Flyers extend Farabee

*Photo from The Athletic*

   A young breakout star for the Philadelphia Flyers has been locked up for a while to come. The Flyers and LW Joel Farabee have agreed to a 6 year, $30 million extension, with a $5 million AAV, according to the team. His extension will start in the 2022-2023 season, as he has one year remaining on his entry level contract.

   Flyers GM Chuck Fletcher said "We consider Joel to be a key piece of our core moving forward and we're very happy to have him signed to a long-term extension. In a short amount of time, Joel has proven to be one of the brightest young talents in the NHL. His hockey IQ, skill set and passion for the game have all contributed to his early success and we feel that there's tremendous upside to his game yet. He plays a 200-foot game and has earned the trust and respect of his coaches, management and all of his teammates."

   In his second season in the NHL, Farabee had a breakout season, notching 20 goals and 18 assists, with a plus/minus of exactly 0 in an ATOI of 16:01, playing in 55 of 56 regular season games in the short season, with the Flyers failing to make the playoffs. His 20 goals led the Flyers in that category, and his 38 total points were 5th best on the team.

   In 107 career regular season games, split between two seasons, Farabee has 28 goals and 31 assists, with a +6 plus/minus in an ATOI of 15:05. In 12 playoff games, all in his rookie season, Farabee has 3 goals and two assists, with the Flyers making it to the second round in the Toronto bubble. 

   Farabee, who was chosen with the 14th overall pick in the 2018 NHL draft by the Flyers, became the first player born in the 2000's to play for the Flyers when he made his NHL debut on October 21, 2019. This past season, he was awarded the Pelle Lindbergh Memorial Trophy, given to the Flyers most improved player.

   Asked about signing a long term deal while still on his entry level contract, Farabee said "Just to get this before the season, I was really happy. I think I came off a pretty good year last year, so definitely wanted to get things rolling and I'm glad both sides came to an agreement and I'm really excited to be in Philly for the next seven years after my last year on my ELC."

   With his new extension, Farabee will be a Flyer through the end of the 2027-2028 season, which is needed security for a Flyers team that is looking to get back to the playoffs and regularly compete for cups.