At a time in which the Flyers put everything on the table, challenging their players to prove they should be a part of the team's rebuilding future, Travis Konecny answered.
He recorded back-to-back seasons of 30-plus goals and 60-plus points, the first of which came in just 60 games.
He turned into an all-situation player, leading the NHL with nine shorthanded goals over the last two seasons.
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He became the Flyers' best player and an All-Star again.
Those players heading into their prime age get paid. It happened for Konecny on Thursday as the Flyers signed him to an eight-year, $70 million contract extension, avoiding the dicey nature of a contract year. The deal has an average annual value of $8.75 million, making Konecny the Flyers' highest-paid player starting next season (2025-26).
"One of the biggest things for me was I just wanted to get this over with and make sure that there was no doubt in my mind that I wanted to be a Flyer for life," the 27-year-old winger said Thursday in a Zoom press conference. "What we have been working toward and what I believe that this team can be, this is where I wanted to be. It was pretty easy for me to make the decision that I was going to stay here as long as possible."
Konecny has 40-goal upside. An $8.75 million AAV is justified for a player with that capability, who plays around 20 minutes a night, scores at even strength, kills penalties and is the team's top power play producer.
Philadelphia Flyers
If Konecny didn't battle two injuries in 2022-23, there's a strong chance he would have hit 40 goals and 75 points. Last season, he posted career highs in goals (33) and points (68) through 76 games. He has 129 points (64 goals, 65 assists) in 136 games and 19:58 minutes per game over the last two seasons.
Jack Eichel, the Golden Knights' center with a $10 million cap hit (per PuckPedia), has registered 134 points (58 goals, 76 assists) in 130 games and 19:37 minutes per game over the last two seasons.
Johnny Gaudreau, the Blue Jackets' winger with a $9.75 million cap hit, has put up 134 points (33 goals, 101 assists) in 161 games and 19:07 minutes per game over the last two seasons.
In the last two seasons, Konecny has scored one more even strength goal (46) than Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk (45), who has played 23 more games over that span and has a $9.5 million cap hit.
In the last two seasons, Konecny also has six more even strength goals than Panthers winger Sam Reinhart (40) and the same number of even strength points (92). Reinhart has played 28 more games in that span and just signed an eight-year, $69 million contract on July 1 to stay in Florida.
Konecny deserved to get paid and was going to get paid. He has a good age for the Flyers' timeline. He has a higher ceiling than what he has already reached. He's a homegrown Flyer who has wanted to stay despite a four-year playoff drought and plenty of change.
"I have no doubt in my mind that at some point, when we get the consistency down and all the players are comfortable playing in the big games," Konecny said, "that we're going to be a consistent playoff team and trying to make a run every single year."
If there's a concern with the deal, it's how Konecny might age through the contract. As a smaller winger who plays in the hard areas, likes to stir the pot, there's a greater chance of wear and tear on the body.
Can he stay healthy for the long haul? What kind of player will he be when he approaches his mid-30s?
Those are fair questions but ones that face most players on premier contracts.
The Flyers don't have to worry about those questions right now. Their best player is 27 years old and getting better. If they didn't pay him, somebody else would have next summer.
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