The Philadelphia Flyers extended left-handed defenseman Adam Ginning to a two-year contract worth $787,500 per season on June 17, 2024. The first season is a two-way deal, while the second one is a one-way deal.
Ginning played in nine games with the Flyers toward the end of their 2023-24 season, serving as a depth defenseman. What could this signing mean for the 24-year-old and the team?
What Ginning Provides for the Flyers
Ginning, a 6-foot-3, 196-pound defender, provides size for the Flyers’ organization. The 2018 second-round pick by Philadelphia got his first real chance after his teammates went down with injuries late in the season, forcing him to take on an NHL roster spot. He can be a good fill-in defensive defenseman for them in the future, as he showed some promise in that role.
Despite being thrust into an NHL lineup with just one game of experience prior to his 2023-24 campaign, Ginning handled his new responsibility well. He shouldn’t be an everyday defender in Philadelphia considering they rarely kept their depth on defense the same throughout the season, but he can help the Flyers if they need him to slot in.
Fit with Philadelphia
Next season, Ginning could take on a bigger role in Philadelphia. As a big and physical depth defender, he seems to have the skills that they are looking for. He might be competing with other left-shot defensemen for a third-pairing role like restricted free agent (RFA) Egor Zamula and 22-year-old Emil Andrae, but he showed enough to possibly win that battle. At best, he is likely looking at playing around 75 percent of the season in the NHL, give or take.
If not, Ginning can always be sent down to the American Hockey League (AHL) and be an impactful player there. The Lehigh Valley Phantoms could use some help on defense, especially if Andrae is a full-time NHL player in 2024-25. The 24-year-old spent almost all of his 2023-24 campaign in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL), so getting adapted to hockey in North America should be worthwhile for his future.
The Flyers have a big offseason ahead of them. General manager (GM) Danny Briere made a small move here, but more could be coming.