Last month, the Philadelphia Flyers signed Garnet Hathaway to a two-year, $4.8 million contract extension. The Kennebunkport, Maine native had just completed his first season with the Flyers, but GM Danny Briere worked quickly to lock him up before his contract year.
Related: BREAKING: Flyers extend Garnet Hathaway to two years
Hathaway, 32, gave the Flyers exactly what they expected when they signed him during the 2023 NHL offseason. The 6-foot-2 wing provided some offense from a bottom-six position in 2023-24, recording seven goals and 17 points in 82 games. However, he made his most significant impact with his physicality and tenacious style of play, setting new career highs with 132 penalty minutes and 326 hits (second in the NHL).
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However, in addition to giving the Flyers a lot of toughness and courage, Hathaway has also been a good leader for the Metropolitan Division club’s youth. As the Flyers rebuild, they need veterans in those roles as mentors. So prioritizing a Hathaway extension was a smart move on Briere’s part.
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Hathaway should continue to be a crucial part of the Flyers’ bottom six and leadership going forward. He’s the kind of hard-nosed, energetic player every club would love to have on their roster, and the Flyers are very lucky to have him locked up for the next three years with a reasonable cap hit because of it.
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