Flyers Sign F Chris Stewart to Pro Try-Out

By Kevin Durso, Sports Talk Philly editor 

The last piece of the Flyers puzzle for the 2019-20 season — aside from re-signing Ivan Provorov and Travis Konecny — is to find someone to slot into the third-line right wing role. For the last few weeks, especially after free agency came and went with little fanfare, it seemed it was going to be an open competition among prospects.

It still figures to be a competition, but the Flyers have added a veteran to the conversation. The Flyers have signed free-agent winger Chris Stewart to a pro try-out. He will attend Flyers training camp this year with a chance to make the roster.

Stewart, 31, has played 10 seasons in the NHL with six teams. His NHL career started as a 21-year-old in 2008-09 with the Colorado Avalanche. He scored 11 goals and had 19 points in 53 games. His next season, he broke out with 28 goals and 36 assists for 64 points in 77 games.

During the 2010-11 season, Stewart was traded to St. Louis. Between Colorado and St. Louis, he scored 28 goals and 53 points over 62 games. Stewart spent the next two full seasons with the Blues and played in 58 games in the 2013-14 season before being traded to Buffalo. He played only five games for the remainder of the season, then played 61 for Buffalo the following season before being traded to Minnesota for the final 20 games of the season. 

Stewart spent the 2015-16 season with the Anaheim Ducks, scoring eight goals and 20 points in 56 games. In 2016-17, he re-signed with the Minnesota Wild and scored 13 goals and 21 points in 79 games. He played in 47 games with the Wild in 2017-18 before being traded to Calgary, where he played seven games.

The last year has been especially troubling for Stewart. He went un-signed over the summer as a free agent and opted to join the KHL with HC Slovan Bratislava. However, Stewart did not show up to an introductory press conference in October and was reported missing by the team. After he was found, he retired from professional hockey citing family concerns as the reason.

After briefly signing with a semi-professional team in Canada, Stewart played overseas in the EIHL in the United Kingdom. In 23 games, he scored six goals and had 13 points.

Now Stewart gets another chance at the NHL and enters a pretty open bottom-six competition where he could land in several places with the Flyers. He could show flashes of the player he once was and fit into the third-line role, or perhaps stick with the fourth line and allow someone else to move up. He could also prove to be a fit as a 13th forward.

So you can add another possibility to the competition to come at this season's training camp.