There was a lot of skepticism about what kind of player Owen Tippett could turn into, after he was acquired from the Florida Panther last season in the Claude Giroux deal. Most of those concerns are put to rest for now, as Tippett posted numerous career high and finished third in Flyers scoring leaders.
Tippett’s basic numbers were much improved from his previous seasons. In the two seasons prior to this one he put up identical numbers, 63 GP, 10 goals, 11 assist. So why the big jump? The biggest thing that sticks out is his time on ice, which was about four minutes higher than any season before. That coupled with playing with better linemates, having more confidence, and a bigger role is likely the reason this was a career year for Tippett.
Frankly, we know how bad the Flyers were this past season, so I don’t look too deeply into these numbers. Tippett ranked third in on ice expected goals percentage, though, which is always a good sign.
Additionally, he ranked second to last on the team in shooting talent above average. While it is usually not a good thing to be at the bottom of a statistical category, this is an exception. In simple terms, this stat tells us that he really is an elite shooter who has the ability to consistently be a 30+ goal scorer in the NHL. To drive this home, his shooting talent adjusted expected goals was an 18.8, the third highest on the team, behind only Travis Konecny and Kevin Hayes.
These are numbers that I was really happy to see from Tippett. Tyson Forester and Tippett have the best shots on the team, and I feel like we didn’t see the latter shooting the puck enough the season prior. These number don’t even include his power-play stats, which he has proven to be a very important part of with his strong shot.
Three Questions
Did they live up to expectations?
Much like a lot of other players on this years Flyers team, I didn’t have many expectations for Tippett. Instead, it was more of an evaluation year for Tippett and I really liked what I saw. He was noticeable in a majority of the games, thanks in large part to his more aggressive approach offensively and his shoot first mentality. In a season with a lot of downs, Tippett was without a doubt one positive to take away from the season.
What can we expect from next season?
I expect Tippett to continue this progression into next season and improve on his numbers from this season. It feels like he impressed both Flyers fans and the organization this season, especially head coach, John Tortorella. Next season I’d love to see at 30+goal year and 60 points from Tippett.
I think Tippett is a player who could benefit from more stability as far as who are his line-mates. There was a lot of line juggling this season but he spent a fair amount of time on the left wing with Morgan Frost and Joel Farabee. Hopefully they can figure out line combos early in training camp so Tippett can build that chemistry and come hot out of the gates next season.
How do we grade their 2022-23 season?
Owen Tippet was one of if not the best players for the Flyers last season. He showed a lot of promise not only as a player but also seemed to come into a bit of a leader role towards the end of the season. There were big discussions when Torts was hired as to who would benefit the most, and Tippet was definitely at the top of that list. He does all the right things the Flyers bench boss likes to see while still being an effective point producer in the offensive end.
Grade: B+
All stats courtesy of Natural Stat Trick
