Philadelphia Flyers claim veteran D Kevin Connauton off waivers

The Philadelphia Flyers have added some more defensive depth, claiming Kevin Connauton off waivers from the Florida Panthers according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.

Connauton, 31, signed a one-year, two-way deal with the Panthers in June which came with a huge minor-league guarantee in case he was sent to the AHL at any point. That hasn’t been the case so far, as he’s instead played 13 games with Florida and now finds himself joining the Flyers. It will be the sixth team of his career, one that has spanned more than 330 games to this point.

There’s not a ton of offensive upside to Connauton, but he does represent a big-bodied defenseman that the team can insert to try and stop some of the bleeding. The Flyers are an absolute mess defensively right now, allowing 29 goals in their last four games, part of a nine-game losing streak. It cost Alain Vigneault and Michel Therrien their jobs, but things didn’t change under interim head coach Mike Yeo, who watched his team allow four goals in the first period last night.

Connauton’s certainly not a savior, but he will add some extra depth while the Flyers wait on Ryan Ellis’ return.