The Philadelphia Flyers are getting some forward help back, activating Patrick Brown off long-term injured reserve. Brown had been loaned to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms on a conditioning stint but didn’t actually play a game with the team before re-joining the Flyers today.
Now 30, Brown has been an interesting player to follow over the years. Signed by the Carolina Hurricanes out of Boston College as an undrafted free agent in 2014, he had only really found success in his senior year at the program. It seemed at first as though that success may have been a mirage, as Brown struggled to contribute at the professional level. In seven games with Carolina, he was held scoreless while adding just two goals and ten points in 60 games with the Charlotte Checkers.
Slowly, though, and with the help of several one-year deals with the Hurricanes, he carved out a niche for himself as a useful minor leaguer and regular call-up. There was still almost no consistency to his NHL playing time, but that changed, somewhat, in 2021 with the Vegas Golden Knights when he played in 12 of the team’s playoff games. Last season was his best opportunity at the highest level, suiting up 44 times with the Flyers – more than he had in his entire career prior.
He racked up 100 hits during those 44 games while winning nearly 59 percent of his 400+ faceoffs, showing he could be relied on as a fourth-line, penalty-killing option. Now, with the Flyers dealing with several injuries, he’ll likely get a chance to reclaim that role on a regular basis.
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