The Philadelphia Flyers have made a small move, signing Victor Mete to a one-year, two-way contract. The 25-year-old will make $750,000 at the NHL level and $450,000 in the minors.
With this signing, the Flyers have added another defenseman with NHL experience to their depth.
Mete’s 2022-23 Season
Victor Mete spent the 2022-23 season with the Toronto Maple Leafs organization. Due to a season-ending injury suffered in December, Mete only appeared in 11 games with the club, posting two assists and a plus-3 rating. He also appeared in six games with the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League (AHL), where he had zero points and 14 penalty minutes.
Overall, Mete’s 2022-23 campaign was essentially a lost one. He was not utilized very often by the Maple Leafs when healthy, and his injury came so early on in the year. Now, he will be looking to remain healthy for the Flyers and make a big impact in the process.
Mete’s Fit With the Flyers
Mete is in a good spot to earn himself an NHL job next season. The Flyers’ defensive group is significantly weaker than Toronto’s, and that could open the door for him to receive consistent playing time on their bottom pairing. He will need to have a good training camp for this to happen of course, but the opportunity is there. However, he also could serve as a solid seventh defenseman for Philadelphia for when injuries inevitably arise.
When noting that the Flyers’ roster has worsened this offseason, Mete could also be in the running to receive some power-play time. The 2016 fourth-round pick has shown at times that he can distribute the puck well, so that could be enough for him to get some reps there. With that, he also should get chances on their penalty kill as well.
Signing Mete Gives Flyers More Experienced Depth
Although the Flyers are rebuilding, they need defensemen with NHL experience. As a result, it makes sense that they are giving Mete a shot on their roster. At the time of this writing, Mete has 247 career games on his resume, where he has posted five goals, 40 assists, and 45 points. Now, he should have the opportunity to build upon these stats.
This signing also comes with zero risk, as Mete is signed to an affordable two-way deal. If the Ontario native struggles, he is only making $775,000 at the NHL level for the year. Thus, it is a highly manageable contract to deal with. Furthermore, if he taps into his potential and can be an effective bottom-pairing defenseman for the Flyers, he also could be a decent rental candidate for them at next year’s deadline.
It will be fun to see how well Mete performs for the Flyers this season, but on paper, this looks like a good match between the player and the team.
More must-reads: