Hextall: No push to sign Schenn

Once the Flyers locked up 22-year-old center Sean Couturier on Tuesday, all eyes turned to Jakub Voracek and Brayden Schenn as general manager Ron Hextall moved into the next phase of his offseason plan.

Voracek got his extension Thursday afternoon, signing the richest deal of the summer.

Is Schenn up next?

Both Schenn and Couturier were slated to have their "bridge" deals end at the end of the 2015-16 season and become restricted free agents. Couturier, obviously, won't have to worry about his contract situation when his current two-year, $3.5 million deal finishes next spring.

The two forwards are on similar trajectories in their career and are both in their early 20's.

Will there be a push now to get a deal done with Schenn before training camp starts in mid-September and place him in the group of core forwards of the future?

"I'm not sure there'll be a push," Hextall said Thursday. "I've spoke with Brayden's agents a number of times over the summer about different things and the subject has never come up. It's not something we're in a hurry to do and I'm assuming they feel the same way."

It appears that Schenn, who carries a $2.5 million cap hit this season, will have to prove himself before his next contract is signed.

Schenn, a former fifth overall pick by Los Angeles, posted a career-best 47 points last year, one year after his first 20-goal season in the NHL. He's played in all 82 games the last two seasons, to boot.

He hasn't always been consistent, though, in finding the back of the net. Last year, in a 34-game stretch from December 11 to February 24, Schenn tallied just two goals - meaning the other 16 he scored came in just 48 games, a much better pace. He finished the year strong, however, tallying eight points in the team's last six games.

But even his 20-goal season in 2013-14 came with a 16-game scoring drought.

Without some of the intangibles Couturier brings to the table (faceoffs, defense), the Flyers may decide to find near similar production elsewhere, perhaps developing a prospect from within instead of shelling out around $3.5 or $4 million for Schenn, who will turn 24 on August 22.

After all, Voracek's signing has the Flyers spending just north of $61 million on 15 players to start the 2016-17 season. It's not like there's a ton of money to fly around anyway, unless Hextall can make some moves.

Like Couturier, Schenn was acquired in the summer of 2011 when the Flyers unloaded Mike Richards and Jeff Carter.

Unlike Couturier, Schenn might not have a long-term future in Philadelphia.

"Not that we wouldn't like to get him signed, but I think we'll probably give it another year to see where things flush out," Hextall said. "I don't anticipate signing Brayden, which never means that you're not going to. But it's not something that we'll actively pursue. We'll wait and see how the year goes and probably talk at some point, whether it be during the year or next summer."

Or not at all.