Philadelphia Flyers' Kimmo Timonen Defies the Aging Curve – Hockey Writers – Flyers History

Over the years, the Philadelphia Flyers have had great defensemen. But none have ever matched Kimmo Timonen. He was a player who defied the aging curve so much that we may not see anything like him for a very long time.

Timonen's Late-Age Dominance

Timonen was traded to the Flyers in the 2007 offseason along with Scott Hartnell for a late first-round pick following a disastrous campaign for the Orange and Black—they had the worst record in the NHL. Looking to return to playoff success, general manager (GM) Paul Holmgren made a low-risk gamble here. Hartnell was good in his own right, making the All-Star Team in 2011-12, but we'll focus on the defenseman here. Since he was diagnosed at age 32, the chances of long-term success were low—he broke the mold anyway.

From 2008-2014, Timonen played 519 games for the Flyers, scoring 38 goals and 232 assists for 270 points and a plus-44 average. He was a very good young defender, with an attacking mind and who was good in his position. Quarterbacking Philadelphia's power play every season during that time, they averaged between sixth and seventh in the league in power play percentage (PP%). Since his departure, the team has been just one of the top 10 teams in PP% in 10 seasons.

Timonen has been integral to the Flyers' postseason success during his tenure, arguably the team's best defenseman over six runs to the playoffs and two appearances in the Eastern Conference Final. The great part about his arrival was that the timing was perfect for the season—it coincided with his debut with the Orange and Black in 2007-08. Because of this, we can better estimate how good the veteran was.

Timonen's best numbers were from 2011-2014, so that's what we'll write about. But the important thing to note here is his age. Starting at the age of 36 and ending at 39 years old, to say that this Finnish defender has aged well is an understatement.

Below, we'll take a look at where Timonen ranks in even strength (EV) among defensemen with 1,000 minutes of time on ice (TOI) from 2011-2014. The statistics we will use are 60 points (P/60), relative expected goals percentage (xGF% Rel), relative Corsi percentage (CF% Rel), relative goals percentage (GF% Rel), and TOI ratio (ATOI) .

A glossary of advanced statistics is included here. Basically, three average numbers measure a player's impact on his team in creating chances and actual goals scored. Few, if any, defensemen were more important than him during the final three seasons of his tenure with the Orange and Black.

For a high percentage of everything except ice time during this period, it's safe to say that Timonen was a monster. He has had a negative impact on the Flyers in terms of expected goals and his scoring output. This was the season when Philadelphia's defense began to sink due to the loss of Chris Pronger and eventually Matt Carle, but the unstoppable wonder prevailed.

To see just how impressive his 7.44 xGF% Rel over a three-year period is, we can look at every single defenseman who had an xGF% Rel of at least 7.0 over that long statistical period. From 2007-08 to 2023-24, that list is only nine players if we include players who appeared in all three campaigns:

• Chris Tanev
• Devon Toews
• Adam Pelech
• Adam Fox
• Mackenzie Weegar
• Marc-Edouard Vlasic
• Timonen
• Ryan Ellis
• Charlie McAvoy

The fact that Timonen is among this group of defenders is remarkable on its own, as they were all notable analytical darlings. But the amazing part? The age difference is amazing. The average age of these nine defenders from the time they started reigning until they ended was 26 to 29 years. Timonen was ten years old.

This kind of disrespect for age is something we have almost never seen from defenders. Nicklas Lidstrom was still “perfect” as he entered his 40s, but that's to be expected of a player who won seven of the 10 Norris Trophies awarded from 2000-2011. For Timonen to compete with the longevity of a player like this is an honor. We haven't seen a defenseman match this level of dominance late in the nine years since retirement.

Timonen's Postseason Excellence

Timonen wasn't just a regular season salesman, either. He was arguably even better in the playoffs when the Flyers were still contenders. From the 2010 Stanley Cup Finals to their second-round exit in 2012, below are his numbers:

Timonen's usage was very heavy at this point, which makes sense considering the ice time often favors star players in the postseason and the fact that he was two years younger. His percentages don't stand out because of the small sample size, but don't get it wrong: the veteran was impressive.

Just to reference how important Timonen was to the Flyers, only he and Braydon Coburn had a better xGF% Rel during that span among the 11 defensemen with 100 minutes of ice at even strength. When the Flyers went to the playoffs in 2010, Timonen's 10.2 xGF% Rel was the best on the team in that same share of ice time. Pronger had the only other good rate at 1.38. Against the Chicago Blackhawks in the Stanley Cup Finals, those two were the only ones with a heartbeat.

Should Timonen Make The Flyers Hall Of Fame?

Entering the 2024-25 season, there are only six defensemen on the Flyers' Hall of Fame team. Those include Joe Watson, Eric Desjardins, Ed Van Impe, Jim Watson, Mark Howe, and Barry Ashbee. Timonen's 519 games played during his tenure in Philadelphia would be second last on this list (and averaged 75 games), which is impressive but probably shouldn't hurt his odds too much.

When you compare these players and see their impact on the Flyers, Timonen has a good case. Although he was not at the level of Desjardins or Howe, he was undoubtedly in the same category as the others. Winning the Stanley Cup in 2010 would have solidified his status, but he can do without it.

Related: Flyers' 5 Best Drafted Defensemen in Franchise History

Despite his age limitations, Timonen played at the highest level in Philadelphia longer than anyone would have guessed. For seven seasons, he was truly one of a kind.

Statistics courtesy of Natural Stat Trick