Photo Credit: Our very own Michael Reaves
By now, we all know what an asset Nick Seeler is, or should know what type of an asset Seeler is to this club. Nick Seeler was signed by Chuck Fletcher, and ironically enough Fletcher actually drafted him back in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft with the Minnesota Wild’s 5th round pick. Seeler has become a mainstay on the backend for the orange and black, and he is a blocking machine for the Flyers.
Seeler signed an extension with the orange and black through the 2027-28 season with a cap hit of $2.7 million per season.
A key cog like Seeler, that is fearless with blocking shots is mighty important to a young Flyers back end. His status for opening night is now up in the air, as he hasn’t recovered from his latest injury from blocking his shot, “It’s taking a lot longer than we thought,” Brad Shaw said yesterday after practice. “Most of those you get sensation refueling back in minutes, hours at most. Day to day thing, don’t want to put him on the ice. Hopefully, he will be ready to go (By Friday).”
John Tortorella spoke emphatically about Seeler last season, “We are not looking to trade Seels,” said Tortorella. “He’s a huge part of the competitiveness of the room, that brings the room together. He’s one of the true competitors that I’ve ever coached, as far as how he handled himself.”
Seeler originally inked a one-year two-way contract worth up to $750,000 back on July 28th, 2021. He may not be the the flashiest, big-name type of signing that catches most people’s attention, but Seeler gets the job done, “The willingness, the one thing to block the shot. There is some technique to it, move your head out of the way or face, you hope it hits the shin pad, but a lot of times it hits something that hurts a little bit more (Laughing),” Nick Seeler says of blocking shots in an interview with Jamey Baskow at the outdoor game practice. “That’s the way we have to play, that’s a big thing of Torts’s message, whether it’s a Forward or a D.”
Nick Seeler is a knowledgeable, a dedicated 30-year-old left-hand-shot defender who is 6’2 and weighs in at 201 pounds. He hails from Eden Prairie, Minnesota where he learned to play the game the right way. Seeler is a hard-nosed player that takes plays a more physical game. He sacrifices his body while laying a big check, to block a shot, or throwing his hands to come to the aid of one of his teammates. Seeler has become a fan favorite for those reasons listed above, so let’s hope he plays in the opener against Vancouver.
