Looking to bolster their depth and grit for the upcoming season the Philadelphia Flyers have signed veteran forward Antoine Roussel to a professional tryout. The perennial pest suited up for the Arizona Coyotes last season.
Philadelphia Flyers Sign Antoine Roussel to PTO
#NHLFlyers signed Antoine Roussel to a Pro Try-Out (PTO) agreement.https://t.co/AmbzxCEQMo
— NHL News (@PuckReportNHL) September 19, 2022
Roussel is the type of player known for getting under the skin of his opponents. Head coach John Tortorella hired during the off-season may like Roussel’s style of play.
Appearing in 53 games last season with the Coyotes the 32-year-old scored only four goals and added four assists. He posted 59 penalty minutes last season.
Flyers Addressing Lack of Toughness and Grit
The Flyers are addressing claims over the past couple of seasons that they lack toughness and grit. The off-season saw the Philadelphia Flyers sign Nic Deslauriers to an eyebrow-raising four-year deal. This could be another attempt at adding some overall grit to their lineup. Roussel’s playing style could very well win over the Flyers faithful.
Roussel has also played for the Dallas Stars and Vancouver Canucks during his career. No stranger to racking up penalty minutes the left winger has racked up 1063 in 607 total games played. He showed some scoring touch mostly during his time in Dallas, however, has been on a steady decline since. The France-born Roussel has scored a total of just 85 goals and 112 assists in his NHL career.
Roussel’s Last Crack at an NHL Roster
The Flyers, who have injuries to veteran defenceman Ryan Ellis and blossoming forward Joel Farabee, don’t have a particularly great outlook for this season. While Tony DeAngelo was a nice addition during the off-season, it is likely the club has some regression from last year.
Roussel being offered a PTO may just be his last chance to keep his NHL career alive. If the Philadelphia Flyers sign him, he may not become a maple syrup farmer for a while longer yet.
L’attaquant Antoine Roussel signe un contrat d’essai professionnel avec les Flyershttps://t.co/UGzmh0sT6t
— RDS (@RDSca) September 19, 2022
