanna Vasso is a Flyers writer for www.rantsports.com, you can follow her on Twitter, like her on Facebook and join her Google network.
