2023-24 Flyers Season Preview: Victor Mete

At some point this summer, it seemed that the Philadelphia Flyers and general manager Danny Briere were just trying to sign players that could play if they needed them to. Trade rumors were abundant and flowing down Broad Street, so the shape of the Flyers roster for this upcoming season was largely unknown. Maybe it would have featured none of the top players and it would just be a bunch of young prospects and filler players that would get them through the year.

It didn\'t turn out like that -- as of writing, anyways, Travis Konecny and Travis Sanheim are still with the team -- so now the Flyers have some more depth than we were initially expecting. Victor Mete is one of those players that supplies that depth.

The 25-year-old defenseman from Woodbridge, Ont. has bounced around a little bit in recent years. A fourth-round draft pick of the Montreal Canadiens, he managed to get his career started there in Quebec but in the middle of his fourth season, he was sent down on waivers and then claimed by nearby neighbors, the Ottawa Senators. He finished out his contract there until the end of the 2021-22 season and then signed with his hometown Toronto Maple Leafs on a one-year deal last year.

Mete has only called Canada home while playing hockey and this will be his first venture south of that border. The once-offensively gifted defenseman has not had a lot of chances to share his talents in recent years, so maybe his time in Philadelphia will refresh his path.

2022-23 Rundown

Games Played Goals Assists Points 5v5 CF% 5v5 xGF% 11 0 2 2 45.49 41.85 6 (in AHL) 0 0 0 N/A N/A stats via Elite Prospects/Natural Stat Trick

What did we see from Mete last season?

Not a whole lot and it wasn\'t for the lack of trying, it was just the pure lack of playing time. Mete started off his year in the AHL after clearing waivers before the season started. He then proceeded to get called up and then sent back down to the minors three times -- playing a couple NHL games here and there -- before Nov. 28 where he got promoted to the Leafs and ended up staying there for the rest of the season.

Toronto had an injury bug and Mete needed to fill a role on the blue line. Well, he ended up playing 11 games and then in Dallas on Dec. 6, he suffered a lower-body injury that would keep him out for the rest of the season.

It was a year of inconsistency for Mete. Poor performance that was most likely affected by just never knowing what roster he would be playing on the following week and just not enough games in either league to really get a grasp on who he is as a player right now.

What type of role do we expect Mete to play this season?

Mete is already starting the year off in a depth role. He is at-best seventh or eighth on the blue line depth chart -- depending on if the Flyers view Yegor Zamula ahead of him -- so his potential role already is limited.

But, it is easy to expect for Mete to be a buffer between the NHL and AHL, so that in case the Flyers suffer a couple of injuries to defensemen, then they won\'t have to get the likes of Emil Andrae or Helge Grans thrown in the deep end. Mete has enough NHL experience to not look awkward on the ice, but can certainly show some of the younger blueliners something down with the Phantoms.

Although the perfect role that is certainly preferred by the player is just consistently playing somewhere . He has shown enough skill and ability in the past to be able to make it on the Flyers blue line and is certainly more mobile than Marc Staal. Plus, he is young enough at the age of 25 to maybe see a longer runway for him in Philadelphia than some other defensemen currently on the team.

What would make for a successful season for Mete?

The bar is almost on the ground for Mete. After barely playing hockey and being tossed around Toronto with his name being on the transaction sheet almost every week, a successful season for Mete would just being able to stay healthy and play consistent hockey. It might be with the Phantoms for the entire season, or he could just be the seventh defenseman and play in just 20 or so games for the Flyers. But at least he wouldn\'t be trekking it back and forth.

If he is able to just be an average contributor wherever he plays, that is good enough for us.

Talking Points