Philadelphia Flyers 2023-24 Player Grades: Garnet Hathaway – The Hockey Writers –

In this edition of our 2023-24 Philadelphia Flyers player grading series, we take a look at 32-year-old winger Garnet Hathaway. The talented forward has had his fair share of struggles but has also been important to the Flyers beyond that part of his game. What grade is right for him?

Hathaway Offers Two-Way Presence

Hathaway was a free agent signing by the Flyers, as they offered a two-year, $4.75 million contract to the veteran right wing despite their rebuild. With the likes of Travis Konency, Owen Tippett, Tyson Foerster, Cam Atkinson, and Bobby Brink all being right tackles, it was an interesting decision for a team so deep on that side to get more help. However, it actually worked very well.

The move was a success, as Hathaway scored seven goals and 10 assists for 17 points in 82 contests as a physical depth forward. He was a key part of the Flyers’ penalty kill, playing 122 minutes in total and leading the charge with four goals in favor of the Flyers’ only nine goals against.

Related: Flyers Penalty Kills Among Best in NHL History

At even strength, Hathaway was only a bottom-six player for the Flyers, but he was a completely different player in the first half of the season compared to the second half. His impact wasn’t seen immediately, and that was because he was used a little bit as a grinder next to Nicolas Deslauriers and usually one of Scott Laughton or Ryan Poehling. He had a good expected goals against 60 (xGA/60) of 2.44 in that span, but a 47.1 expected field goal percentage (xGF%) equals strength. All that changed when he was given a prominent role.

In his final 41 games of the season, Hathaway rocked an elite 1.94 xGA/60 and 61.1 xGF%. Out of 185 players who played at least 500 minutes in a match in the second half of their club’s season, he finished fourth and fifth in these categories respectively. He didn’t play against opposing teams’ top lines often, but there were times when his line with Noah Cates and Poehling was used as a shutdown trio. Hathaway far exceeded expectations.

Hathaway wasn’t always the most efficient player with the puck in the most dangerous position on the offensive end, letting a few big moments go to waste, but that wasn’t really what he was signed for. He was acquired by general manager (GM) Danny Briere to be a two-way asset and that is exactly what he provides. He did his part and much more.

In February and March, Hathaway was actually one of the biggest contributors to the Flyers’ offense. He wasn’t great offensively to the point where he scored a ton, but his line got plenty of scoring opportunities. He worked hard day and night.

What Would a Hathaway Trade Look Like?

Now that Hathaway has one season left on his contract, it’s time to discuss what his trade value looks like. Entering his age-33 campaign in 2024-25, there is no reason for him to sign an extension with the Orange and Black. Most likely, he will be dealt at the deadline or saved for a chance to play in the playoffs if appropriate.

Assuming the Flyers aren’t good enough to sit on expiring veterans, they could get them a nice return. He certainly wouldn’t be a first-round pick due to his lack of brutality, but he could be a bottom-six player on almost any playoff team in the NHL. If that team is talented, he could go on the fourth line. If they want more grit, he can be a third player. Athletes like Hathaway don’t exactly come cheap at the deadline.

If Hathaway can match his success in 2023-24, Briere could easily fetch the Flyers a third-round pick or equivalent prospect. That seems to be what players of his caliber are doing these days, and that seems to be a steep climb – he has a chance to come back for a second if a team is willing to pay more. That would be the best result for Philadelphia.

Hathaway’s Final Grade

Hathaway should be happy with what she did with the Orange and Black. Although it wasn’t a great job, he did the best he could with the talent he had. Because of this, he deserves a B-minus grade. He did everything that was asked of him, but he only averaged 12:29 of ice time so it would be unlikely for the top six players to give him much higher marks than that.