Flyers buying out Atkinson's contract

The Philadelphia Flyers announced Friday that they will buy out the final year of Cam Atkinson's contract.

"When it comes to someone with the accomplishments and character of Cam, this was an exceptionally tough decision to make," general manager Daniel Briere said.

Atkinson had one year remaining on his deal at a $5.875-million cap hit. The forward will be eligible to sign anywhere on July 1.

He'll count for $2.36 million on Philadelphia's books this season and $1.76 million in 2025-26, according to Cap Friendly.

The Flyers were reportedly exploring all options for Atkinson earlier this offseason, including trade. The San Jose Sharks were among interested clubs, but the player wasn't keen on a move to the Bay Area and had a 10-team no-trade list.

Atkinson arrived in Philadelphia via trade from the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2021. He had a strong debut campaign with the Flyers but missed all of 2022-23 due to injury, then saw a huge decline in production this past season. The 35-year-old registered 28 points in 70 games and was in and out of the lineup as a healthy scratch.

Atkinson has appeared in 770 NHL games over a 12-year career. His best campaign came in 2018-19 when he bagged 41 goals for the Blue Jackets.