According to a source, the internal expectation is that the Philadelphia Flyers and two-time NHL All-Star forward Travis Konecny will reach an agreement and sign a contract extension this summer. Konecny, who turned 27 years old on March 11, is heading into the final year of the six-year, $33 million ($5.5 million AAV) contract he signed with the Flyers on Sept. 16, 2019, meaning he is able to sign a contract extension as early as July 1.
Initially, there was some concern about the degree to which Konecny, his agent, and the Flyers were speaking with one another, as neither Konecny nor general manager Danny Briere offered much dialogue on a potential contract extension at their respective interviews.
“I love Philly,” was about as much as Konecny had to say, though he was upbeat about it at the time.
However, the internal positivity about an extension, and an extension being done before the start of the 2024-25 season, suggests that the two sides are talking regularly or have already agreed to the general framework of a deal, such as term and/or AAV.
If so, some things Konecny and the Flyers could be ironing out are annual salaries, trade protection, signing bonuses, and potentially front- or back-loading the contract.
Note that the Flyers currently have the highest projected cap hit in the NHL at $87.196 million, and though they’ll have big money coming off their books next summer, players like Cam York, Tyson Foerster, Noah Cates, Morgan Frost, and Garnet Hathaway will also be due for contract extensions of their own.
Should Konecny and the Flyers agree to the maximum of eight years on a contract extension, the London, Ontario native will be tied down in Philadelphia until he is 36 years old, meaning all but two of those years will take place in Konecny’s 30s.
For the sake of comparison, Flyers captain Sean Couturier, who has six years remaining on his contract at a $7.75 million cap hit, is signed until he is 37 years old in 2030.
