Now in his ninth NHL season, all with the Flyers, top-line center Sean Couturier is in the thick of his career prime at age 27. He will turn 28 on Dec. 7. The player has proven to be one of the NHL's biggest bargains over the span of his current contract ($4.33 million average annual value), which runs through the 2021-22 season.

A Selke Trophy finalist in 2017-18, many pundits have Couturier pegged as the front-runner this year to win the NHL's award for the top defensive forward. Although his offensive stats were slightly down from the pace of his back-to-back seasons with 30-plus goals and 76 points, Couturier has had an outstanding campaign by just about any measure.

There are players in the NHL with better speed. There are some with more natural offensive gifts. There are, however, precious few who are more complete, more hockey savvy or physically stronger both off-puck and in 50-50 battles than Couturier.

Couturier has evolved over the years from a shy youngster who deferred to the NHL veterans on the roster to a highly respected leader-by-example who has his finger on the pulse of the team. Similar to Matt Niskanen, Couturier may not speak up regularly but everyone pays attention when he does. He's also become one of the local media's go-to players and calming presences under pressure.

Two seasons ago, during the first round of the 2018 Eastern Conference playoffs, Couturier played one of the best -- and gutsiest -- series that any Flyer has turned in over the last decade. Dressing in five of the six games in the series and gritting his way through an MCL tear in the fateful final game against Pittsburgh, Couturier produced five goals and nine points including a hat trick and two assists in a losing cause in Game 6.

Even before Couturier exploded into his own as a consistent offensive producer in the NHL, there were hints that his offensive game would eventually catch up to his prowess as a shutdown center: a five-game goal streak and playoff hat trick as a rookie, stretches of nine points in 10 games, 14 points in 16 games and 17 points in 20 games over segments of subsequent seasons. Eventually, he put it all together in conjunction with increased power play time and regular ice time within the top-six in the forward rotation.

FIVE KEY FACTS

1) One of the most dominant faceoff men in the NHL, Couturier has won draws at a stellar 59.6 percent clip (59.9% at even strength, 62.8% on the power play, and 53.5% on the penalty kill).

2) Couturier has averaged 19:50 of ice time per game this season -- tops among Flyers forwards -- including 2:46 per game on the power play and 2:02 on the penalty kill. Couturier has been called upon to play 20 or more minutes of ice time 31 times this season, including a season-high 26:18 in the Flyers' 5-4 shootoutwin in Ottawa on Dec. 21.

3) Model of consistency: Couturier has only gone as many as three consecutive games without a point once this entire season (Oct. 24 to 27). On the flip side, he's had 14 multi-point games, two point streaks of four games (Oct. 15 to 21 and Jan. 2 to 8) and a five-game point streak (Oct. 29 to Nov. 7). Over the final 26 games before the NHL pause, Couturier has posted 24 points (10g, 14a) and a +10 rating.

4) Ranks 2nd among Flyers forward with an on-ice 55.55% expected goals percentage at 5-on-5 and tops the team with a 56.25% Corsi.

5) Couturier is 3-for-8 in shootouts this season. All three of his successful attempts have been the game-deciding goal.

TOP HIGHLIGHTS

1. Nov. 1 @ NJ (7:26, 2nd period, and shootout, top of 3rd round): The Flyers posted the most points in the NHL in the month of November. Couturier got the month off on a uplifting note as he scored in regulation and then converted the only successful attempt for either side. First, he stole a puck in the neutral zone and then benefited from some self-made puck luck on a slapper that bounced in off a defender. Later, in the shootout, he pulled off the "Peter Forsberg postage stamp" move to score a one-handed goal against Mackenzie Blackwood.

2. Nov. 25 vs. VAN (5:54, 2nd period): A typical Couturier goal: not necessarily pretty, but hard-working and timely. This goal in a scramble around the Vancouver Canucks net tied the game at 1-1 and got the Flyers on the path to an eventual 2-1 victory.

3. Feb. 8 @ WSH (15:22, 1st period and 2:59, 3rd period): Couturier was in beast mode on both sides of the puck in the Flyers' 7-2 blowout road win over the Capitals on Feb. 8. First, he opened the scoring with a one-time bullet from the left circle off a perfect pass-out by Claude Giroux. Early in the second period, Couturier built a 3-1 lead with one of his prettiest goals of the season. On a transition rush, Couturier took a feed from Jakub Voracek to go in all alone on Braden Holtby. Couturier put a filthy forehand shift on Holtby and tucked to puck into the cage.

THEY SAID IT

"Every player in the league -- not just on our team -- knows that Coots one of the best all-around players anywhere in the league. Maybe the [NHL All-Star Game voters] don't know it, but we all do. He is an elite player."

-- Jakub Voracek, January 20, 2020

HE SAID IT

"I think personally my year went really well, so did the team. Obviously, I am happy and honored just to be mentioned in the [Selke] award talks. Just another year. Another year where I improved and as a team, we evolved and got better as the year went on. I kind of feel my year reflected the same as the team.

-- Sean Couturier, April 14, 2020