Flyers 2023-24 Player Grades: Cam Atkinson

Returning in 2023-24, Atkinson’s play was not very helpful for the Flyers. On top of having a 22-point regression, falling to 28 points in 70 contests, he had the same poor on-ice stats with a significantly better Philadelphia team. They flirted with the playoffs for a large majority of the season but fell flat during the end of March and throughout April, winning two of their last 11 games.

When it came to generating chances, the Flyers were much better with him on the bench or as a healthy scratch entirely. He wasn’t scoring, helping his teammates score, or playing well defensively. In essentially every area, he was a shell of himself. Atkinson was a good net-front scorer at times, but that alone wasn’t worth giving him the top-six minutes he ended up with.

His usage fell drastically by the end of the season, but at that point, the damage was already done. With a 46.2 expected goals percentage (xGF%), the Flyers were, possibly, an average top-six forward replacement away from making the postseason. Sitting on a minus-22 rating, those goals add up.

Perhaps Atkinson’s issues were injury-related, but a lot of them may be due to the fact that he is simply an aging player. In his prime, he played with speed and scored a lot that way. He never had high-end skill anywhere but was a hard-working winger. Unfortunately, these kinds of players are the ones who fall off the hardest. With no dangerous skills to supplement his weakening ability to make plays, he was essentially unplayable.

Atkinson Likely Not a Flyer in 2024-25

Atkinson, only having one year left on his $5.875 million contract, is a very likely buyout candidate for the Orange and Black. Whether they plan on building on their success in 2023-24 or not, there is absolutely no reason for him to be on the roster. He isn’t worth playing, blocks a roster spot for younger players, and having him as a healthy scratch every single game would be a disservice to him as an individual.

Atkinson’s career is winding down, but that doesn’t mean he shouldn’t have another shot. There might be a spot out there for him, but it just isn’t in Philadelphia. A buyout would cost the Flyers $2.358 million next season and $1.758 million in 2025-26, effectively saving them $1.758 million in total.

Not only would that give the Orange and Black some necessary cap space, but it would allow Atkinson to sign a deal with a winger-needy team. He hasn’t won a Stanley Cup, so perhaps a league-minimum contract with a contender could make that dream a reality. This would be a win-win move.

Atkinson’s Final Grade

Ultimately, there isn’t much to contemplate with this rating. Atkinson is the second player to receive an F-grade with Scott Laughton being the only other. Their concerns were both very similar, so naturally, their grades were the same. Hopefully, they can both find a spark in their careers, as the two of them are class acts in the NHL.