In this edition of our 2023-24 Philadelphia Flyers player grading series, we take a look at 25-year-old winger Owen Tippett. He’s an interesting player to analyze given he has a very high upside but also some bad moments to go along with that. With his highs and lows combined into one rating, what grade is best for him?
Tippett’s Offensive Upside
Just looking at Tippett’s basic numbers doesn’t exactly tell his full story. He had 28 goals and 25 assists for 53 points in 78 games which barely edged out his 49-point total in 2022-23, so his improvement might not be apparent. However, he took noticeable strides even just within the season.
Like Morgan Frost, Tippett played some of his best hockey during the Flyers’ seven-game streak in March against 100-point teams. The Flyers as a club had their ups and downs in said stretch, but he most certainly didn’t. Tippett had three goals and six assists for nine points and a plus-8 rating in that time, yet Philadelphia was outscored by four goals in those seven contests. If it weren’t for him, the Flyers’ playoff hopes would have vanished a lot sooner than they did.
At his best, Tippett was one of the Flyers’ most productive offensive players. He was so essential to the team’s scoring that when he did score a goal, Philadelphia had a 16-6-2 record. When he didn’t, they were just 22-27-9. When he was clicking, so were the Flyers.
Looking at his actual play, Tippett’s offensive upside comes with his ability to make things happen. He had the fastest top skating speed recorded in the NHL in 2023-24 at 24.21 miles per hour and was in the 94th percentile for the top shot speed recorded in the NHL at 99.97 miles per hour. Though he only had a 9.7 shooting percentage, his shot and speed are two of the best areas of Tippett’s game.
Tippett has the talent to take over on a play and should not be left open in a scoring area by any means. Don’t let his shooting efficiency fool you, he can fire a puck. It wasn’t every shift where he could take over, but when he did it was pretty marvelous to watch. He can split defenders like a Connor McDavid type, it just doesn’t happen as often as it would for a true superstar. With some more growth, there is an elite offensive player somewhere in him.
What Tippett Can Work On
For as good as Tippett was offensively, at times he didn’t have the best decision-making. His shot selection was poor in some instances, and that sometimes led to trouble the other way. In addition, he wasn’t exactly the best defensive player on the team based on the eye test.
When Tippett wasn’t scoring, there wasn’t much he was doing to make up for that. It can be frustrating to have a player on the roster who makes almost all of his contributions offensively yet sees consistency issues scoring-wise, so his upswings can be as significant as his downswings. You can’t have Tippett at his best without him at his worst, which makes him somewhat of a polarizing figure.
Tippett might never be able to become a legitimate two-way player, but that really isn’t an issue. If he can be less streaky and perhaps pass the puck a bit more often at the right times, that can unlock the next tier in his game. That next level could be first-line caliber, so his growth is essential. Until that happens, though, he has some areas he might want to work on this offseason.
Tippett’s Final Grade
Despite some of Tippett’s struggles, he actually ended the season with decent on-ice stats. This might have to do with increased ice time with Frost, who was arguably his best partner in crime. The two worked their magic together to the tune of a 53.4 expected goals percentage (xGF%) at even strength in 437 minutes as a duo.
Tippett could have seen some more consistency, so a B-plus rating best suits him. With that being said, he took some strides late in the season to fix some of the biggest issues in his game. When players only get better with time at a relatively young age like Tippett, that’s a sign that sizable improvement is to come. He has the chance to emerge as a star in 2024-25.
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