Thompson, Grant experienced at fitting in

Perhaps a few of the teams grouped around them in the Eastern Conference playoff chase went for bigger, more intriguing names at the Monday trade deadline. That wasn’t going to keep the Flyers from greeting their trade deadline acquisitions, Nate Thompson and Derek Grant, with welcoming arms Tuesday.

“I think it’s good anytime you can add two guys that have this much experience and that have been there before, and can play in key positions down the stretch, and help our penalty kill a little bit,” Scott Laughton said. “I think we’re a good faceoff team but this just helps us and puts us over the hump. Thompson is really, really good on draws on his weak side, and that’s a situation where he’ll help out a lot.”

For their Philadelphia debuts, despite little rest before jumping in Tuesday night against the San Jose Sharks, Thompson and Grant lined up at center on the fourth and third lines, respectively. Gone back to the Phantoms were Connor Bunnaman and Joel Farabee, despite promises by head coach Alain Vi

gneault of at least bringing back Farabee in relatively short order.

“No doubt at some point Joel’s going to be back,” Vigneault said. “But I didn’t want a 19-year-old young man sitting and waiting. So we’ve got our farm team right there, we’ll get him down there and get him some practice and get some games in and when we need him (he’s there).

“I do expect him back at some point, but I don’t expect him to be watching his cell (phone) right now trying to figure out, ‘Am I coming back today?’ I expect him to go down with

the right attitude, the right work ethic and to figure it out.”

Until then, the expectations are high that a couple of elder, checking line forwards will provide the kind of lower-line support that has largely been lacking this season. Thompson is a 35-year-old Anchorage, Alaska native playing his 761st NHL game with his eighth NHL club against the Sharks at Wells Fargo Center.

He wasn’t going to waste much time looking at his cell. He had already been doing that while making travel plans the night before.

“(Sean) Couturier and (Kevin) Hayes and (Claude) Giroux all reached out to me last night,” said Thompson, well known around the league because he’s essentially been all around the league. “Anytime guys reach out to you and make you feel welcome it’s always nice to hear.”

He’s getting accustomed to it. It’s the third straight trade deadline that Thompson has found himself on the move.

“I guess that’s helped me in every situation and in this one, too,” he said of his ability to be a fit in various locker rooms. “On every team in the league there’s always good guys; everyone’s a good guy. Especially this (team), you near nothing but good things, so I’m just excited to be a part of it.”

While Thompson, who came over from Montreal for a fifth-round draft pick (2021), figures to be a good fit into a specific role – he’s reputedly an effective specialist on faceoffs and penalty kills – Grant is a little more of an unknown. But just a little.

Grant, 29, has played for five different NHL clubs and has spent significant time in the AHL, too. But with Anaheim he seemed to have found a real home the past few seasons, and entered his first Flyers game with a career-high 14 goals on the season.

“I think our group is excited about our additions,” Vigneault said. “Both of them are penalty killers. In Grant’s case, he’s been playing the power play, he’s had a few power play goals with Anaheim. Both of them give us some versatility, both of them are experienced players. Everybody leads in a different way so we’ll let them get used to the new environment and we would expect them to come in contribute the right way and be good players for us.”

That would be tough to do on the first night, since both barely had time to get here and prepare for their first Philly game. That was especially true for Grant, who had a cross-country, overnight flight from the West Coast and still was looking somewhat chipper for the morning skate.

“It’s always a busy day,” Grant said of a hockey moving day. “I found out pretty early, Pacific Time, obviously. It gave me a little time to get organized, pack up and do some laundry. It always happens quick. I got in this morning, but it’s always nice to get into a game right away.”

As far as hopping into game action after only an informal skate with his linemates, Grant added, “I guess it’s one of those things where you develop it pretty quick in a game. We all play the same game, the same way for the most part.”