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Flyers Camp Battles that are Set to Ensue
Photo Credit: Zack Hill/Flyers
With the Philadelphia Flyers Training Camp set to commence on September 18th, I thought it was about time I brought you my annual article on what camp battles are set to ensue.
Now, while the Flyers roster may not have changed that much over the summer thanks to General Manager Danny Briere being able to work out deals to bring back Travis Konecny, Bobby Brink, Garnet Hathaway, defenseman Yegor Zamula, and Russian netminder Ivan Fedotov, he did decide to switch some things up by buying out veteran forward Cam Atkinson and terminating the inflated contract of Ryan Johanson in order to make room for their star prospect Matvei Michkov to be able to come over from Russia after he was granted an unexpected early release from his KHL contract with SKA St. Petersburg back in late June.
With that being said, as far as the camp goes, the roster of attendees is already pretty well set, so let’s dive in and try to break down each position to find out if we should expect any surprises to make this club’s opening night’s roster.
Centers
To start, I thought it best to begin with the position that could benefit the most from some assistance. As Briere has previously alluded to, he is not exactly happy with his core group of centers. The reason for that is despite Sean Couturier, Morgan Frost, Scott Laughton, and Ryan Poehling collectively making around $15 million of the team’s $83.5 Million salary cap last year, not one of them was able to score more than 13 goals on the season; which I guess would be fine in theory if they were all the shutdown defensively responsible two way centers that the club makes them out to be, but in reality only one of them finished last season as a plus player.
Who are some of the outliers that may be attending camp that have a chance to make the club you may be asking? Well, some familiar faces like Jon-Randall Avon and Rhett Gardner, who played the majority of the year with the Phantoms last year, will likely be in attendance. Still, if I’m being honest, neither of them overly impressed me last season.
This is the reason why the team may have decided to go out and draft the speedy center Jett Luchanko from the OHL’s Guelph Storm with their first-round pick. Not to mention, the team selecting center Denver Barkey in the third round the previous summer, which, with his success last season, is turning out to be one of the steals of the draft. But, even though you can expect both of these prospects to receive extended looks during Training Camp, they most likely will return to the OHL next season for some more seasoning before getting the chance to turn pro, possibly in the spring.
In a similar boat is Massimo Rizzo, who, after winning his second National Championship with the University of Denver, decided to turn pro and join the ranks of the Flyers. But given the fact that he is inexperienced at the pro level, I would expect that management would like to see him gain the most experience/playing time that he can, which most likely means he will spend most, if not all, of next season, playing in the AHL.
So, who does that leave us with that could make the club’s opening night roster or at least be viewed as a ligament call-up option in case the injury-prone Sean Couturier or another dot dweller on the NHL roster goes down with an injury? Well, I think it will come down to a battle between the Flyers’ newly signed 28-year-old 6’4, 205-pound Latvian-born center Rodrigo Abols. Who has a year of experience playing in the AHL before heading over to play in Sweden’s top league, the SHL, for the last four seasons. If you’re not familiar with Abols’ game, despite his size, he is not the most physical of players, but he does surprise a lot of people with his speed and his play in front of the opposition’s net.
The other name to watch as far as faceoff men go is Anthony Richard. Anthony is a 27-year-old center that the Flyers signed this off-season. Richard comes with both AHL and NHL experience and is best known for scoring a combined 55 goals and 122 points at the AHL level over the past two seasons alone. I should mention that these massive totals came despite him being called up to play a part in each of the last two seasons in the NHL with both the Bruins and Canadiens, respectfully.
Now, while neither of these players should be considered long-term answers for the Flyers, they are decent options for this season, considering the team is playing up against the cap right now. With that being said, if needed, one or both of these players should be able to help the Flyers finish out the year and get them to the off-season, where their previously mentioned talented draft picks may then be ready to take over.
Wings
The Flyers have a wealth of players in this position who shoot right-handed but are currently deficient in players who are able to shoot left-handed. This makes the fact that they let their 2022 fifth-round pick Alex Bump, who shoots left-handed and scored at a near-a-point-per-game pace for Western Michigan University last season, walk away from their Development Camp this summer without a contract in hand seem a little crazy to me.
Be that as it may, the Flyers returning locks at wing are, of course, the newly resigned $70 million man, Travis Konecny, Owen Tippett, Tyson Foerster, Joel Farabee, Garnet Hathaway, Nicolas Deslauriers, Noah Cates, and Bobby Brink.
But let’s be honest, who most fans are most excited to see play this season is their newly signed star prospect Matvei Michkov, who has already been seen practicing and working out at the Flyers facilities alongside fellow Russian Egor Zamula. This comes after Michkov had just had a season in the KHL where he scored 19 goals and 22 assists for a total of 41 points in 47 games played. So, it should go without saying that the 19-year-old Michkov, who was taken number seven overall in 2023, will likely be forced to learn on the Fly with Philadelphia as they would not want to take the chance of sending him to Lehigh Valley to have some goon trying to make a name for himself take a run at him.
Whose left that could fill in if needed this year, you may be asking? Well, the Flyers would have hoped that prospects like Elliot Desnoyers, Samu Toumaala, Alexis Gendron, or Zayde Wisdom would have taken a step forward in their progression last season. But to me, all of them left a lot to be desired.
So, I think it will come down to two Swedish-born players who will battle it out for the chance to make the team or at least be a formidable call-up option. One of those players is Olle Lycksell, a versatile forward who has been developing within the team’s system for some time now. Olle, who was over a point-per-game player for the Phantoms last year, scoring 39 points in 38 games played, was also fortunate enough to spend 18 games up with the Flyers last season, where he registered five points.
The other Swede. to watch is the massive 6’4, 220-pound power forward Oscar Eklind. Oscar, who is 26 years old, was signed by the Flyers this summer after a season in the SHL, where he was able to score 17 goals and 11 assists for a total of 28 points in 48 games played. He is a player who uses his size to his advantage and scores most, if not all, of his points from five feet or fewer away from the crease, with you hearing that it should come as no surprise when I tell you that Oscar is very comfortable setting up shop in front the net. His goal is to screen the opposing team’s goalie. And being that he spends so much time there, Eklind has become exceptionally versed in the art of redirecting the puck and capitalizing on a nice juicy rebound.
It’s been a long time since the Flyers were able to benefit from a player with his type of skill set. And if you think back to when the team had guys who played a similar game, like Wayne Simmonds, Scott Hartnell, Mike Knuble, and/or John LeClair, the Flyers never had a problem scoring on the power play. Because of this, I foresee the Flyers growing very fond of Eklind’s skill set. I predict that they might eventually call him up this season (yes, even before they call up Lycksell) because he could add that missing element to their league’s worst power-play unit.
Defense
There is no denying that the Flyers have spent a lot of time and resources trying to strengthen their blue line over the past couple of years. And, thanks to their efforts, they have managed to get a pretty solid group of players with whom they feel comfortable heading into this season. Those players whose names will be written in Ink to patrol the Flyers Blueline even before the first puck drop will be Travis Sanheim, Jamie Drysdale, Cam York, Rasmus Ristolainen, Nick Seeler, and the Stanley Cup-winning veteran Erik Johnson.
This leaves us with Egor Zamula as the most likely candidate to be the rotational seventh defenseman, who will come in and out of the lineup to give guys a night off.
But that is not the end of their defensive depth. The Flyers also have 2023 1st round pick Oliver Bonk in the system, who doesn’t really have anything else to prove at the junior level after scoring 67 points in 60 regular season games for the London Knights, who he ended up winning an OHL Championship with last season. And therefore, he should not be sent back down just to beat up on competition that is no longer challenging him. But I digress. Others who will be there are 2020 2nd-round pick Emil Andrae, Ronnie Attard, Adam Ginning, Helge Grans, and Hunter McDonald.
So, if the Flyers are wise, they will give Oliver Bonk the most time in camp that they can to prove himself. But, if they do decide to send him back for his last year of Juniors, then the name that stands to beat out any of the other dogs in this fight would be 28-year-old Louie Belpedio.
To me, out of all the Phantoms’ defensemen that were brought up last season to play in a few games, Belpedio looked to be the most solid. Out of the 12 games he played with Philadelphia last season, he was the only one to offer the Flyers something in all facets of the game. Offensively, Louie scored two goals and two assists during his short stint with the Flyers last season. He was also sound defensively, playing mistake-free hockey on his way to finishing as a plus player with a +6 average. Not to mention, he is the only one on the back end who managed to show off how skilled he is when it comes to the art of fist-to-cuffs.
So, to me, while Bonk looks to be undoubtedly part of this team’s future, the amount of playing time he needs to continue to develop and thrive at the NHL level is not there. So, don’t be surprised if Belpedio finds himself holding down his spot for a while.
Goaltending
With the sudden departure of Carter Hart last season, most of us thought that the team would be doomed. But lucky for us, the Flyers’ 24-year-old goalie Sam Ersson managed to step up and be a workhorse for the team down the stretch, playing in 51 games last season.
And now with the long-awaited addition of the Flyers’ 6’8 netminder Ivan Fedotov, who has previously single handily carried Russia to an Olympic Silver Medal and won the KHL’s version of the Stanley Cup, the “Gagarin Cup”. With this addition, the Flyers once again seem to have a legitimate ONE-and ONE-A pairing in net.
As for the other goalies at Camp Cal, Petersen and his $5 million salary will likely be banished to the AHL again this season in order to lessen the financial burden on the team.
Prospect Carson Bjarnason, who management was impressed with at Development Camp, will be there as well, but don’t be shocked if he heads back to Juniors for another season.
So, I guess the real story comes down to whether the 22-year-old netminder that the team drafted back in the third round of the 2021 Draft, Alexei Kolosov, reports back to Philly as he’s being ordered to do so or not. If you didn’t hear, Kolosov was apparently unhappy with how he was treated when he came over at the end of last season, so much so that Alexei has made it known that he doesn’t wish to return despite him being contractually obligated to.
Lucky for us, Briere has a plan in action in case Kolosov is serious about his refusal to return. That plan is for Danny to invite 25-year-old netminder Eetu Makiniemi to camp on a tryout basis. Makiniemi, who was initially drafted by the Carolina Hurricanes back in 2017 in the fourth round, has played professionally in his home country of Finland in the Liiga, as well as over here in the ECHL, AHL, and NHL levels. And although he has limited NHL experience, playing in just two games last season for the San Jose Sharks, he did manage to put up some very respectable numbers during those outings with him, posting a 2.13 goals-against-average and a .906 save percentage.
So, in my mind, Makiniemi and Kolosov are the players to watch in net. Because there is not only a real possibility that if Kolosov does not return, Makiniemi could make the Phantoms roster, but that Eetu might prove to be a better call-up option than Petersen, seeing that when Cal was called up last season to play with the Flyers, he averaged an abysmal 3.90 goals-against-average and a .864 save percentage.
Well, that about sums it up. As in recent years, Training Camp for the Flyers is going to be a proving ground of sorts for some new guys who will be battling it out for their chance at either making the big club or setting themselves to be the number one call-up option moving forward at their position. But don’t count out other prospects who have been here from the pre-Briere era because they may sense that their time is running out for them to make a lasting impression and use that to fuel them to work harder and make the club. Regardless of how it all unfolds, it is bound to be entertaining! So, I would suggest you find your way up to Voorhees, NJ, come Sept. 18th and watch how it all plays out.
One USHL Rookie who will set the League on Fire This Year
Photo Credit: Andy Devlin | Hockey Canada Images
With each passing season, it seems as though the United States Hockey League (better known as the USHL) is gaining more and more esteem.
That’s because although it has stayed true to its roots of being the top-feeder league, Division One NCAA teams have come to depend on to fill their rosters. Over the last couple of years, it has managed to evolve into one of the more elite Junior leagues in the world. So much so that if you include the United States National Team Development Program (which is now a full-time affiliate), it has now been known to annually produce dozens of players that are taken in the first couple rounds of the draft.
With all that being said, it should come as no surprise to hear that even foreign-born players who have NHL aspirations are starting to migrate over to try and prove that their game is one that will translate well to the North American style of play.
This is the case of one USHL rookie named Adam Benak, who hails from Czechia and is due to join the Youngstown Phantoms this season.
Now, if you are not familiar with Adam, let me fill you in. At first glance, you’ll notice that he is a diminutive center who only stands at 5’7. But let me assure you what he lacks in size; he more than makes up for in speed and skill.
This was made evident by his play in the last two Hlinka Gretzky Cup Tournaments. While getting the rare chance to represent his Country on the world stage at just sixteen years old, Benak managed to explode onto the scene in the 23-24 tournament when he opened a lot of eyes, scoring two goals and eight assists for 10 points in only five games played, which for his efforts his team received the Silver Medal.
But with him falling short (no pun intended) of achieving a Gold Medal last year. Adam came into this year’s tournament (that was held on Aug. 5th-10th up in Edmonton) with the mindset of win or die trying because he ended up breaking the tournament’s all-time point record by scoring another four goals and seven assists that, when combined with his totals from last year adds up to an incredible 21 points!
And, to try and put into perspective just how grand that accolade is, with him operating at an over a two points-per-game pace in this tournament, it puts him in the same company as players like Matvei Michkov, Jarome Iginla, Alexander Ovechkin, Nathan Mackinnon, Rick Nash, and Tyler Seguin whom all previously made quite the name for themselves in this tournament.
Now, as far as what you can expect from Adam this season with the Phantoms, I predict that given the fact that guys won’t be that familiar with this elusive offensive-minded center, we could see this young man put up point totals that rival Phantoms’ legendary alumni Kyle Connor’s 14-15 campaign when he netted 34 goals and 46 assists for 80 points.
Yes, I am dead serious! Benak is an exceptional player who should hear his name being called by a team in the first round of next summer’s draft. But, of course, don’t just take my word for it; find your way up to Youngstown this season and take in a game to see if my prognostications come true.
One Underrated Flyers Free Agent Signing that Could Prove to Pay Dividends this Year.
Photo Credit: RDS.CA
There is no doubt that most Flyers fans were left feeling a little underwhelmed with the team’s free agency haul (or lack thereof) this offseason. But you have to remember General Manager Danny Briere didn’t have a lot of cap space with which to play with. Especially, if you factor in the team having to shell out a combined $7,596,429 this season to buy the underperforming Cam Atkinson and having to trade away/retain part of the salary of both forward Kevin Hayes and defensemen Anthony DeAngelo.
But that’s not all. The Flyers recently had to take on the bad contracts of both goalie Cal Peterson and center Ryan Johansen in order to gain the draft pick compensation that will help the club in the future, which now makes them responsible for the pair’s combined $9 million cap hit that they will most likely be obligated to have to bury in the minors.
Then there are, of course, the players dealing with extended injuries to factor in, whose salaries can’t be moved to the Long Term I.R. list until the start of the regular season, which obviously includes defenseman Ryan Ellis and his $6,250,000 annual cap hit that the team is still on the hook for three more seasons. And potentially, Rasmus Ristolainen (who holds a $5,100,000 AAV) that may or may not be ready to go at the start of the season after having to undergo surgery last year to repair a torn triceps tendon.
If you think about it, in total, that’s $27,946,429 out of the NHL’s allotted $88,000,000 Cap ceiling that teams are allowed to spend this season, that is virtually a wash for the Flyers right now. So, even if Briere wanted to pull off a significant acquisition on July 1st, he couldn’t because he simply did not have the money with which to do so.
So, they had to be not only tactful but frugal with their spending this off-season so as not to land themselves right back into cap purgatory. However, this does not mean that the team did not have needs. As their GM a louted to at the draft this franchise needs help down the middle of the ice. The reason? Well, the men that the team currently employs to patrol the faceoff dots here in Philadelphia are a group whose focus has become more about preventing goals than scoring them, which probably had a lot to do with the fact that the team ranked among the league’s worst in Goals Scored Per Game, and found themselves finishing dead last in the league in terms of powerplay goals scored over the previous two seasons.
But even though management is aware of this issue and has taken action to try and combat it, like when they drafted centers Denver Barkey, Jett Luchanko, Jack Berglund, and Heikki Ruohonen, not to mention trading for Massimo Rizzo the sad reality is that none of these players may be ready next season to join the Flyers; which is why I thought one of the most underrated moves made by management this year was the signing of 27-year-old center Anthony Richard.
Anthony Richard
Anthony, who was originally drafted back in the 4th round of the 2015 NHL Entry Draft by the Nashville Predators, has developed into quite the offensive threat at the AHL level over the last two seasons. For example, Anthony finished the 22-23 campaign with 30 goals and 37 assists for 67 points in 60 games played (An average of 1.12 points per game). He followed that up this last season by scoring 25 goals and 30 assists for 55 points in only 59 games played, which equates to him scoring at a rate of 0.93 points per game.
Now, while Richard may be far from the star center we were all hoping to somehow magically obtain this offseason, his immense speed and superior puck-handling skills will make him an excellent call-up option if those players above him on the depth chart continue to struggle offensively or sustain injuries.
For, I believe all this late-blooming prospect really needs now is a legitimate chance to prove himself at the NHL level. Because this team, more so than any other he had the privilege of spending NHL time with prior to this year, has the options at wing to help him succeed. Think about it: Our top nine (first three lines) projected wingers for next season are Konecny, Michkov, Tippett, Foerster, Farabee, and Brink. So, if Anthony, who is offensively minded is called upon at some point this season to come in and play with any combination of those guys previously mentioned. I don’t think it would be that far out of the realm of possibilities that he could easily surpass the 7.75 Million Dollar Man’s (Sean Couturier) 11 goals from last season.
Remember, the Flyers have three 1st round draft picks and potentially three second-round draft picks in next summer’s draft, so, again, while Anthony may not be the long-term solution that we all were hoping for this off-season, he and his nominal contract of just $775,000 could prove to be just the kind of stopgap this club needs until the newly drafted or not yet drafted reinforcements begin to show up.
Prospect Watch: Elijah Neuenschwander
Photo Credit: Alain Favre
As this old goalie starts to take a look at the crop of netminders that will be available in the 2025 NHL Draft, a few names obviously stand out. With those being Canadian-born Joshua Ravensbergen and Jack Ivankovic who both play in the CHL. But there is an outlier who I think will be making a name for himself this season. And that is Swiss-born goalie Elijah Neuenschwander.
What I like about Elijah, who stands at 6’4 and 183 pounds, is that he is not just another flopping butterfly goalie that everyone who plays this position now has seemed to turn into. He is more of a traditional stand-up goalie who will go down to stop a puck when he has to but will quickly recover to a standing position afterward.
This style breeds patience as Neuenschwander often elects to utilize his immense size to his advantage by leaving the crease to challenge the shooter that is barring down on him in an effort to eliminate any sight of twine for them to aim at. By doing this, Elijah forces his opponent into a game of chicken, where both wait for the other to make the first move. It’s a duel of sorts where Neuenschwander’s athleticism and quick reactionary times usually end in him coming out victorious.
Now, let’s talk some numbers. This past season, when Elijah was loaned out to the EHC Chur of the MyHL, he was able to record two wins in two starts while maintaining a goals-against average of just 0.97—so, being that his talents appear to far surpass that of his fellow peers. He spent most of his time playing up in the Swiss Elite Junior League in the U20 Division, where he was able to attain some more challenging competition. But, with every prospect from overseas, the real test for NHL scouts is seeing how these prospects will perform on an international level. I believe Elijah passes that test as well, seeing that while playing in two games for Team Switzerland’s U19 Team this past season, Neuenschwander was able to win both games again (with one being a shutout) and post a 0.50 goals against average and maintain a .985 save percentage.
So, with all this being said, look for this young netminder to be taken somewhere in the second round next summer. Because not only do I think Neuenschwander’s style of play will transition well to the North American game, but I believe in time, Elijah could find himself becoming the best Swiss born goalie to ever play in the NHL. And yes, that includes him surpassing the likes of both David Aebischer and Martin Gerber, who both, mind you, possess Stanley Cup Rings.
Prospect Watch: Malcolm Spence
Photo Credit: Natalie Shaver/OHL Images
If you have paid attention to the OHL at all these last couple of seasons, one name you have probably heard quite frequently mentioned is Malcolm Spence. And that’s because Spence, who was drafted second overall by the Erie Otters in the 2022 Priority Selection Draft, is a bit of an anomaly.
What I mean by that is he possesses so many different skill sets that he is virtually uncategorizable. For instance at first glance, even the best of scouts would look at Malcolm, who stands at 6’2 and 192 pounds, and label him a power forward. Would they be wrong? No, for Spence, at times, relies heavily on his size, strength, and grit to get into the dirty areas, win board battles, and finish off plays in front of the net. Much like another player who wore the number 17, Wayne Simmonds did for so many years in Philadelphia with the Flyers.
But, then, on the very next shift, Malcolm is able to switch gears, if you will, and surprise the opposition’s defense with the type of speed and dexterity we, the fans, are more used to seeing come from a more skilled, slightly smaller forward. An example of him exhibiting these type of traits is when Spence uses a sudden burst of speed to dangle his way into the high-scoring area known as the slot.
However, what will make him the most alluring to prospecting NHL clubs next summer is his ability to combine all that with his renewed focus on becoming more defensively reliable. A feat that he was able to achieve last season when Malcolm was able to go from finishing the 22-23 campaign a -23 to this past season closing out the year a +11.
I’ve got to be honest here with Malcolm helping Team Canada to win GOLD at both the Hlinka Gretzky Cup and the U-18 World Junior Championships, not to mention him scoring 19 goals and 43 assists for 62 points in 66 games played with the Otters last season it’s going to be hard to top that. But if anyone is capable of doing that, I assure you it’s this driven individual. And this is because he somehow seems to learn on the fly, whether it’s him computing goalie’s tendencies to memory or having the ability never to make the same mistake twice, I don’t know. But what I am sure of is that Malcolm seems to get better with each and every game that passes; which is why I’m willing to bet when this upcoming season is all said and done Spence will hear his name being called by one of the top ten teams in next summer’s draft.
Should Mark Recchi replace Flyers Ast. Coach Rocky Thompson?
Photo credit: The Philadelphia Inquirer
For the past two seasons, the Philadelphia Flyers power play unit (that finished statistically the worst in the league in each of the last two seasons) has been run by former tough guy Rocky Thompson—a guy who was drafted in the third round of the 1995 NHL Draft by the Calgary Flames. And, despite playing 12 seasons as a professional only got to play in a whopping 25 NHL games. Now, in those 25 NHL games, Rocky managed to net a grand total of ZERO goals! However, to his credit he did amass an impressive 2,036 career penalty minutes as a professional!
To make this worse still, you’ll be happy to know that the Flyers thought it wise to hire this career knuckle dragger to run the power play of all things after he was let go by the San Jose Sharks for ripping off his shirt in a team meeting and challenging the then Shark’ Evander Kane to a fight. A real class act if I’ve ever heard one.
I need someone from the Flyers’ upper management to make this make sense for me because not only do I not understand the reason he was hired in the first place, but I don’t get why he is still employed given the team’s lack of production on the man advantage during his tenure. I mean, the Flyers were only effective 12.2% of the time on the power play last year, scoring just 31 power play goals on 254 attempts. Folks, that was 40 goals off the pace of the league-leading Tampa Bay Lightning. And the previous season was much of the same.
So, what’s the answer? Well, although maybe not the best option, one that would make more sense is firing Rocky Thompson and hiring a familiar face in Mark Recchi, who was just let go from his job with the Columbus Blue Jackets after joining their coaching staff in the middle of the season. Now, call it Nepotism if you want, but with the potential hiring of Mark Recchi, the Flyers would gain the knowledge of a former player whose career spanned 22 seasons in the NHL. Won three Stanley Cups and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame for scoring 577 career goals (200 of which game on the power play) and totaled 1,533 points (569 of those coming while he was on the PP.).
Now, I know Mark’s recent efforts with Columbus did not go so well. But tell me, when was the last time Columbus had a successful season? I’ll tell you if you don’t know, it was back in 2019 when their Head Coach was John Tortorella, when they went to the Playoffs four years in a row.
So, I’m not willing to put the Blue Jackets’ ineffectiveness on the power play last season all on Recchi, especially since Mark won an additional two Stanley Cups as a coach when he was with the Penguins.
What it boils down to for me is, at the end of the day, who do you think this youthful core of players is actually going to listen to and or respect? Rocky Thompson, who was never even afforded the opportunity to be on the ice during a man advantage? Or the iconic Mark Recchi, who has more power-play points than the likes of Brett Hull, Sidney Crosby, and Gordie Howe.
With that being said, Thompson has had his chance and has failed miserably. The team’s power play unit, which was once feared, is now the laughingstock of the league. And I, for one, no longer wish for him to be the guy offering up the tutelage to our players. Hell, Michkov may be the best prospect we’ve had since Eric Lindros, and I’d much rather have a guy like Recchi, who has collected a fist full of Stanley Cup rings drawing up plays for him, than a guy who possibly inspired Adam Sandler to write Happy Gilmore.
Prospect Watch: Liam Kilfoil
@LiamKilfoil via X
As this summer draws to a close, the new hockey season is already upon us, which is made evident every year by the commencement of the historic Hlinka Gretzky Cup. And one very underrated player that I would like to bring your attention to with this article would be Canada’s Liam Kilfoil.
Now, while Liam may not be one of the top prospects that everyone is focusing on in this tournament, he will prove to be an interictal part in both Team Canada’s success through the rest of this tournament (where he is already posting a near point per game average) as well as the Halifax Mooseheads future triumphs, whom he was drafted by in the third round of the 2023 QMJHL Draft.
This is largely too due to the fact that he is a multi-tool player who has proved to be equally effective and dangerous in all three zones. For one, he is defensibly responsible. A coach’s dream center, one who makes an attempt on every shift to try and get back and prevent the opposition from scoring, which is why, at just 16 years of age last season, he was afforded the opportunity to play on the Mooseheads Penalty Killing Unit.
Furthermore, Kilfoil plays with his head on a swivel, allowing him to both see and receive pucks in the neutral zone with ease, which leads to him starting multiple breakout attempts each and every game. And, with his long, powerful strides and mastery level puck distributing skills, you can bet that every time he crosses into the offensive zone with the puck on his stick, it’s going to result in his team achieving a scoring chance, if not a goal. This is why he also received ample playing time this past season when Halifax was on the power play.
So, with all this being said, expect Kilfoil to use the experience he gained last season playing in the Q, along with the knowledge he will gain from playing in this tournament, to far surpass the nine goals and eleven assists that he was able to compile last season, for experience breeds confidence! With this newfound confidence in his game, I think we will see Liam be more willing to resist his initial urge to pass the puck this season and instead hold on to it for a fraction of a second longer, allowing the play to develop further, thus creating more opportunities for he (the puck carrier) to hurl the puck at the net himself.
And, if Kilfoil can do this much like he did in the four playoff games he competed in last season, where he tallied three goals. He will not only become a more complete player but see his 2025 NHL Entry Draft stock rise.
Both Short and Long Term Options that Could Better Help Michkov Down the Middle
Photo Credit: St. Louis Blues Press/ HC Dynamo Moscow
As we all heard by now, the reports leading up to the draft were that the Philadelphia Flyers and their General Manager Danny Briere wanted to move up to within the top five to be able to select their star prospect Matvei Michkov’s friend and now former teammate Ivan Demidov.
But the Flyers evidently balked at the asking price it would have taken to do so. Ivan (who was then later graciously selected by the Montreal Canadiens 5th overall) possesses the kind of elite stick-handling/puck-distributing skill set that would have paired perfectly with Michkov’s unreal finishing ability. He played in 30 regular season MHL games this year in Russia, where he scored 23 goals and 37 assists for 60 points while maintaining a +47 average on the season. And, if that wasn’t enough, he, like only the greats know how to do come playoff time, was able to take it to another level and tally 28 points in 17 playoff games while finishing with a +19 average for the postseason.
Now, I get it. Columbus reportedly wanted Philadelphia to give up multiple first-round picks that they possessed from this past draft, a player from the Flyers’ active roster, and potentially more. Still, you can’t get something for nothing.
I mean, to get one of, if not the greatest player to have ever worn a Flyers jersey “Eric Lindros” the team had to give up then-draft prospect Peter Forsberg, roster players Mike Ricci, Ron Hextall, Steve Duchesne, Kerry Huffman, future considerations —which eventually became Chris Simon — two first-round draft picks, and $15 million.
So, don’t tell me that you would be mad if the team managed to pull the trigger on a similar deal for the chance to land a player that could potentially give the Flyers their best duo since Lindros and LeClair last stepped on the ice together way back in the year 2000.
The Flyers had the draft capital to make it happen but were reluctant to pull the trigger when it came right down to it. So, instead, they decided to reach for a guy in Jett Luchanko (who wasn’t projected to go until much later in the 1st round). Not to mention them deciding to then accept a deferred payment from the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for their second first-round selection in this year’s draft, which they received from trading Claude Giroux to Florida multiple seasons ago now in the terms for Edmonton’s own 2025 1st round pick.
Now, I don’t know about you, but it seems like management was just mad that they couldn’t get who they wanted for what they were willing to pay, so they just went through the motions the rest of the weekend and decided to stockpile their chances for the 2025 Draft.
But I’m not here to just complain. I’m here to present a way that the Flyers could gain a shot at redemption in both the short and long term.
SHORT TERM (Nikita Alexandrov)
In the short term the Flyers are looking for help down the center of the ice. For years now, Philadelphia has put a strong emphasis on their forwards being defensively responsible in an effort to hide just how bad their defensive core has been during that time. But in order to make that game plan a reality, they have managed to draft, sign, and trade for practically the same type of player down the middle. Take, for instance, the men who lineup in the dots currently for this franchise. Sean Couturier, Morgan Frost, Scott Laughton, and Ryan Poehling. They are all cookie-cutter molds of the same type of player whose primary focus is winning faceoffs in order to gain puck possession and then hanging back in order to limit their opponent’s chances of scoring goals.
While this ideology sounds nice in theory, and did manage to aid their defense a bit last season. It resulted in their offense suffering exponentially, with Philadelphia scoring just 231 goals last season, which ranked them 20th in the league.
Now, I don’t care how many Selke Trophies Coots wins before he hangs up his skates for the last time. If the team is now going to be forced to pay him $7.75 million annually until the year 2030, then I’m going to need him to light the lamp more than the 11 times he did last year. And, for that matter, the same goes for the teams’ other centers that collectively averaged just 12 goals apiece last season.
So, in my opinion, in order to give Michkov the best opportunity to succeed this upcoming season, they need to switch it up a bit and get Matvei a potential offensive threat down the middle to play with. To do that, I would suggest the Flyers try to pull off a sign-and-trade deal for the speedy St. Louis Blues restricted free agent, 23-year-old Russian dot dweller Nikita Alexandrov. Nikita, who is a former 30-goal scorer during his time in the QMJHL, was originally drafted back in 2019 in the 2nd round by the Blues but, however promising, Nikita found himself last season often being labeled a healthy scratch since the Blues were pretty loaded down the middle and were afraid of trying to send him back down to the AHL (where he was averaging a point per game) for fear he would be quickly snagged off the waiver wire.
However, despite the high probability that Alexandrov will be dealt a similar fate this upcoming season, with no significant changes occurring in St. Louis’ lineup this off-season. The Blues still decided to extend a qualifying offer to him this off-season so they would not lose Alexandrov for nothing.
Although I can see the logistics in that, they still seem reluctant to offer him the type of term and salary he believes he is worth. This leads me to believe that Nikita, who carried a cap hit of just $816K last season, could benefit from a change of venue, much like Owen Tippett did when he joined the Orange and Black from the likes of the Florida Panthers.
Therefore, I think the Flyers should hurry up and take advantage of the Blues’ lack of space for Alexandrov on their NHL roster and offer a trade for his rights for nothing more than a couple of already-drafted prospects who are no longer progressing in the Flyers system. St. Louis is likely to take whatever they can get for him at this point, considering they just lost one of their other young Russian center prospects, Mikhail Abramov, to the KHL because he, too, was in the same situation and did not want to spend another season in the minors without even getting a fair shot at the NHL level to prove himself.
I believe taking a shot at acquiring Nikita Alexandrov from the Blues would be a low-risk, high-reward type move. If it works out, it would not only give Matvei Michkov a faster, more offensive threat to play with than any other Center on this team but also a fellow Russian that he could play with to help him better understand what is expected of him in practice and in games until he has the chance to better learn how to speak the language.
Long Term Option (Ivan Ryabkin)
Suppose that doesn’t work out. It was only meant to be a stopgap anyway. The real solution would be to utilize any of the three first’s or three second-round picks that the Flyers have acquired for next year’s draft and package them up to draft a fellow Russian player who, once paired with Michkov, the duo could prove to develop into one of the best in the league. And that player would be none other than the next Russian phenom 2025 Draft-eligible center Ivan Ryabkin.
Ivan, who just turned 17 years old in April, played the majority of the year in the MHL this past season, where he managed to score 24 goals and 34 assists for 58 points in 44 games played, which may not be the two points per game average that Demidov managed in that league this year. Still, Ryabkin’s draft year is this upcoming season. He has already proved himself in the MHL, so chances are you will see him receiving some playing time in the KHL next season. Especially since he plays for a lesser team in Dynamo and not the stacked Red Army Team that Demidov was only able to crack the KHL lineup with for four times this past season.
Ryabkin plays a similar game to Demidov in that he is able to use his soft hands and strong hockey sense to maneuver himself to a possession where he can best set up his teammates for a goal. But unlike Demidov, Ryabkin has been known to play a bit more aggressively in the sense that he’ll follow that pass up by crashing the net for the chance to put back a nice juicy rebound. And this is just my opinion, but didn’t the team always seem to make the playoffs when they had one of those types of guys on the roster? You know, players like John LeClair, Mike Knuble, Wayne Simmonds, and Scott Hartnell, to name a few.
So, if I’m Danny Briere, I’m not taking no for an answer next summer when calling teams about the possibility of moving up to select Ryabkin. They have the draft capital to make any move they want a reality. So, why not go get Michkov, someone who deserves to play with him? Every great player in this league who was/is successful is successful because he has a significant number two guy. Lemieux had Jagr, Crosby has Malkin, McDavid has Draisaitl, and the list could go on and on, but you get the point. One man cannot do it all on his own. Hell, even “The Great One” had Jari Kurri, who scored 71 goals in 1985, to help Wayne and the Oilers get past Ron Hextall and the rest of the Flyers.
So, if the Flyers really think Michkov is going to be the best player to wear an Orange and Black jersey since “The Big E” (Eric Lindros), then please don’t hesitate next time to go get him someone he can play with.
Prospect Watch: Joshua Ravensbergen
Photo Credit: (Photo: James Doyle)
As this summer rapidly draws to a close, a new crop of NHL hopefuls can be found in rinks across North America, tirelessly honing their craft as they try to prepare themselves for the impending season.
One such prospect who I feel you should know about who is currently doing just that is goaltender Joshua Ravensbergen of the Western Hockey League’s Prince George Cougars. Josh, who at 17-year-old is already measuring out to the height of 6’4, turned a lot of heads last season when his play seemingly forced his Head Coach Mark Lamb to have to allow him to split time with his older, more experienced netminding counterpart Ty Young who was previously selected by the Vancouver Canucks back in 2022 and then later signed to an NHL Entry Level deal.
The reason why Ravensbergen was able to command so much playing time at such a young age this past season was because his long-limbed frame allows him to play the butterfly style to perfection! For instance, some goalies who play this style tend to come up short and leave either the top or bottom corners of the net exposed. But Joshua appears to be a bit of an anomaly in this sense since his telescopic legs somehow manage to cover the entire length of the crease. And his long torso allows his stretch arm strong like arms to prevent even the water bottle rocket-type shots that would undoubtedly sound the goal sirens in other barns around the league to stay silent in Prince Georges!
I guess that’s why, with these superhuman-like abilities at his disposal it should come as no surprise to hear that Josh was able to win an incredible 68% of the games he played in last year. Finish the regular season with a league-leading six shutouts and had a playoff run that spanned 12 games where he averaged a 1.98 goals against average, a .931 save percentage, and put up an unheard of three post-season shutouts!
With all this being said, there is no doubt in my mind that Ravensbergen should be considered one of, the best, goaltenders available in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft. So, the only question will not be IF he gets drafted, but WHEN!
Free Agents, who are still available, that could prove to Pay Dividends for the Flyers
After a flurry of deals that resulted in teams spending over a billion dollars on just the first day of free agency (July 1st), it’s easy to assume that anyone who could actually help the Philadelphia Flyers organization next season has long since been signed by another team, but you would be wrong!
Now, while I will admit the Flyers’ options may be limited at this point, given the fact that they have very little cap space thanks to their multiple buyouts used over the years and the list of available players already being heavily picked over. I still think there are some free agents out there that could prove to pay major dividends.
Carter Savoie
The first and perhaps most affordable option out there that makes sense for the Flyers to sign or at least invite to camp is 22-year-old Carter Savoie. Carter, who is a left winger, previously won an NCAA National Championship with the University of Denver while playing alongside Flyers prospects Bobby Brink and Massimo Rizzo, where that season, he was able to post 23 goals and 22 assists for 45 points in just 39 games played. Savoie, who is now an unrestricted free agent, was originally taken in the fourth round of the 2020 Draft by the Edmonton Oilers because he was deceptive both with and without the puck, which created many offensive chances.
But, sadly, since turning pro, Carter (who was once thought of as one of the Oilers’ top prospects) has yet to make an impact at the pro level, which ultimately led to his becoming a free agent.
However, the Oilers’ loss could be the Flyers’ gain in that a change in scenery and a couple of familiar faces may be all that Savoie needs in order for him to get back on track. Case in point: Savoie, who is still just 22 years old, was once thought of as a top-tier prospect, and therefore, his career should be far from over, which is why I feel Philadelphia would be wise to sign Savoie to a one-year two-way contract to give him the chance to revive his career most likely with the Phantoms. That way, if he still does not perform, they could let him walk at the end of the season, but if he thrives playing alongside some of his former teammates, then they just gained themselves a player who could be a problem for the rest of the Metropolitan Division for the next ten years.
Kailer Yamamoto
Throughout this off-season, the Flyers management stressed that they wish to improve their team down the middle. They backed that statement up recently by selecting multiple centers a few weeks ago at the draft, with the most notable being the newly signed Jett Luchanko, who the team took with the 13th overall pick.
But although Jett looked quite impressive at development camp, he most likely will not be ready to make the big clubs opening night roster this fall.
What other options may the team then have, you may be asking? Well, as far as Dot Dwellers go, the team has both Denver Barkey and the previously mentioned Massimo Rizzo signed. But both are likely to start the season in Lehigh Valley.
So, I would suggest they take a look into what it would take to sign 25-year-old Kailer Yamamoto. Kailer, at times last season, was asked to center the Krakens’ second line. Where while he did not turn out to be a big point producer, only scoring eight goals and eight assists for a total of 16 points, he did manage to create plenty of scoring chances for his less-than-impressive linemates.
What should be noted here is that Kailer is not known for being a playmaker like he was forced to be last year in Seattle. He instead is more known for his ability to put up points in bunches when playing with other talented players, as he did in Edmonton a few years back, where he scored 20 goals, and 21 assists for 41 points while playing on a line with a guy like Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and on power play opportunities while lining up alongside the likes of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.
Now, the Flyers may not have elite-level offensive talent like the players found in the Oilers’ top six. But, I think that Yamamoto (who only made $1.5 million last season) could prove to be a more suitable option over Morgan Frost to keep up with the likes of Owen Tippet and newcomer Matvei Michkov, who may very well be this team’s new dynamic duo.
Kirill Marchenko
Ok, those may be the more plausible options that the Flyers could make, but if they wanted to finish the off-season with a bang, I would suggest they try and trade for the rights to the Blue Jackets restricted free agent forward Kirill Marchenko. Kirill, who hails from Russia, is a 23-year-old versatile winger who is equally comfortable lining up on either side of the face-off dot.
Columbus originally drafted him in the second round of the 2018 Entry Draft. Where after quite some time he finally decided to come over to play in North America for the 22-23 season, where, after suiting up for just a handful of games at the AHL level, he was promoted to the NHL, where he was able to net 21 goals in just 59 games.
Always striving to get better this past season, Kirill was able to top those totals by scoring an impressive 23 goals.
In my mind, Kirill would make the perfect linemate for the Flyers, impeding superstar Matvei Michkov. He is a young, established Russian player who is already thriving in the NHL and could help Matvei with any trials or tribulations that may arise during his first full season playing in North America.
As far as why Marchenko may still be considered an option, the Blue Jackets have yet to name a new head coach and have a new GM in Don Waddell. A guy who was formally the GM of the Carolina Hurricanes, and if you know anything about him, he is hesitant to sign anybody to a long-term deal like Marchenko is rumored to be asking for.
But what makes the Flyers chances that much better is that the Blue Jackets just inked free agent forward Sean Monahan to a new 27.5 million dollar deal and re-signed Yegor Chinakhov to a new two-year contract. Not to mention the fact that Marchenko is not the only restricted free agent, that Waddell still needs to resign. The team’s former top-five pick, Kent Johnson is still waiting to sign his new contract as well.
Think about it. We all know the Flyers were trying to move up to select the young Russian Ivan Demidov to pair with Michkov and failed miserably in their attempts. So, why not offer up future draft capital to obtain a proven NHL talent like Marchenko, who could be there for Matvei day one of training camp? I’m sure this kind of acquisition would not come cheap, but the Flyers have the means to get the deal done with the three first and three second-round picks that they have acquired over the last few years for the 2025 Draft. Not to mention, they could throw in any number of roster players like Morgan Frost or the often-rumored Joel Farabee to combat their own salary cap issues. Then there of course is the Flyers already drafted prospects, like forwards Samu Tuomaala and Olle Lycksell. Defenseman Emil Andre and Helge Grans, or goalie Alexei Kolosov who any combination of these players when paired with a couple picks could prove enough to entice the Blue Jackets newly appointed GM to make a deal.
So, if the Flyers really wish to accomplish their goal of returning to playoffs sooner rather than later. They need to make a couple, if not all, of these moves. So, what if the team is competitive? They haven’t won a championship in over 49 years! So, take a chance if it’s there, Danny. While the idea of having all these draft picks is nice, if you keep on trading back to acquire more, it will only prolong the drought!
Prospect Watch: Here are Two Players who are set to take the USHL by Storm Next Season
Photo Credit: https://chicagosteelhockeyteam.com/
The United States Hockey League is growing by leaps and bounds; so many players have been drafted out of it in recent years that it has become a hatchery of sorts for prospects. What I mean by that is, it has become a place where some of the best NCAA teams from around the nation come to watch and recruit players who have gone on to become future Hobey Baker Award nominees, finalists, and even winners like the first overall selection from this year’s NHL Draft Macklin Celebrini, who before joining Boston University was a standout star for the Chicago Steel back in the 22-23 season. This trend will continue this year with the likes of John Mustard, who was the recipient of the USHL’s Rookie of the Year Award last season, who played for the Waterloo Black Hawks and was just drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks a week ago. He is slated to be heading to Providence College next season, where he is sure to impress.
But, with the new season approaching, the question now becomes who will be the next up-and-coming players that will prove to take the league by storm?
Blake Zielinski
One player who could do just that is 16-year-old New Jersey native Blake Zielinski, who was taken 3rd overall in Phase One of the USHL Draft back in May by the Des Moines Buccaneers.
Blake, a forward who grew up locally playing for the Philadelphia Flyers Elite AAA Teams, took a chance this season by deciding to play for the much more competitive North Jersey Avalanche of the AYHL, where he scored 26 goals, and 26 assists for 52 points in only 22 games played this past year! That decision proved to be a wise one because the 1.18 goals per game and 2.36 points-per-game he average made USHL executives sit up and take notice.
Zielinski, whose breakaway speed, elite stick handling, and extreme patience with the puck on his stick when bearing down on the goalie, will pair nicely with the likes of the Buccaneers’ breakout star from last season, Ben Kevan, who, at just 16 years old was able to compile a near point-per-game average in just his first year playing in the USHL.
This is why, with these two swashbuckling prospects at the helm next season, I look for the Bucs to plunder their way through a couple more wins and thus place Des Moines in the talks for league supremacy.
Adam Valentini
The other name that will have fans sitting up and taking notice next season is Adam Valentini, who the Chicago Steel signed to a USHL tender agreement for the 2024-2025 season.
This 16-year-old, who hails from Toronto, Ontario, was the highest-scoring player in Canadian AAA hockey last year, where he netted 52 goals and 82 assists for 132 points in only 57 games played! Folks, that was good enough for him to average 2.31 points per game last season.
A feat that not only earned him the honor of playing for the Steel, who have produced prospects like Owen Power, who went 1st overall in 2021, Adam Fantilli, who went 3rd overall in 2023, Macklin Celebrini (who we already spoke about) who went 1st overall this year, and Michael Hage who went 21st overall. But also the honor of receiving an offer to play for the University of Michigan in the future, which he has since graciously accepted.
Adam will bring with him to Chicago next season a shot that already rivals most players in the NHL primarily because it is both powerful and accurate. As far as his play style goes he wastes no time holding onto the puck; he simply sets out to seek and destroy any goaltender who is brave enough to stand in front of his shot. To go along with that, he is dominant in the face circle, which gives his team plenty of offensive chances, as well as needed defensive zone wins, which allows his team to gain more puck possessions to create breakout chances.
Now, I know it may seem early to make this assumption but trust me when I say this: if you live close to a USHL team’s rink, you may want to go ahead and reserve your seats when these two players come to town with their respected clubs because they are sure to put on a show.
What to Make of the Flyers Draft Haul
Photo Credit: AP Photo/Steve Marcus
Coming into this weekend, the Philadelphia Flyers were already defeated. They had tried to create cap space by attempting to trade their 35-year-old underachieving diminutive winger Cam Atkinson, who they were due to be still on the hook for $5,875,000 this season. But after working out a deal to send him to the San Jose Sharks. Cam quickly rejected it thanks to his modified no-trade clause.
Resulting in the team having to place him on waivers with the intent to buy him out. Doing so will save the Flyers over $3.5 million in salary next season but will cost them nearly two million in 2025 for him not to play for them.
Now, I know that Atkinson is a veteran player who is coming into the final years of his career, but to NOT be able to find any other trades for him, even if they were to retain some of his salary, seems laughable.
Especially since the Tampa Bay Lightning were able to create $11 million in salary cap space mid-draft by trading one of their overpaid blueliners in Mikhail Sergachev to Utah, who is signed for seven more years at $8.5 million a season, and Tanner Jeannot to the Kings. Mind you, both of these trades came with no mention of Tampa Bay having to retain any salary. These sudden draft day deals are the ones that create championships or at least keep teams competitive year in and year out. Case in point: because of these masterful moves on the draft floor, the Lightning will be able to re-sign both Steven Stamkos and Victor Hedman. Something that before today seemed highly unlikely.
Also, leading up to the draft, we heard rumors about Philadelphia desperately trying to make a deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets, among others, to try to secure a top-five selection. It was a move they could have clearly made with all the draft assets that they had previously acquired, but when it came right down to it, the Flyers were unwilling to ante up and make a deal with them giving up or folding on their pursuit. They lost out on the chance to select their prized prospect, Matvei Michkov’s former teammate and friend Ivan Demidov, whose elite passing skills would have paired perfectly with Michkov’s innate finishing ability.
Only to later pass on the opportunity to select a multiple World Junior Championship gold medal-winner/ NCAA National Championship award-winning defenseman in Zeev Buium. And the most lethal scorer in this draft in Cole Eiserman, whose 127 career goals for the Red, White, and Blue saw him surpass the likes of Auston Matthews, Patrick Kane, Phil Kessel, and Cole Caufield to become the National Development Program’s new all-time goal scorer. For them to only to reach for a center at 13, which wasn’t even projected to go until the mid to late twenties overall.
Jett Luchanko- 1st Round Pick 13th Overall from the Guelph Storm
So, who is this guy the team passed on so many other seemingly excellent prospects to select? Well, that would be none other than Jett Luchanko—a fast-rising prospect who opened a lot of eyes late in the season. Being one of the youngest players in this draft class, Jett started the year as a virtual unknown, but with each passing game, he gained more and more respect from scouts around the league. Why? You may be asking, well, let’s just say he is a player who undoubtedly lives up to his name.
Because every time, Luchanko steps on the ice, the opposition is left saying who was that or what just happened. That’s because Jett (pardon the pun) is known to turn on the afterburners as soon as he touches the puck. Seriously, Jett is hands down the fastest player in this draft class. Now, while he can score goals, as evident by the 20 lamp lighters that he was able to accumulate this season, he is more of a playmaker. A setup artist, if you will, who achieved 54 assists on the year.
And, if you’re on the ice with him, please pay attention and keep your stick down. Because, as they say about some gifted shooters, the puck doesn’t stay on his stick long. The only difference is that Jett is not just going to throw it at the net immediately. His excellent on-ice vision allows him to play two steps ahead of everyone else, so if a shot is not there, he is going to find his target instantly and launch an absolute cruise missile to an awaiting teammate’s stick blade.
These are all good things if your name is Matvei Michkov.
After making that selection, the Flyers made another head-scratching move when they chose to trade away their second-first round pick, 32 overall, that they received from the Panthers when they dealt away their long-time captain Claude Giroux. They dealt that pick that they waited so long to receive to the Edmonton Oilers for a future 1st round pick in either 2025 or 2026, depending on where the Oilers finish next season. A move that could possibly leave the Flyers with three first-round selections in 2025.
Jack Berglund- 2nd round 51st Overall
So, with that, Philly had to wait until the 51st pick to make their next selection, which they used to select another center. This time, it was a 6’3, 207-pound Swedish one that goes by the name Jack Berglund.
Now, if you don’t know Berglund, he is a 200-foot center who doesn’t put up a ton of points but has sneaky good hands and a surprisingly high finishing rate. Obviously, with his size, he does well in board battles and can drive the puck to the net with ease without even noticing his opponent’s attempts to strip the puck from him. But as far as where he could fit in terms of the NHL, I think his ceiling is a third-line gritty center.
There are a lot of other players I would have selected here, but Danny Briere said he thought the center position was a need for them, so another center he went out and got.
After making this selection, the Flyers saw a guy they really liked still on the board, so they traded back into the second round to take a defenseman this time.
Spencer Gill- 2nd round 59th Overall from the QMJHL Rimouski Oceanic
Spencer is a big-bodied defender who likes the offensive side of the game. He possesses a pretty decent shot, and he pairs it with a good release. This season Spencer was able to score 12 goals and 34 assists for a total of 46 points in 65 games played.
He needs to clean up his skating and work on his decision-making.
If they wanted to take a blueliner this high, I would have taken a guy like Charlie Elick with the 32nd overall pick and not traded it to Edmonton. I think they would have gotten a much better defender who skates well and makes much better decisions on the breakout.
Heikki Ruohonen- 4th Round 107th Overall Pick U20 SM-Sarja
Without a 3rd round pick because of all the trades, the Flyers’ next selection came in the 4th round, where they took yet another center. This time, it was Heikki Ruohonen from Finland. A 6’2 204 pound center who scored 20 goals and 27 assists for 47 points in 37 games played at the junior level.
Now, Rouhonen is not the most physical player, and he won’t blow you away with any one skill over another player, but what he will do is outwork you. And what apparently is a must now if you want to be drafted by the Flyers is he is a 200-player. One that will play you just as hard in the defensive zone as he will in the offensive zone. Fun fact here is that Heikki is committed to playing for Harvard University in the coming years.
If they wanted to take another center with this pick, I would have suggested a very underrated player in Tomas Mrsic, who scored nearly a points-per-game for the Medicine Hat Tigers of the WHL this year.
Noah Powell 5th Round 148th Overall Pick RW USHL
In the 5th round, we saw the Flyers take their first winger, Noah Powell. He is an overager who was able to triple his point production from last season. Noah, who exemplifies what it is to be a late bloomer, went from scoring just eight goals last year to leading the league this past season, scoring an awe-inspiring 43 goals, with 16 of them coming while on the power play, which was also a league-best total.
Like Ruohonen, Powell is an intelligent player who loves to use his 6’2, 201-pound power forward frame to drive to the center of the ice and get a scoring attempt closer to the paint.
He is committed to playing for Ohio State next season, and I think his game should transition well there.
If it were up to me with this pick, I would have taken a chance on a 17-year-old 5’8 diminutive forward by the name of Justin Poirier from the QMJHL. Poirier was still on the board when the Flyers made this selection, and he is nothing but a pure goal scorer. This season, Poirier put up a league-leading 51 goals. He averaged 1.20 points per game while still maintaining a +40 average. Just my opinion, but I would much rather take a chance on Poirier, who is a pure goal scorer, rather than a guy who couldn’t put up numbers in his draft year, so he decided to stick around and accumulate huge stats playing against much younger prospects.
Ilya Pautov 6th Round 173rd Overall Pick
In the later rounds, you begin to take more chances, and Pautov is just that. While he will do some things that impress the heck out of you, there are still many areas where his decisions will have you shaking your head.
Despite all that, his puck handling is strong, and his point totals reflect that. With him scoring 15 goals and 30 assists for 45 points in 46 games played in the MHL (Russia’s junior league)
But, as impressive as those stat lines are for a 6th-round player, he tends to shy away from contact, and that simply won’t bode well for him if he ever wants to come over to play in North America.
Again, while I don’t necessarily hate this pick, I would have rather seen them take a chance on a guy like Nathan Free. A player who scored 32 goals and 33 assists for 65 points in 60 games played this season for the Brooks Bandits of the BCHL.
Scheduled to follow his former teammate Aiden Fink to Penn State next season, I think Nathan Free is going to have a breakout year in the NCAA next season.
Austin Moline 7th Rd. 205 Overall Pick
For their last selection this year, the Flyers took a 6’4 194 pound right-hand-shot defender by the name of Austin Moline from Shattuck St. Mary’s—a big-bodied defender who has good mobility and isn’t afraid to jump up into the rush.
He will play next season for the Brooks Bandits of the BCHL and has agreed to attend and play for Northern Michigan University after that.
If it were up to me, I would have selected Christian Humphreys from the United States National Development program with this pick. No, they don’t need another center after drafting so many, but he is a PA native who is scheduled to play for the University of Michigan and was able to post 23 goals and 35 assists for 58 points in only 52 games played this year.
In closing, I would give the Flyers a draft grade of C-. They had a lot of picks that they could have used to move up to select a real game changer, but they didn’t pull the trigger on a deal. Instead, they settled for a lot of guys who like to make their way to the center of the ice to the high-scoring areas. And, even though they had the chance to draft a franchise-changing offensive talent like Cole Eiserman, they passed on him so they could draft even more two-way centers that play a 200-foot game but will never blow you away with their offensive production. Call me crazy, but don’t they already have a bunch of those with guys with Sean Couturier, Scott Laughton, Morgan Frost, Ryan Poehling, and Noah Cates all being on the roster for next season?