When the Flyers signed Nic Deslauriers to a four-year, $7 million deal back in July of 2022, it raised more than a few eyebrows. Not because Deslauriers wasn’t tough-everyone knew what he brought-but because the NHL was already shifting away from the traditional enforcer role.
Deslauriers wasn’t brought in to score goals or quarterback a power play. He was there to protect teammates, to bring physicality, and to send a message when needed.
And for a while, he did exactly that.
In his first season in Philadelphia, Deslauriers racked up 136 penalty minutes over 80 games. He dropped the gloves 14 times, according to HockeyFights.com, and did so with purpose. He didn’t just fight to fight-he fought to set a tone, to stand up for teammates, to remind opponents that there were still consequences for taking liberties.
One of his most memorable moments in orange and black came in February 2024, when he squared off with Rangers rookie Matt Rempe. That wasn’t just another scrap-it was a heavyweight bout that had the Wells Fargo Center rocking.
Both players landed big shots, both walked away bruised, and both earned the respect of fans and peers alike. It was a throwback to an era that’s rapidly disappearing.
But since that fight, Deslauriers has seen his role shrink. He fought just twice more that season.
Last year, only three fights. This year?
Four, with half a season to go. His ice time has followed the same downward trend.
After playing all 80 games in his first year, he appeared in 60 the next, then 31, and now he’s sitting at 17 games with his 18th expected against Buffalo. Unless injuries pile up, he’s likely to finish somewhere in the 25-30 game range.
And that’s where the writing on the wall becomes hard to ignore. Deslauriers is 34, soon to be 35.
His contract is up at the end of the season, and there’s little indication the Flyers are looking to bring him back-even on a short-term, cap-friendly deal. General manager Danny Brière appears to be steering the team in a different direction, one that prioritizes versatility and depth over single-skill specialists.
That shift isn’t unique to Philly. Across the NHL, fourth lines are evolving.
Teams want players who can chip in 15-20 goals, kill penalties, and skate with pace-not just patrol the ice and throw fists. The days of carrying a designated enforcer are fading fast.
Even players like Washington’s Tom Wilson-who can still throw down with the best of them-bring a full offensive and defensive toolkit to the ice. Fighting is part of their game, not the whole package.
That’s what makes Deslauriers something of a relic. He’s a throwback to the Broad Street Bullies era, a time when intimidation was a strategy and toughness was as valued as talent.
But in today’s NHL, that role is becoming harder to justify. The Flyers still have players who can handle themselves-Garnet Hathaway and Nick Seeler come to mind-but neither is a pure enforcer.
They bring more to the table, whether it's shot-blocking, penalty killing, or grinding out tough minutes.
So if this is the end of the road for Deslauriers in Philadelphia, the bigger question becomes: Is he the last of his kind? The last true enforcer to wear the Flyers crest?
It’s starting to feel that way.
And while Deslauriers won’t go down as one of the all-time greats in Flyers enforcer history, he held his own. Through 188 games in Philly, he’s logged 264 penalty minutes.
Respectable numbers, but when you line them up against the franchise’s all-time bruisers, they barely register. Wayne Simmonds, who brought a mix of skill and snarl, sits 19th on the team’s all-time penalty minutes list with 784.
Eric Lindros-yes, that Eric Lindros-is 12th with 948.
The top 10? That’s a who’s who of Flyers folklore: Rick Tocchet (1,815 PIM), Paul Holmgren, Andre “Moose” Dupont, Bobby Clarke, Dave “The Hammer” Schultz, Dave Brown, Bob Kelly, Gary Dornhoefer, Craig Berube, and Glen Cochrane.
These were players who defined an era, who made the Flyers synonymous with grit and edge. Deslauriers doesn’t crack that list, and that’s no knock on him-it just speaks to how deep the Flyers’ enforcer legacy runs.
Still, Deslauriers played his role with pride. He answered the bell when called upon.
He stood up for teammates. He gave the fans a taste of old-school hockey in a league that’s moving on.
And when he does leave, it won’t be with fanfare or tribute videos. But it will mark the end of something.
Not just the end of Deslauriers’ time in Philadelphia-but possibly the end of the enforcer era in Flyers history.