Travis Konecny will remain a part of the Philadelphia Flyers for a very long time after signing an eight-year, $70-million contract extension on Thursday. And if anything, he has cemented his future in Philadelphia as a player that could most likely spend his entire career with the Flyers.
And according to him, he wouldn’t have it any other way.
“That was one of the biggest things for me — I just wanted to get this over with,” Konecny said during his media availability on Thursday. “There was no doubt in my mind that I wanted to be a Flyer for life. And what we’ve been working towards and what I believe that this team can be, this is where I wanted to be. It was pretty easy for me to make the decision for me to be here as long as possible.”
The 27-year-old winger was set to be an unrestricted free agent next summer, free to sign with any team he desires, but before the final season on his current contract even begins, he has knocked that possibility out the window. It might just be the $70-million contract signed, but Konecny appeared to be very forthright and beaming with a belief in the team; wanting to see what can happen in this city he has fallen in love with. It was a “no-brainer” for the top-line winger.
Konecny went so far to say that if he actually went to free agency and signed with another team and then won what every single player dreams of, the Stanley Cup, it wouldn’t feel right if it wasn’t with the Flyers. What a statement.
“There was no other option. I look at, if I get the opportunity to win a Stanley Cup — which I believe we can do in Philly — that just wouldn’t feel like an accomplishment unless it was with the Flyers,” he said. “It is the team that believed in me and I wanted to show the same respect when I had an opportunity to venture out and do my own thing, that I believe in the Flyers, as well.
“I’ve always been in it for the long haul and I’m really excited for the next chapter here and see what we can do.”
The most significant about the future of the Flyers is certainly one 19-year-old named Matvei Michkov and how he starts his NHL career this season in Philadelphia. He is seemingly the one player that this whole thing is depending on, to be a star and the high tide that raises all the orange and black boats — if that analogy still makes sense.
Konecny said that he has not yet had a conversation with the Russian phenom, but he is more than impressed and excited to see what happens this fall.
“From what I’ve seen, the little videos I’ve seen on the internet, he looks like a great player and he’s going to be a great addition to the team. I’m really excited to see where he can take his game to.”
Konecny has been the best player on the Flyers for the past few years and now he gets to seemingly spend the rest of his NHL days with this team as they grow into the contender they want to become.
