Philadelphia Flyers sign professional tryout deal with Antoine Roussel

The Philadelphia Flyers want a more competitive culture under new coach John Tortorella. So it makes sense that they brought in a feisty striker to push their young players into training camp jobs. They have signed free agent left-winger Antoine Roussel to a professional trial deal, as confirmed Daily face-to-face Frank Seravalli.

Antoine Roussel joins the #Flyers on a power take-off.

— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) September 19, 2022

Roussel, 32, spent last season with the Arizona Coyotes. He fell victim to the multiplayer trade the Coyotes made last season to send Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Conor Garland to the Vancouver Canucks. Working as part of a struggling team, Roussel managed just four goals and eight points in 53 games.

At the height of his career, split between the Dallas Stars and Vancouver Canucks, Roussel was considered one of the game’s most effective agitators. He scored double-digit goals for four consecutive years between 2013-14 and 2016-17 while regularly posting triple-digit totals in his physical control role. But its productivity has declined in recent seasons. He has scored just 12 goals in 129 games since the start of the 2019-20 season.

Roussel, however, can at worst push the young Flyers harder to earn their jobs in camp or, at best, can become a fourth-line deep winger.

Roussel has 85 goals and 197 points in 607 NHL games spanning 10 seasons. Born in Roubaix, France, he is his country’s all-time leader in games played, goals, assists, points and penalty minutes.