On Monday morning, the PhiladelphiFlyers announced a move that will please fans everywhere. Robert Hagg has signed a two-year contract extension with an average annual value of $1.6M. Here’s everything you need to know.
The Hagg hive
The hive came alive in 2019-20. Robert Hagg led the team in hits during his fouth season at the NHL level, as well as blocks per-60 minutes of players that had played in more than 5 games. It was a season to remember for the former second-round pick, who tallied 13 points across 49 games.
On top of that, he also posted a career-high plus-minus of +14, ranking third among all Flyers defensemen.
Hagg spent most of the season on the third pairing and made his presence felt throughout, especially in the playoffs where he appeared in 12 games and assisted on 3 goals. His development was a real bright spot for the Flyers this year, who relied on their depth throughout.
Robert Hagg will never be Shayne Gostisbehere and is a far more physical defenseman who will make his impact by setting the tone with hits, constnt chipping, and bringing a ruthless aggression that balances out some of the more attacking-minded D-men on the roster.
The move to extend the 25-year-old makes a ton of sense.
A ghost in the walls
This does likely mean that the Shayne Gostisbehere era is over in Philadelphia.
That 2017-2018 season was the best of Ghost’s career under Dave Hakstol. If you can believe it, Gostisbehere finished ninth in all-star votes that season. Since then, his career has exponentially declined.
Injuries have played a major role and if he can no longer be depended on, it would make sense to move on. This sentiment was echoed just breaths before the Hagg announcement, with a report citing that he’s on the trade block. Only time will tell if a team wants to add Ghost’s services to their roster.
Photo Credit: Alex Mcintyre
