The Flyers announced they’ve signed forward Sean Couturier to a two-year extension worth $3.5 million with a very reasonable $1.75 million cap hit.
Couturier, 20, had one more year left on his entry-level deal with the team and rather than deal with possibly cranky negotiations next summer, the two sides came together now to get things done.
After a largely successful rookie season, Couturier came back to earth a bit last year with just four goals and 11 assists. As Philly’s third line center he’s found a niche as a defensive match-up player but while with Adirondack of the AHL during the lockout, he averaged nearly a point a game (28 points in 31 games). The Flyers would like to see the offense and defense balance out moving ahead.
Getting a deal done like this now helps sort of split the difference and gives him two more years to show he’s ready to cash in big.