Meltzer's Player Profiles: Tyler Pitlick

Acquired by the Philadelphia Flyers from the Dallas Stars on June 24, 2019 in exchange for Ryan Hartman, Tyler Pitlick quietly put together a strong 2019-20 season prior to the NHL schedule pause. His consistent tenacity on the forecheck and backcheck, above-average speed, and no-frills north-south style of play have earned the right winger a regular starting job while dressing in 63 of 69 games.

Pitlick has been repeatedly set back by injuries in his career -- including left wrist surgeries both in early February and late August of 2019 -- and he missed all but the final few days of training camp. Not unexpectedly, got off to a slow start in October. He soon hit his stride, and settled into a role on the third or fourth line. He missed two games in mid-December due to a mild concussion, but did not skip a beat upon his return.

The player's primary value to his team is not measured in point totals, but Pitlick is not devoid of scoring ability. He has tallied eight goals and 20 points this season (his career high was 14 goals and 27 points with Dallas in 2017-18), and has chipped in some timely contributions along the way.

The 28-year-old Pitlick's contract will expire after this season, and he can become an unrestricted free agent. He makes a $1 million AAV on his current deal, which he signed while with the Stars.

FIVE KEY FACTS

1) Pitlick has been one of the Flyers' most efficient players on a shift-in and shift-out basis. He's kept his shifts short (averaging 39 seconds per shift) and leads all Flyers forwards with 132 credited hits and 2.21 credited takeaways per 60 minutes of ice time (28 overall).

2) The right wing has averaged 18.4 shifts per game and 12:03 of overall ice time (including 10:57 at even strength and 1:03 on the power play). He has started 51.9 percent of his shifts in the defensive zone.

3) Among Pitlick's eight goals and 20 points this season. Five of his goals and seven of his assists have come in the 29 games dating back to the beginning of January.

4) Although he brings a physical presence to the lineup, Pitlick usually plays with good discipline. Over the last 26 games before the NHL pause, he took just two minor penalties. For the season, he's taken just six minor penalties in 63 games.

5) He has posted points in back-to-back games four times this season as well as a three-game point streak (March 1 to 5).

TOP HIGHLIGHTS

1) Dec. 19 vs. BUF (9:22, 2nd period): Relentless work ethic is one of the hallmarks of Pitlick's game. This goal represents those traits. On the play, Pitlick collected the pass at the blueline and moved in to take a shot on goaltender Carter Hutton. The Flyer was denied in his first and second efforts. Undaunted, Pitlick tenaciously stayed with the puck and scored on this third successive shot attempt. Philadelphia went on to earn a 6-1 blowout victory.

2) Jan 31 @ PIT (16:29, 2nd period): In the first game after the Flyers' bye week, Pitlick's late second period tally put the Flyers back within a goal after falling behind the host Penguins, 3-1. Philly went on to earn a point from the game, collecting three of four possible points from a home-and-home set with Pittsburgh. On this goal, the Flyers' fourth line applied forechecking pressure and the Penguins turned the puck over to defenseman Phil Myers on a failed clearing pass attempt. That started a tic-tac-toe sequence, Myers passing to Nicolas Aube-Kubel and Pitlick roofing Aube-Kubel's quick pass to him.

3) March 4 @ WSH (17:05, 2nd period): After the Flyers acquisition of Derek Grant at the NHL trade deadline, Pitlick and the newly acquired center quickly developed some chemistry with their similar styles of play. On this goal, playing with Grant and Michael Raffl, Pitlick buried an odd-man rush (4-on-2) goal that gave the Flyers a 3-1 lead on the way to a 5-2 victory over the Metro Division leading Washington Capitals.

THEY SAID IT

"Pitty's taken advantage of the opportunity. With Oskar [Lindblom] and Nolan Patrick not here, it forced us to try different players in different situations and we slotted him in as a fourth-line player at the beginning of the year, with some penalty-killing time, and he's obviously played well and he's getting more minutes."

--- Alain Vigneault, Feb. 20, 2020.

HE SAID IT

"I'm very happy with where I'm at. I love the guys I'm playing with. I think we complement each other well. We just get on the forecheck and make it hard for teams to get out of their zone. I think it's working."

-- Tyler Pitlick, Feb. 20, 2020.