Over the past few days of training camp and in the Philadelphia Flyers‘ last preseason game, forward Owen Tippett has played alongside two high-quality linemates: Matvei Michkov and Trevor Zegras. This is likely to be the team’s season-opening first-line trio.
Related: Flyers’ Trevor Zegras Can Maximize Matvei Michkov’s Talents
But if the Flyers know what’s best for them and the player, they’ll keep Tippett away from the face of the franchise. Instead, he’d be best suited in the bottom six.
Tippett’s Shot-Heavy Game Undermines Skilled Players
Tippett loves to shoot the puck. Among skaters with 1,000 minutes of ice time over the past two seasons, he ranks fifth in shot attempt rate: 23.00 per 60 minutes, just ahead of Auston Matthews (via Natural Stat Trick). However, Tippett’s goal- and point-scoring rates are the worst out of anyone in the top 10. It’s not particularly close, either.
Per-60 shot attempt leaders over the last two seasons, followed by their points per 60 (1000+ TOI):
— Justin Giampietro (@justingiam) October 3, 2025
1. Forsberg: 3.31
2. Ovechkin: 3.10
3. Pastrnak: 3.94
4. Panarin: 3.89
5. Tippett: 2.28
6. Matthews: 3.62
7. J. Hughes: 3.33
8. B. Tkachuk: 2.70
9. Thompson: 2.83
10. Ehlers: 3.11
So, the Flyers have a player who shoots at the rate of the most prolific snipers in the NHL, but always hovers around 25 goals. This is where the problem lies.
When Tippett is taking bad shots, he’s ending puck possessions. For players like Michkov and Zegras, that undermines what they can do on the ice. These two players meticulously break down defenses—someone who spams low-danger shots is the exact opposite of what they need.
That line could use a true finisher, two-way presence, or puck-battle winner. Seeing as Tippett is none of those, it doesn’t make a lot of sense to have him on the top line—or the top six, in general.
Where Tippett Can Flourish: Bottom Six & Special Teams
Yes, Tippett is making $6.2 million against the salary cap for the next seven years. Putting him in the bottom six, on paper, would be a head-scratcher. But ironically, that’s where his contract could be justified the most.
Interim head coach Brad Shaw tried this out last season. Over the course of nine games, the team’s short-term bench boss primarily played Tippett on the third line with Jakob Pelletier and Ryan Poehling. The trio’s results were encouraging, per Natural Stat Trick: 57.14% goal share, 59.01% expected goal share at 5-on-5.
As an individual during five-a-side action, Tippett averaged 2.14 points per 60 minutes. Under former head coach John Tortorella’s watch, the number was just 1.68. While these are small-sample metrics, they show that the 26-year-old winger might actually be more efficient with less usage.
The idea behind it isn’t too complex. As the driver of a third line, he can shoot the puck as much as he wants. His speed and shot-taking ability can allow him to overwhelm less-skilled bottom-six players. If you throw in special teams minutes, he’s up to about 15 a night—basically what he was averaging before.
To that point, playing on the penalty kill might not seem rational for someone whose major weakness is defense. But he’s gotten some looks there in the preseason and held his own. Like Travis Konecny, he can be an energetic presence, not necessarily a shutdown one.
The Flyers will probably enter the 2025–26 season with Tippett on the top line. If the last few seasons have taught us anything, though, that’s not a good idea. Instead, the bottom six with heavy usage on special teams could be his calling card.
