Photo Credit: Katelynn Reiss
Chuck Fletcher promised that there would be some changes this past offseason, and he has made true to that promise. Not just with trading for Rasmus Ristolainen or Ryan Ellis, but he also sent a good player in Jake Voracek back to Columbus for Cam Atkinson.
Atkinson is a finisher, this guy knows how to score goals and play the penalty kill as Fletcher said he wanted to improve yesterday.
“Still want to look at potentially adding some players that can help with the penalty kill up front and those are the types of discussions we’re having now. I don’t think we’ll be doing anything the rest of this weekend with respect to trades.” – Chuck Fletcher
Voracek was always honest in his interviews with the media. If the team played bad, he would tell you they played horribly. One thing for a check was known for was tallying 60 plus points per year in a normal season. He was tied for the team lead in points this past season with 43.
The Flyers essentially saved approximately $2.4 million of cap space with this move. Voracek is playing well for the Columbus Blue Jackets with tallying one goal, and 24 assists in 34 games played. Let’s not forget how good Jake was for the Flyers, as he is 10th all-time in Flyers history with 604 points. In addition, he is 5th all-time in Flyers history with 427 assists.
Jake Voracek had cleared Covid Protocol’s and he will make his emotional return back to Philadelphia, where he was a legend at the microphone during press conferences, where he gave honest answer after honest answer.
Cam Atkinson
Chuck Fletcher and the Flyers entered into an offseason knowing that there were major changes in store for the team. After a debacle of the 2020-21 season and facing a difficult cap situation, the organization knew high priced fan favorites would have to be moved to address scoring and defensive depth. One of the top priorities for the team was to add a shoot first winger to play a top six forward. The Flyers pulled the trigger and traded Jakub Voracek for Cam Atkinson in a one for one deal.
The acquisition of Cam Atkinson highlighted some of the priorities that the Flyers had for their offseason to include leadership, faster starts, and a better overall special teams. Atkinson is a rare breed for the orange and black. He is a pure shooter that is not afraid to shoot from anywhere. For his efforts, Atkinson’s career high in goals came in the 2018-2019 season when he scored 41 goals to pair along with his 28 assists.
Atkinson is built just as advertised for this proud organization, shooting from everywhere and anywhere. He has literally done everything, provides much needed energy to the lineup, and takes accountability for mistakes/mishaps. Accountability is a breath of fresh air for this organization, as it is very uncommon for players to openly take accountability in year’s past.
It’s crazy to believe that the Flyers were one of the last teams to score a short-handed goal last season and their special teams often struggled. Atkinson can fill gaps in both the power play (23.8% success rate), and penalty killing units. This will help take some of the pressure off of forwards such as Claude Giroux and Sean Couturier who are tasked with playing on both units, as well. Atkinson has been a prolific short-handed goal scorer in his career, amassing 17 goals in 10 years. Last season, he matched a career high with four short-handed tallies.
“I was born to wear the Flyers jersey.” – Cam Atkinson said following today’s morning skate
Atkinson leads the Flyers in goals with 15, and he is second on the team in points with 29. Moreover, he says he will live in Columbus following his playing career. Him and his family just love Columbus, and now Philly.
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Whatever the case may be this is a big game tonight for both Voracek and Atkinson, as the two have special memories while playing for their old clubs.
