During this past off-season, the Philadelphia Flyers bought out forward Cam Atkinson. This was after the Riverside, Connecticut native posted 13 goals, 28 points, and a minus-22 rating with the Flyers during the 2023-24 season. Before that, he also missed the entirety of the 2022-23 campaign due to injury.
Following being bought out by the Flyers, Atkinson signed a one-year, $900,000 contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning. He did not have the bounce-back season he was looking for with the Lightning in 2024-25, as he recorded just four goals, five assists, and a minus-4 rating in 39 games. He also played in just three games for them during the final two months of the season and was placed on waivers during the campaign.
Now, it appears that Atkinson's time in Tampa Bay is coming to a close, as The Fourth Period's David Pagnotta reported that the former Flyers forward will become an unrestricted free agent (UFA) on July 1 and move on from the Lightning.
Given Atkinson's past success, there could be a team out there willing to take a chance on him with a one-year, prove-it deal if they are looking for more forward depth. The 13-year NHL veteran has hit the 20-goal and 40-point marks on seven occasions, with the last time in being in 2021-22 with the Flyers.
Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see what happens with former Flyer this off-season from here.
