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The SteelFlyers Podcast: “The Steelers 2023 Draft grade, plus second season in the NHL!”
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Episode Description
SteelFlyers All Sports Network presents
Brought to you by steelflyers.com
SteelFlyers Podcast
Season 2 Eps. 23
“The Steelers 2023 Draft grade, plus second season in the NHL!”
*Flyers
– Danny B is the Interim GM
– 3.5 million league-imposed cap hit due to previous years violations.
– Danny B should be Hockey Ops looking for a GM instead of the other way around
– Phantoms lost to Charlotte for a round 1 exit.
*Steelers
– Omar Khan’s first draft as GM
– 2023 NFL Draft 1st round trade to move to 14 overall to select Brodrick Jones, Tackle from UGA
– 1st pick on day two say the Steelers select Joey Porter Jr. CB from PSU plus Keeanu Brenton DT from Wisconsin
– 3rd round sees Khan selecting 2 players after some more trades for TE Darnell Washington from UGA and Nick Herbig LB from Wisconsin
– Grade A for first Draft as GM!!
*Stanley Cup Playoffs
– TOR wins vs TBL 4-2
– CAR, VGK and EDM moving to 2nd round.
– Game 7s BOS vs FLA and COL vs SEA tonight!
*IIHF World Juniors
– Canada comes back from 3-1 to beat Slovakia for bronze in OT 4-3
– USA vs Sweden goes to OT with Ryan Leaonard from USA to score the OT winner for Gold
Cannot thank you enough for listening and checking us out.
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Steel’s Corner: 2023 NFL Draft – Pittsburgh Steelers
Well, Steeler Nation, the Draft for 2023 is in the rear-view mirror. And now that we have all had a minute or two to take in all the excitement that the Draft in Kansas City was able to produce for the Steelers, let us review. Pittsburgh went into the Draft with a 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 6th & 7th round selections, but that is not how it turned out in the end.
In this being Omar Khan’s first draft as the new General Manager of the Pittsburgh Steelers, he sure was able to check off many of the needs/wants of the team and garner an “A” grade with the players that he was able to add to the roster. Let’s take a look at Omar’s handy work, shall we??
Boom…out of the gates, Khan trades the 17th overall pick and the 4th round pick to New England to move up to select Brodrick Jones Offensive Tackle from the University of Georgia, with the 14th overall pick. Jones, a redshirt sophomore who weighs in at 6’5” and 311 pounds, started the last four games in their National Championship run in 2021 and was a full-time starter in 2022 for the Bulldogs! He is physically dominant in the run game, but Jones will still need some coaching up to improve his pass protection. Still, Brodrick has a lot of potential, and I’m sure he will make a great pass protector for QB Kenny Pickett and lead the way for RB Najee Harris this upcoming season!
The Steelers possessed the most coveted pick in all the draft outside the first overall pick, which is the first pick in the 2nd round of the NFL 2023 Draft. The Steelers were on the clock from the end of day one to just when they made their selection in the 2nd round. This coveted pick came courtesy of the trade of Chase Claypool to the Chicago Bears. With the 1st selection in round two, Khan wasted no time in selecting a cornerback from Penn State, Joey Porter Jr.! A stand-out at Penn State, Porter Jr., is 6’2” and 193 pounds which is a perfect size for a CB in this league. Folks, after watching this young man play at Penn State the last few seasons, it is abundantly clear that the Steelers got another GEM with Porter Jr. He has great size and is good in tight coverage. Joey excels at combat hands and possesses a large wing span. He has good speed but will need some coaching to be a shut-down corner at the next level! This pick was a good one, Steeler Nation!!
The second 2nd round selection for the Steelers and Khan came by way of Wisconsin, and that is Keeanu Benton, who they took with the 49th overall selection. Benton is a defensive tackle who was an All-Big Ten third-team selection by the coaches in 2022. He played in 12 games, in which he started all of them. He finished the season with 36 tackles, ten being for a loss, and tallied four and a half sacks. At 6’3 and 312 pounds, this player has good body size and should offer strength up the middle. He also possesses good hands. That’s why you should look for him to be part of the rotation sooner rather than later!
Omar made a trade in the 3rd round with the Carolina Panthers, sending them the Steelers’ 80th overall pick in exchange for the 93rd pick in the 3rd round. And to recoup a 4th round, he traded to New England to get the Panther’s 132nd overall pick. With all that said, the Steelers selected Darnell Washington, a tight end from the University of Georgia—making this the 3rd player in 2 years that the Steelers have selected from UGA’s two National Championship teams. Washington is another large-bodied TE at 6’7 and 270 pounds, and while this guy might not break any land speed records, he will catch anything thrown to him. So, if other teams are smart, they won’t bother getting in his way!!!
The Steelers seemingly have a penchant for teams in the Big Ten and SEC this year, and that only continued with their next selection when Khan and the Steelers brought in Nick Herbig, the Linebacker from Wisconsin. This 6’2”, 228-pound First-Team All-Big Ten Player started all 11 games this season. Herbig led the Badgers with 11.0 sacks and 15.5 TFLs while ranking 6th on the team in total tackles (47).
What do you know, another Wisconsin defensive playmaker…hmmm, that makes two now on the team!
Staying in the Big Ten for yet another pick in the 7th round, the Steelers selected Cory Trice Jr., the 6’3”, 215-pound cornerback from the Purdue Boilermakers. Cory has played in all 34 games at Purdue and started 24 of them. He is another massive corner that is much needed in this day and age in the NFL, as Wide Receivers and Tight Ends are much larger and faster. Solid production from Cory over his college career alludes to him being an excellent addition to the Defensive Backfield for the Steelers since the departure of Marcus Allen and Edmonds!
With the trade with the Rams to bring in wide receiver Allen Robinson, the Steelers received a compensatory pick from the Rams in the 7th round of the Draft. The Steelers selected the 6’4”, 305-pound Guard from Maryland, Spencer Anderson. This young man blocked for a Maryland passing offense that ranked third in the Big Ten in 2022 by averaging 259.8 yards per game in the air. Spencer has good feet, as guards need to have, and has a great wing span and offers strength inside; in addition to all that, he also has a quick first step. Anderson should be a nice depth piece and could prove to push some of the starters!!
All in all, I would give Omar Khan a grade of “A” for his first full draft. He made deals to move up for a player that he wanted and that he thought would help the team with the 1st round selection of OT Jones. Then with the coveted first pick on the 2nd day, Omar did not disappoint in drafting Joey Porter Jr.! The players selected in this draft are of significant need to the team, unlike in years past when Colbert would draft the best athlete. I am all for getting great athletes, and Cobert has had some very memorable drafts in the past, but for Khan to come in and, in his first year, manage to knock it out of the park by getting key talented players for major needs of the team is just the beginning in my book. Khan had a busy off-season by landing Free Agent players like Robinson at WR and getting two outstanding Offensive Linemen as well. Just more proof that the winds of change are coming to Pittsburgh, and the future is looking bright.
Making a Case for Why Briere Should be the Flyers’ Next President of Hockey OPS, not the GM.
As you read this, the Philadelphia Flyers are searching for their next President of Hockey Operations. And they are rumored to be looking to change the position’s job duties a bit to make the aforementioned position more of an equal to the General Manager so that they can work more hand in hand with one another. While this is unconventional, the goal is to get the President to be more of a liaison between the GM and upper management. While at the same time, have them focus more on public relations than in the past and assist more with player contract negotiations.
Now, I know former Flyer Daniel Briere has been being groomed for some time to be the next general manager by the team’s President & CEO of Spectacor Sports and Entertainment/The Flyers Alternate Governor Valerie Camillo. Still, with these new rumored job expectations for the President of Hockey Ops, it would appear as though Briere might be more qualified for that job instead of the one he interimly holds.
Why Briere would be better served as the President
Think about it. Briere has long been beloved by this area’s fans and would be perfect to continue to work to better public relations within the community. As previously stated, Danny also has a long-standing relationship with the teams second in command (Valerie Camillo). Therefore, he would have no problem walking into her office to discuss his and the forthcoming general managers’ latest ideas on how they plan to rebuild this broken franchise. And, as far as the newly proposed contractual negotiations aspect of the job goes, Briere has that covered too. Through a mere suggestion made a few years back by Camillo, Danny took it upon himself to attend the prestigious Wharton School of Finance at the University of Pennsylvania, where he just so happened to take multiple classes in the art of negotiations.
Why, I don’t think Briere is the right man for his current job.
Other than Danny being gifted the opportunity by Valerie and her other Comcast cronies to act as though he were a real general manager, by way of them appointing him to run the ECHL’s Maine Mariners (A Comcast owned team) and them making up his former job of Special Assistant to the GM for him. Briere has had minimal experience to this point. And what’s even scarier is now that the team has finally fired Chuck Fletcher (who apprenticed Briere), upper management honestly thinks Danny is ready to reconstruct this team from the ground up. I’m sorry, I’m just not 100% sold on the idea.
Stay with me here. We all know when a general manager gets fired from running any major sports franchise, that generally means they have managed to become either inadequate or ineffective in a particular aspect of their job. Most that have come to find themselves on the unemployment line have been let go from their duties for either spending all of the team’s available cap space on free agents that never managed to live up to the gm’s expectations and/or contract that was given. Or they failed to capitalize during the draft leaving their franchise with no hope for the future.
Luckily for most teams trying to appoint a new general manager despite their predecessors’ previous mistakes, they at least have one of the following building blocks remaining they can rely on to begin the reconstruction of their new club.
Some may already have stars (or faces of the franchise) in place that they can use to build around. Example: the Edmonton Oilers who already had All-Stars like Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl in the lineup when the current General Manager, Ken Holland, came on board in 2019.
Other teams may have a wealth of draft compensation awaiting the succeeding GM as the previous administration may have been stuck in a rebuild mode for some time and therefore had a stockpile of picks at the ready. An excellent example of that is the Nashville Predators, who have a league-high 13 selections in this summer’s draft. These picks will serve as a gift from David Poile (the Predators’ current GM, who is retiring after this season) and is destined to turn things over to former Predators long-time Head Coach/turned GM Barry Trotz, who will move into Poile’s office come July 1st.
Or if a team needing a new general manager doesn’t have either of those intangible assets, they should at least have plenty of cap space. Like the Chicago Blackhawks do next season. A concept that was started by Stan Bowman, the Blackhawks’ former GM, who managed to bring a Stanley Cup-winning procession down main street on three separate occasions during his reign. A few years back, Stan saw the dynasty he built was getting a little long in the tooth and tried to start to tear it all down before he was let go to make way for their current general manager Kyle Davidson to conclude the demolition. Now, just a couple of seasons into his tenure, Davidson has over $41 million in cap space to spend this off-season!
But sadly, Philadelphia does not have any of these assets to hand over to Danny Briere to assist him in trying to make the Flyers a true contender again. There is no face of the franchise on their current roster. There’s no one worthy of using their likeness to place on a banner outside the arena or plastering up on billboards all around town. The team does not have a stockpile of picks to provide Danny with since Chuck previously dealt them all away to acquire subpar defensemen like Rasmus Ristolainen and Tony DeAngelo. And the Flyers most certainly do not have an abundance of cap space for Briere to spend this summer since Fletcher felt the need to give away multi-year deals and no trade clauses to anyone who requested them. Kevin Hayes (who Chuck brought in) is still signed for three more seasons at over 7.1 million and has a modified no-movement clause. What about the often-injured Sean Couturier? Fletcher did not hesitate to give him a full no-movement clause when he made him the team’s highest-paid player, a deal that will pay him $62 million over eight years. And why not give one out to a mediocre defenseman at best in Travis Sanheim, who Chuck signed to an eight-year $50 million deal? Or a 32-year brawler in Nic Deslauriers, who was given a modified no-movement clause and a contract that financially nearly doubled his previous one. Unfortunately, those are just the tip of the iceberg. Yup, thanks to Fletcher, Danny will be forced to try and get rid of dead money contracts like Ryan Ellis (who only played in four games ever for the Flyers) just to try and gain enough capital to sign back his own restricted free agents this summer. Do I even need to explain how hard that will be since Ryan was damaged goods when Chuck traded for him? It’s got to be a piece of cake to get rid of a 32-year-old defenseman who is rumored never to be able to play again and is due $6.25 million for the next four seasons, right?
Let’s face it the Flyers have so many things working against them right now that even the most experienced General Manager/Ast. GM would be wise to hang up on Philadelphia’s ownership if they called and asked them how they felt about flying in to talk about taking the job. So why on earth are they setting up Danny and his career (a person who is so inexperienced) to be a martyr?
The Solution:
Stop interviewing random people for President of Hockey OPS that do not know the first thing about Philadelphia or its fans. Promote Danny Briere to President and let him do what he does best. Then hire a more qualified person like Eric Tulsky (the Carolina Hurricanes’ current assistant general manager) to be the Flyers’ next GM. He is a native of Philadelphia who holds degrees from both Harvard and UC Berkeley in the realm of Chemistry and Physics. When he grew tired of working in the Nanotechnology field, he decided to try his hand at hockey analytics. Where what started out as a hobby shortly turned into a new career. In doing so, Eric came up with new stats that looked at parts of the game few ever even thought about. These innovative methods of breaking down the game led to him finding gold in the form of players other teams previously scrapped. Because of this, the Hurricanes have never felt a need to overpay their players. Instead, they just let the guys who are requesting more money than they care to pay walk, or they end up trading them. Like when they traded goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic after he was due a raise from being named a Calder Trophy Finalist. Nedeljkovic finished the regular season with a record of 15-5-3, a goals-against-average of just 1.90, and a save percentage of .932.
Tulsky knew that the team did not wish to pay him what he wanted, so he traded him to Detroit and then just went out and signed Fredrik Anderson and Antti Raanta as his replacements. Or how about when Eric and the Canes GM Don Waddell let a guy like Dougie Hamilton chase big money in free agency? To bring in a replacement in Tony DeAngelo (for a million bucks) who, after just one solid season in Raleigh, they were able to trade him to the Flyers for a fourth-round pick in 2022, a third in 2023, and a second in the 2024 draft. So that Tulsky could then make a trade for an aging defenseman in Brett Burns, who was able to revitalize his career down in Carolina this year.
This is why I think Tulsky would be an ideal fit to fill the Flyers’ current opening at general manager that Danny Briere is interimly holding down. Eric has been coveted by prospecting teams before and seems to be once again, as rumors are that the Pittsburgh Penguins are now trying to lure him away to fill their vacancy at General Manager. Tulsky would be a wise choice to bring back to Broad Street because he knows how to get the most out of very little. Working on a tight budget in Carolina, Eric has learned to be crafty while other teams are battling it out in free agency to sign one or two big-name guys. Tulsky and his team are busy signing multiple Type B free agents that excel in certain aspects of the game that their club is currently lacking in. And to prove that Tulsky is always thinking ahead and shows no signs of slowing down any time soon, he just inked the National Championship-winning goaltender Yaniv Perets from Quinnipiac University (an undrafted free agent who the Flyers had in their development camp earlier this season but let walk without a contract because they thought Felix Sandstrom and Troy Grosenick would suffice, to battle it out for the backup position this year for the Flyers). Tulsky made this move because both his goalies, Fredrik Anderson and Antti Raanta, have two-year contracts that are up at the season’s end, and they will likely be asking for more to stay, considering their success the past two seasons. So, it looks like it will be the next man up yet again in goal as Yaniv Perets and the Canes’ other star netminding prospect Pyotr Kochetkov (who Eric helped draft back in 2019) will likely get their shot in net next year.
You see, the Flyers have always/still lack this kind of forward thinking. Philadelphia has once again managed to dig themselves into a giant hole listening to out-of-touch advisors that haven’t even suited up for the team in over 40 years. They need an intelligent mind who is well-versed in the art of getting by with frugal means. One that builds teams differently than how yet another ex. Flyer player might. So, I say give Briere the job of President of Hockey OPS. Let him go out and be the face of this team’s management, so he can be the one to shake hands and kiss babies at all the teams’ games and charitable functions. Let him be the guy in front of the camera answering questions from the media about the team. Then sign Eric Tulsky as the team’s GM and let him do what he does best: sit in his office on his laptop crunching numbers and making deals! It’s that easy.
Prospect Watch: Cooper Dennis
With the Ontario Hockey League’s (OHL’s) Priority Selection Draft taking place this past weekend, the Brantford Bulldogs (formerly known as the Hamilton Bulldogs) may have just given American-born prospect Cooper Dennis a very nice contingency plan when they selected him in the 6th round with the 109th overall pick.
Dennis is a 15-year-old center who is a native of Ithaca, NY. He played this season for the Bishop Kearney Selects 15U AAA team based out of Rochester, NY. Going into this junior hockey draft Cooper was regarded as one of the top prospects from the 2007 birth year draft class, but because he had not yet hit a growth spurt and still stands at only 5’5, his stock plummeted. As I watched this selection process, I noticed far less talented players being taken off the board one right after another just because they have already reached heights of, say, 6’1 and are already tipping the scales at anywhere from 175-200 pounds.
Oddly, Cooper was dealt a similar fate this past March when he was one of 45 players asked to attend the United States National Team Development Programs Evaluation Camp. His goal was to be one of thirteen forwards to make the cut for their U17 Team for next season. But when the roster was announced earlier this month, Dennis discovered he was unsuccessful in reaching that goal. Even though his season’s totals far surpassed that of other highly touted 2007-born NHL Draft hopefuls like L.J. Mooney-who is a couple of months older than Dennis, is the same height, and weighs seven pounds less than him. (When looking at their stats, Cooper scored 52 more points than Mooney this season). Then there’s William Moore-who is already sixteen years old and currently stands at 6’3 and 165 pounds. (Cooper bested his totals by scoring 64 more points than Moore this season) however, both of those players somehow managed to make Team USA, and Dennis didn’t. Someone, please explain that to me.
So, although Dennis has not yet confirmed he will play for Brantford, I think it might be a viable option at this point, considering the Bulldogs were the 2018 and 2022 OHL Champions. My only suggestion throughout the next few seasons would be for Dennis to load up on the proteins and drink as much milk as humanly possible to try and overcome his shortcomings. Just kidding. He should try to use Team USA’s gross oversight in not selecting him as fuel to continue cultivating his game to the point that when the 2025 NHL Entry Draft is set to commence he will have proved all his doubters wrong. Whether Cooper takes his talents north of the border to play with the Bulldogs or finds somewhere else to play closer to home is still yet to be determined. Regardless of where he plays, you can bet he will flourish in whatever league he chooses. I’m confident in that statement because Dennis has been regarded as having one of the best shots of anyone his age for the past couple of years.
Gifted with the type of release that defies Newton’s Laws of Motion (given Cooper’s current size), there’s no way that this old goaltender-turned-writer should have had to watch a replay in Slow Mo that many times just to see when a puck he shot hit the back of the net. With that being said, I don’t doubt that this young prospect will one day find himself walking across the stage to shake the hand of an awaiting NHL General Manager who just called his name.
If you disagree with me, all you must do to validate my hypothesized prophecy is look at Cooper’s stats. Last year, while playing 14U AAA hockey for the Selects, Cooper scored 75 goals and 76 assists for 151 points in just 76 games. That means not only did he average just shy of one goal a game, but he also managed to score darn near two points per game. And that same year, while playing in the North East Pack League (a small division in which some of the area’s most prominent teams come together to face off against one another), Dennis scored 11 goals and ten assists for 21 points in 16 games played.
Cooper Dennis with a lethal release to give @BKSelectsboys 14U the shootout win over the LI Gulls! 👀 @nepackhockey pic.twitter.com/geulOsz7dQ
— Prime Hockey (@PrimeHockeyNA) February 12, 2022
While playing for Bishop Kearney’s 15U AAA Team this season, Dennis put up 53 goals and 60 assists for 113 points in 75 games. And in the North Pack games, Cooper was able to net six goals and five assists for eleven points in just eight games this season.
Now, I don’t know about you, but I would think a kid that has scored 145 goals and totaled 296 points over the past two seasons should have had the opportunity to wear his country’s colors next season, but I guess we’ll have to wait and see if his play elsewhere next year proves that statement to be true.
The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, a Flyers Season-End Review
With only one game left in this arduous Philadelphia Flyers season, I thought it wise to do a season’s end review that will look at all aspects of the players and the team as a whole in something we’ll call the good, the bad, and the ugly.
So, to start, why don’t we begin with something positive?
The Good
Given that this team is in the midst of a full-on rebuild, it may be hard for most fans to see many positives in a team destined to be picking from the lottery once again. But believe me; there are a few.
Owen Tippett
Tippett, who is still only 24 years of age, was previously buried in the Panthers system after being drafted back in 2017 from the Mississauga Steelheads of the Ontario Hockey League and, therefore, never really got a fair shot in sunny Florida. This is why the return for Giroux was at the time viewed to be a bit underwhelming, but this trade may prove to be one of the few former Flyers GM Chuck Fletcher may have gotten right. In just his first full season in Philadelphia after being acquired from the Florida Panthers last year at the trade deadline (a move that sent the long time Flyers captain Claude Giroux packing), Owen has managed to set new career highs this year in goals with 29, assists with 24, and in total points scored with 47. Why the sudden success, you might asking? Well, Tippett is just the kind of sniper the Flyers have seemed to lack since Jeff Carter last donned a Flyers jersey. Owen is a pure shooter who has never met a shot he hasn’t wanted to take, so he not only led the Flyers this year in shots with 229 but finished the season with a team-high eight power-play goals. With such success coming this season from a young player who has not yet hit his prime, there’s no doubt in this writer’s mind that the Flyers view him as a key piece moving forward in their quest to return to a perennial playoff contender.
Travis Konecny
Another bright spot for the Flyers this season has been the resurgence of Travis Konecny. Konecny, or TK as most fans in Philadelphia call him, led the team in goals this year with 29—those totals best his previous career high of 24 by five goals. What’s more impressive or depressing, depending on how you look at it, is that Travis achieved that feat while only playing in 59 games this season. Under Tortorella’s tutelage this year, Travis (who is still only 26 years old and signed for two more years at only $5.5 million) has shown that he should not only be considered a building block for this team’s future but maybe the cornerstone of its franchise for the time being. That is, until one of their promising prospects can take that title away from him.
Scott Laughton
Scott Laughton is the last player on the current Flyers roster, whose efforts this season exceeded expectations. This now 10-year NHL veteran is viewed by head coach John Tortorella as one of the club’s few true leaders. Year in and year out, Scott simply gets the job done. He may not be flashy, but he can be depended on because he has shown the wiliness to do whatever is asked of him. This means he is often forced to play some tough minutes against the other team’s best players on the penalty kill and even strength situations. Laughton has earned those minutes over the years, honestly, by finishing all of his hits, being the first in on the forecheck, and by being defensively responsible enough to always be involved in the backcheck. This season Scott set new career highs in goals with 18 when his previous career high was only 12, assists with 25 when his last was 19, and in points with 43 this year when his previous best was only 32. Despite having planned over a decade in the NHL already, Laughton is still just 28 years old, and he is signed for three more years at a very affordable $3 million. Therefore, Scott has shown a commitment to playing in Philadelphia, and he can be counted on in the trying years to come to show the up-and-coming players within the Flyers system how to play the game the right way.
Tyson Foerster
Tyson Foerster, the Flyers’ 2020 first-round pick, is one of those aforementioned up-and-coming players. He is only 21 years of age and was afforded the opportunity to play a short stint with the Flyers a few weeks ago after excelling at the AHL level this season. A year in which he was able to achieve 20 goals, and 26 assists for 46 points while playing for the Phantoms. Not wanting to look a gift horse in the mouth, Tyson decided to show out during his late-season curtain call with the Flyers, where he gave fans something to look forward to next season, scoring three goals and four assists for seven points in just eight games played. Like Tippett, Foerster’s success with the Flyers is primarily due to his elite-level shot and his willingness to let it fly. After he gets some much-needed playoff experience with the Phantoms this year, look for Tyson to join the Flyers next season. His offensive prowess will be a welcome addition to a team destined to finish this season 29th in the league in goals scored.
The Bad
Now that we hit the high points of this year let us come back to reality and look at just how bad this team really is.
James van Riemsdyk
Thank goodness JVR’s contract is up after just one more game. After the type of season this impending unrestricted free agent, who is now 33 years old, just had, I think it is safe to say he will not be returning. Although it is the Flyers, so let’s just say at least not for the $7 million he received for the past five years of service. This season van Riemsdyk recorded a career-low 12 goals. A feat he was even able to surpass back in the 2015-2016 season when he scored 14 goals after only playing in 40 games due to injury. JVR should no longer be in the Flyers’ plans seeing that his best years are behind him, especially since far better and younger prospects like Tyson Foerster and Cutter Gauthier are waiting in the wings for their chance to prove themselves.
Carter Hart
Beloved by this franchise for no other reason than because they haven’t been given much else to believe in, Carter has been placed on a pedestal since his arrival. The only thing is, his play to this point hasn’t warranted the acclaim. Now, before you guys start in with the excuses to defend him, let me share some numbers with you. This season Hart has 22 wins which ranks him 21st in the NHL. He ranks 28th in goals against average, giving up 2.94 goals a game on average. To go with that, Carter only managed to rank 22nd in save percentage by stopping .907% of his shots faced, and he’s given up the ninth most goals of any goaltender in the NHL this year with a total of 155 that have gotten behind him. We all know that the team has been bad this year, the defense is lacking, and they simply are not scoring, but when will we start putting some of the blame on Hart for failing to stop the puck? Hart was the first goalie taken back in 2016, and since then, he has played in parts of the last five seasons for the Flyers. To date, he has played in over 200 games where he has only managed to win 41% of his starts. He’s let in an average of 2.96 goals a game and stopped only .906% of the shots he faced. Now, I think even his biggest fans can admit those numbers are not elite. Hell, they are below average! So much so that I have seen goalies of Flyers past with far better numbers get traded, sent down to the AHL, or outright waived. So why has Hart yet to receive a similar fate? I get that he is only 24 years of age and that most goaltenders do not develop fully into they are 26 or 27, but we’re not talking about most goalies here. Carter is not some fifth or sixth-round pick; he was a highly decorated goalie who previously excelled at every level he played at but has yet to reach his true potential. I’ll agree with you the Flyers have not made it easy on him, but in a year’s time, when Hart’s contract is up, and he’s looking for not only a raise but a new deal with some tenure behind it, should they still be affording him these same excuses simply because they have no one better? Or should Philadelphia’s Interim GM Danny Briere try and trade him this off-season while Hart still might have some other teams ’GMs fooled in an attempt to try and expedite the Flyers’ rebuild?
The Ugly
Now the Ugly. The Flyers are the sixth-worst team in the league this year. They were too bad to fight for a Wild Card spot and too good for any real shot at drafting Connor Bedard, who is thought to be the irrefutable first-overall pick this summer. The Flyers put themselves in this position by finishing the season 29th in scoring and 10th in goals allowed. Combined, their goaltenders allowed, on average, 3.36 goals per game and stopped only .894% of the shots they faced. And to add insult to injury, the Flyers will again finish the season with the league’s worst power play, with them only managing to capitalize on the man advantage 15.2% of the time this season.
They have no cap space. Weighted down by albatross-like contracts that were either handed out or acquired by Chuck Fletcher, the chances of this team being able to sign someone of any value in free agency this summer should be viewed as nothing but a farce. And we haven’t even talked about the players on IR yet. Ryan Ellis is considered to have sustained a career-ending injury but refuses to retire. So the Flyers will be forced to pay him $6.25 a year for the next four years to sit in the rafter and watch games. Sean Couturier was made the highest-paid player on the team by Flecther, just to miss most of the last three seasons with injury. And let us not forget the Flyers being on the hook for two more years of Cam Atkinson at $5.875 million after he had to undergo a surgery to repair a potential career-crippling neck injury this season. When you add all that up, it means the Flyers were made to hand out roughly a quarter of their allotted salary cap ($19.8 million) to three players that did not even dress for a single game this year.
And what’s worse is that despite management knowing that they would not have a lot of cap space to better themselves next season, they chose not to follow my advice of trying to improve their depth charts by signing some undrafted free agents this year from the NCAA.
I guess that’s why the Flyers will keep chasing their dreams and not filling them like the playoff-caliber teams that decided to take advantage of this NCAA talent. Teams like the Colorado Avalanche, who signed Western Michigan’s Jason Polin, who tied Hobey Baker Award Winner Adam Fantilli for the most goals scored this year in the NCAA with 30—the Nashville Predators, who signed Minnesota States’ lockdown defenseman Jake Livingstone. The Hurricanes who signed Quinnipiac’s National Championship-winning goaltender Yaniv Perets. Or the Florida Panthers, who signed Western Michigan’s exceptional freshman Ryan McAllister. Any one of these players could have helped the struggling Flyers, and it would not have cost them a single draft pick or roster player to add them just a simple entry-level contract. These are the kind of gross oversights that keep this franchise from bettering itself.
So, overall, the Philadelphia Flyers may have taken a step in the right direction this season by firing Chuck Fletcher and having Dave Scott graciously be given the option to retire. However, they are still a long way away from contention. This rebuild will likely take three to five years before we, the fans, start to see the real benefits of tearing it all down just to build it back up. But if done right, it should be worth it.
Prospect Watch: The Quest for the CHL’s Memorial Cup is on.
With the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) playoffs now underway, I thought it would be wise to give you all a look into how the road to the Memorial Cup is going. Since the CHL (a parent organization that oversees all three of Canada’s major junior hockey leagues) was founded in 1975, it has always been thought to be a world-renowned prospect hotbed, that cultivates talent the likes of teams can build a franchise around.
This is a belief that still holds true today. No matter if teams decide to look to the Western Hockey League (WHL), the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), or the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) to find future NHL talent, they have always been able to rely on the fact that every year there is at least a couple players from within the CHL that have the ability to become the next face of their franchise.
WHL
Connor Bedard- Regina Pats
Take the WHL, for instance. As I’m sure you have all heard by now, the consensus number-one overall pick in this upcoming draft, Connor Bedard, has been taking the hockey world by storm this season while playing for the Regina Pats. So much so that he finished the regular season with an incredible 71 goals and 72 assists for a total of 143 points in only 57 games played! Folks, if you do the math, that means Connor worked the rest of the WHL for an average of 2.69 points a game during the regular season.
So why would we expect anything less from him in the playoffs? Through just three games played in the playoffs, where his Pats have been taking on the Saskatoon Blades, Connor has scored six goals and five assists for 11 points. Talk about taking it to another level once the regular season is over. Guys, with those numbers, that means Bedard is not only averaging two goals a game right now, but he’s accumulating an unheard-of 3.67 points per game in the postseason. With that kind of production, it would surprise me if this young phenom is not leading his NHL club next season in pretty much all statical categories.
Dylan Ernst- Kamloops Blazers
Another prospect whose play this season has most likely gained him some exposure is goaltender Dylan Ernst of the Kamloops Blazers. During the regular season for the Blazers, Ernst was relied upon to be a workhorse. Playing in 53 games this year, Dylan was able to not only maintain a 2.69 goals against average and a 0.906 save percentage, but he was able to record a league-leading 38 wins as well.
And with Ernst used to carrying the Blazers on his back for most of the year, he saw no need to stop once they reached the postseason. Through three games played thus far against the Vancouver Giants, Dylan has won two by way of a shutout. Meaning through three games (where he has faced a combined 58 shots), he has only managed to let in one goal! This leaves him with a minuscule 0.33 goals against average right now, which he currently pairs with a 0.983 save percentage. WOW! Now, I don’t know how long his dominance will last, seeing that the Blazers are one of four undefeated teams right now who lead their opponents 3-0 in their respective series, but it should be entertaining to find out nonetheless.
OHL
Brandt Clarke- Barrie Colts
As exciting as the WHL has been to watch this year, we now turn our focus to the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). Where it, too, currently has four different clubs asserting their dominance over their first-round opponents. Yes, the Kitchener Rangers, the Sarnia Sting, the London Knights, and the Peterborough Petes all look destined to advance to the next round of the J. Ross Robinson Cup (OHL Championship). However, one player from the Barrie Colts, a team that is presently tied 2-2 right now in their series against last year’s champs, the Hamilton Bulldogs, has managed to stand out above anyone else playing in the OHL right now.
That player is none other than Brandt Clarke, an L.A. Kings first-round selection from back in 2021. Clarke is a highly coveted right-shot defender who is currently proving to be just as effective in the offensive zone as he is in the defensive. To prove that, you might be interested to know that Brandt is leading all playoff-caliber prospects in the OHL this postseason in assists with eight and total points with eleven (one of those points even being from him pulling off a successful Michigan goal). Not to mention that defensively Clarke is leading the league in plus-minus as well, with him being able to maintain a +8 average to this point.
Brandt, who is 20 years old, has already spent time this season playing in both the National Hockey League and the American Hockey League levels before being sent back down to Barrie. So, one would think with his age and the way he is playing currently, he will no doubt be turning pro next year. The only question is will it be with the Kings or their AHL affiliate, the Regin?
QMJHL
Alexis Gendron- Gatineau Olympiques
Last but certainly not least, we have the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), where three teams currently sit with a dominant 3-0 lead in their respective series. But, if you watch these matchups, you’ll notice one particular player that stands out above all the rest. His name is Alexis Gendron, a Philadelphia Flyers prospect who, believe it or not, was not taken until the seventh round last summer. What sparked his unexpected vault into becoming one of the elites of his league this season has left me confuddled, especially since he was nothing more than average the previous year. Still, I’m sure the fans of both the Olympiques and the Flyers right now aren’t questioning it too much, anyway. Scoring an astonishing 55 goals this season, as well as 35 more points than he did the season before, Gendron has undoubtedly made everyone involved sit up and take notice.
But Alexis is showing that he is not letting his newfound success go to his head as he leads all players in the QMJHL playoffs right now with five goals scored in just three games. Now, that is impressive, but what’s more amazing is that he has only had 14 shots on goal in those three games, so if you do the math, that means his shooting percentage right now is over 35%.
If Gendron keeps this kind of production up throughout the rest of the playoffs, there is no doubt in this writers’ mind that the Flyers’ new interim general manager Danny Briere will be waiting for him in his team’s locker room the minute they get off the ice for the final time this season with an entry-level contract in hand.
I know it’s still early in teams’ quest for the CHL’s Memorial Cup, but by reading this, I hope that I have sparked your interest in watching some of the great games going on right now throughout Canada’s major providences. For within every one of these playoff-caliber teams, you’ll find one, if not multiple, players that will soon be suiting up for an NHL franchise near you. So, why not get acquainted with them now?
The Philadelphia Flyers have been Officially Eliminated from the Playoffs; What Happens Now?
With the Philadelphia Flyers recently being officially eliminated from any chance of playoff contention this season, their fans have been left to wonder, what happens now?
Who Stays and Who Goes?
Well, first, management must figure out who stays and who goes. This is something that I think the team’s newly appointed interim general manager, Danny Briere, and head coach John Tortorella may have already been collaborating on. Think about it. During one of the Flyers ‘ recent games, Torts recently took a break from his position behind the bench to join Danny in his box. I bet they weren’t up there just shooting the breeze. If this proves true, it can mean nothing but good things for this club, being that the current administration and coaching staff would now be working together to create a vision moving forward instead of the two working against one another as they have in the past. But, even with the two now working together, it will be no easy feat because prior management has left them in quite a hole, loaded down with many injury-prone players with contracts with no end date in sight. Briere and Tortorella will have to get creative. Sure, impending free agents like the Flyers’ 33-year-old James van Riemsdyk and 36-year-old defenseman Justin Braun will be easy choices not to resign, but what do you do with a UFA like their recent acquisition Brendan Lemieux? Since joining the Flyers, Brendan has managed to maintain a spot in Philadelphia’s nightly lineup, scoring six points in eleven games while maintaining a plus-five average. But I guess the question is, do you dare spend a portion of what limited funds the team has available this off-season to bring back this 27-year-old bottom-six tough guy who made $1.35 million this year? Or do you try and sign someone a little less expensive to do the same job next season?
If your answer were to re-sign him, I would urge you to remember the Flyers have multiple restricted free agents to re-sign guys like defensemen Cameron York, Egor Zamula, and Ronnie Attard. Then on offense, you have names like Morgan Frost, Noah Cates, and Kieffer Bellows to consider. Sure, Bellows, who has only scored three goals in close to 30 games played with the Flyers, may prove no significant loss after the team picked him off waivers this season from the Islanders. Still, York, Frost, and Cates have all played key roles in the Flyers’ limited amount of success this season. York has shown the potential to be a top-pairing defenseman. Frost (although I believe he is still to be over-hyped) has managed to improve his game this season thanks to the extra ice time he received because of Sean Couturiers’ extended injury. And, speaking of Coots, Noah Cates has proved this season that he, too, is more than capable of sliding over into the faceoff dots and shutting down some of the best players his opponents have to offer. Therefore, they will most likely be asking for a substantial raise from their current expiring entry-level contracts.
Bringing up Ready Prospects and Signing Others
Lucky for the Flyers, once they have shown some of their no longer needed or wanted players the door after this season, Philadelphia will then have the roster space required to bring up some ready prospects that are already signed. One such player may be the Flyers’ 2020 1st round pick, Tyson Foerster. After being named to the American Hockey Leagues All-Star game this season, he was recently brought up in a short showcase stint with the big club, where he managed to score three goals and four assists for seven points in just eight games played with the Flyers before being sent back down to Lehigh to gear up for a playoff push.
Foerster, who has been blessed with a rocket of a shot dating back to his days with the Barrie Colts of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), will undoubtedly be a welcomed addition to the Flyers roster next season—given all the injury concerns still surrounding guys like fellow right winger Cam Atkinson, who was shut down this year due to a neck injury (that required surgery) which he received back in training camp.
And with the team potentially bringing up prospects like Foerster and the previously mentioned Egor Zamula to the NHL next year, it creates holes/opportunities for others at the AHL level. The team can then look to sign or bring up other promising prospects they’ve already drafted. This is much like Briere did recently when he decided to ink their 2020 2nd-round pick defenseman Emil Andre who was playing up to that point in the SHL (Sweden’s top professional league).
A couple of those unsigned prospects (or ones that are signed but have yet to play in the professional ranks) who, in my opinion, have played well enough this year to deserve a shot at turning pro next season are the Flyers’ 2022 seventh-round pick forward Alexis Gendron and the teams 2021 sixth round pick defenseman Ethan Samson.
Alexis is a 19-year-old forward whose season was split between playing for the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada and the Gatineau Olympiques of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). Despite having to learn the tendencies of his new teammates, Gendron finished the season second in the league in goals with a combined total of 55. He was also able to net 26 assists for a total of 81 points over just 63 games played. That means he averaged a very respectable 1.29 points per game.
Now, some of you may not be too keen on the fact that Alexis is a diminutive young prospect (that stands at only 5’9), to which I would quickly point out that Gendron is able to combat his lack of size with not only deceptiveness but an innate ability to observe swiftly what the goalie is giving him and react by putting the puck where he is not before the opposition has time to stop him from doing so. These traits are what I believe will help Alexis not only advance his game to the next level but be able to avoid the thrashing other less nimble players receive on a nightly basis at both the AHL and the NHL levels.
Ethan Samson is in a different position entirely. This 19-year-old right-hand-shot defenseman who stands at 6’1 and 181 pounds is already signed but has yet to turn pro. This stems from that lovely rule forcing players from the Canadian junior leagues to return to the CHL if they do not make an NHL roster. Falling victim to this rule, Ethan was required to return to the Prince George Cougars of the Western Hockey League (WHL) this season. Once there, Samson scored 18 goals and 42 assists for 60 points in 60 games played. And with all the struggles the Flyers have had on defense the past couple of years (especially on the right side), you can bet gm Danny Briere and coach Tortorella will give Samson a nice long look in camp next season.
These are just a couple of affordable modifications to the roster that the Flyers should look to make happen this off-season to ensure they can put out a much better product on the ice next season. Because if we, the fans, are going to be forced to suffer through a possible lengthy rebuild, then we would rather see the team focus on letting the youth of tomorrow gain the experience they will need today! Rather than the team continuing to follow the teachings of their previous management, who often opted to fill the roster with veterans who used to be good.
Flyer Fans, What a Difference a Couple Weeks Make.
After the Philadelphia Flyers failed to make any significant moves at the March 3rd trade deadline, fans were left with little hope regarding their team’s future. But what a difference a couple of weeks make!
Enough was enough! After dropping the ball yet again come deadline day, Chuck Fletcher openly admitted that his analytics team had developed an app that determined whether a trade proposal was fair or not for him. It was at that point that ownership decided they could no longer make up excuses for his incompetence and fired him on March 10th. His successor, former Flyer Danny Briere, was then named the team’s Interim General Manager. The self-proclaimed Flyers Governor Dave Scott was rumored to make this move before checking with the old guard of Bob Clarke, Paul Holmgren, and Bill Barber, that serve as his advisors. Although it was the right move at the time, it may have been the cause of his ultimate demise as he, too, was working on borrowed time and believed to be given the luxury of retiring, which Scott just so happened to announce just a few short days ago. Scott’s replacement will be Dan Hilferty, a fellow businessman who joined Comcast Spectacor last month as its CEO (a position Dave Scott used to hold as well).
Since then, the state of the team has changed under Danny Briere, and the Flyers have begun to bring up their youth from the Phantoms like so many of us have been screaming for them to do for some time now. These call up’s were highlighted by guys like the Flyers 2020 1st round pick Tyson Foerster who was able to join the team for eight games where he was able to score seven points before being sent back down to the AHL for a playoff push. Egor Zamula looked to fit right in as well on the Flyers blueline before heading back down to gain some much-needed playoff experience as well. This recent youth movement provided the fans and head coach John Tortorella with some much-needed hope and excitement for their future.
But that’s not all the newly appointed GM has done. Briere has come out and said that he is committed to a rebuild and, will look to bring a little different style of player to the Flyers in the future. In doing so, he is confident he can bring this once-historic franchise into the 21st century. One way he has already done that is to sign one of their top defensive prospects, 21-year-old Emil Andre of Sweden, to an entry-level contract. This a move that I think all of us can agree needed to happen as this team has lacked any sort of European style for some time now. Since coming over from the SHL (Sweden’s top professional league) this season, Emil has impressed in his first two contests in North America, scoring two assists in two games played with the Phantoms. Despite his diminutive size of only 5’9, Andre has shown he has no intention of backing down from the physical side of things and thus should be utilized as a potential asset in the offensive zone as well, seeing he is an absolute sniper from the point.
Now, listen, in no way am I saying these not so suddle changes will see this team rebound next year into being cup contenders. It will take time. But, with the firing of Chuck Fletcher, and the “retirement” announcement of Dave Scott, I believe it is the start of things moving in the right direction for this franchise that will lead to this team’s future success. And, who knows, with any hope, maybe the new big boss Dan Hilferty is merely grinding his axe before making some cuts of his own (I.E., those old senile advisors of his that haven’t stepped on the ice for nearly 40 years.) A fan can hope, right?
2023 Men’s Frozen Four Preview
With the Regional Tournaments Champions now named, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) can now prepare for the Famous Frozen Four Tournament, which is set to take place this year in sunny Tampa Bay, Florida, starting on April 6th. The four teams that will be battling it out down on the Suncoast are the Minnesota Golden Gophers, who will be taking on the Boston University Terriers at 5 pm E.S.T., followed by the University of Michigan Wolverines, who will be facing off against the Quinnipiac University Bobcats at 8:30 pm E.S.T. that same night.
Why should you be watching it? Well, if you’re a fan of practically any NHL franchise, then it’s a sure bet your team has at least one promising prospect in this fight. So, with that being said, let’s break down each team’s roster and strengths that have not only helped them to get to this point but may result in the culmination of them beating out 59 other schools for the right to be named National Champions.
Minnesota
The Golden Gophers, who have 14 players on their roster that have already been drafted by one NHL club or another, had possibly the easiest route of the four teams previously mentioned to get to this point. Minnesota was named the victors of the Fargo Regional Tournament played in the Scheels Arena in North Dakota, which meant that they had to beat out the Canisius College Golden Griffins and the St. Cloud State University Huskies. Neither of these teams’ rosters contains a player’s name whom you might remember being called on previous NHL draft day coverages. But that doesn’t mean that the Gophers don’t belong in Tampa. In fact, with names like Logan Cooley (the 3rd overall by the Coyotes in ’22), who has scored 57 points in just 37 games played; Jimmy Snuggerud (who was taken in the 1st round of the ’22 draft by the Blues), who has scored 50 points in 38 games played this year. Matthew Knies (who was taken by the Leafs in the 2nd round of the ’21 draft) scored a team-leading 21 goals on the season; there’s no doubt their offense can certainly stand up to anyones in this tournament. The only question is, can their defense survive the onslaught of others in this tournament?
Boston University
Then there’s the Terriers, who managed to advance out of the Manchester Regionals, which were played up in New Hampshire. This historic hockey powerhouse should be viewed as an actual threat in this tournament because not only did they beat out the impressive Western Michigan Broncos by a score of 5-1, they then took down Cornell, a team that just shutout last year’s NCAA National Champions, (Denver) by a score of 2-0 before losing to the Terriers. How did Boston manage such a feat? Well, they have the depth for sure, with 12 NHL prospects filling out their roster, but perhaps none shined more brightly this season than their record-breaking freshman defenseman Lane Hutson. Lane, who the Montreal Canadiens took with their second-round pick this past off-season, came to the Terriers this year with much acclaim; only no one could fathom how much of a force this diminutive defenseman would prove to be. Bursting onto the scene this year Hutson (with the help of his teammates) was able to surpass Norris Trophy winner Adam Fox’s numbers for a defenseman in his first year of competition in the NCAA by more than eight points right now with games still in hand. That’s why with point totals like that, I think it’s safe to say BU wouldn’t be where they are today if it was not for this young man. Look for the team to run the offense through him as they try to take down the boys from Minnesota, EH?
Michigan
Next up is the heavily favored University of Michigan, who made it back to the Frozen Four after losing to the reigning champions, the University of Denver, last season. To do so, they had to defeat all others coming once again out of the Allentown Regionals, which was played out of the PPL Center in Pennsylvania. This year that meant taking down both Colgate and the local favorite, the Penn State Nitty Lions. The Wolverines were able to do so by relying heavily on the 12 players on their roster that NHL clubs have previously drafted, as well as newcomers Adam Fantilli- a freshman who led all collegiate players in points this season with (64) and who is potentially going to be one of the top three prospects taken this summer. Then not to be out down was former Brooks Bandit standout star TJ Hughes who scored 66 goals and 127 points last year in the Alberta Junior Hockey League before coming to Ann Arbor this season. With such depth, including three first-round picks already on their roster, there’s no doubt a betting man would be wise to put his money on Big Blue to win it all. The only question is whether all those stars can set aside their selfish quest for point totals for the team’s betterment.
Quinnipiac
While the other teams in this tournament depend on big-name recruits who are here today and signed to an NHL contract the next, Quinnipiac relies on their legendary head coach Rand Pecknold’s defensively responsible systems to win games. And why not? They have played a big part in him winning close to 600 NCAA games. With roughly only 6,000 students total annually attending this quaint Connecticut place of higher learning compared to that of, say, Michigan’s student body of over 32,000. Quinnipiac does not simply have the luxury of throwing millions of former alums or boosters bucks at players they wish to recruit. Instead, Coach Pecknold sets out every year to find unknown unselfish players he feels will be committed to playing the game the right way and will not leave in a year’s time. In doing so, he has built a true team who have become giant killers over the last two to three seasons playing together. To prove my point, the Bobcats had to best both Merrimack College and THE Ohio State in the Bridgeport Regionals to get the chance to play in the Frozen Four this year. And perhaps no one player on this roster is more responsible for their success than their elite goaltender Yaniv Perets. He is a 23-year-old undrafted free agent who not only led the nation in wins this year with 32, shutouts with ten, but in goals against as well, with a 1.46 average to his credit this season. While not as flashy as other teams on this list, Quinnipiac has become just fine with winning games 1-0 or 2-1 behind the phenomenal play of their goaltender. The only question for them is can Perets continue to dominate the opposition in this tournament like the ones he did previously, despite this one having multiple future NHL All-Stars peppering him with shots for the entire 60 minutes of play?
Ultimately, anyone of these four teams has played well enough this year to deserve the honor of being named National Champions. So, as we now wait with bated breath for this tournament to commence, we are left with nothing but the thought of whether it will be Minnesota’s high-powered offense, BU’s historic record-breaking defenseman, Michigan’s plethora of top-end talent, or Quinnipiac’s elite goaltending that will ensure they come out on the other end victorious?
NHL Teams should look to add depth by signing any of these NCAA Undrafted Free Agents
(Rob Rasmussen/Quinnipiac Athletics)
As the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s (NCAA) season begins to draw to a close, NHL teams should look to add depth to their organization by signing some of these promising scholars. How can they do that? Well, the NCAA is a place where undrafted free agents tend to go sometimes as nothing more than Walk On’s to prove themselves after not being drafted. Once on campus, these late bloomers are given an opportunity to attend classes and gain an education by day; by night, they are given the shot to show the NHL clubs that passed them by that they made a mistake. They do so by going head-to-head against some of the top prospects in the game today. Some of those players this season included Arizona’s 2022 3rd overall pick Logan Cooley who plays for Minnesota; the Devils’ 2021 4th overall pick Luke Hughes of Michigan; and the Flyers’ 2022 5th overall selection Cutter Gauthier who plays for Boston College. By being afforded this chance to prove themselves on sometimes a nationally televised stage, these prospects that have been once overlooked get a second attempt at making their dream of becoming a professional athlete come true.
That said, here is a list of players I think have proven themselves deserving of such a chance this season.
Jason Polin- Western Michigan
To start this list, I could think of no one better than the NCAA’s leading goal scorer, 23-year-old Jason Polin of Western Michigan University. Standing at 6’0 and 198 pounds, this senior was named captain of the Broncos this year, to which he has worn that C with pride. As all true leaders do, Jason took his game to the next level; this season by just about matching his combined goal and point totals from his previous three seasons. In 38 games played this year, Polin has scored a league-leading 29 goals and 17 assists for 46 points (1.21 points per game) while maintaining a +27 average. Now, why should prospecting NHL teams sign this 23-year-old who is still playing in the collegiate ranks you may be asking? With his strong play and incredibly hard shot, Polin has shown that he can be entrusted to be a finisher of sorts. And what team doesn’t need a player who can put the puck in the back of the net?
Hunter McKown- Colorado College
Next up on our list is a true late bloomer named Hunter McKown, who currently plays for Colorado College. McKown is a 20-year-old forward who left the United States National Development team a few years back with much left to be desired. Once in Colorado Springs, though, that all seemed to change. No longer buried by the sure talent that suited up for the Red, White, and Blue on any given night, McKown was finally able to grow his game as a Tiger—scoring 21 goals and seven assists for 28 points this season. Thank goodness Hunter did, as he has managed to be not only Colorado’s leading goal and point-getter this year (by a long shot) but has played well enough to be tied for 7th in goals in the entire NCAA. So, what’s so special about McKown that teams should be willing to sign him to a contract at the end of the season? Besides Hunter’s NHL size at 6’1, 205 pounds, he has exhibited that he is a true power play specialist scoring 12 of his 19 goals this season on the PP. While most of the others came by way of the shoot-out, another formidable tool that struggling NHL clubs should be looking to add to win a couple of extra games next season.
Collin Graf- Quinnipiac
Continuing with our current streak of impressive forwards, we add to it the 6’0 181 pound versatile playmaker Collin Graf of Quinnipiac University. After a sub-par season playing for Union College last year, Graf thought it was time for a change of scenery. So off to Connecticut, he went. But I bet he did not know just how good of a decision that would prove to be, as he is now playing in just his sophomore season for the Bobcats; Graf has been heating up as of late. Scoring six goals and 12 assists for 18 points in just his last ten games. With that latest stretch of games, Collin finds his point totals only trailing that of this summer’s potential top-three pick Adam Fantilli of Michigan. Graf’s deceptive ability to get in behind his opposition defense and impressive shot have been the critical factors to him averaging near a point and a half a game this year! Putting it all together 20 goals, an NCAA-leading 35 assists, a sum of 55 points on the season, and him being able to do all that while maintaining a +28 average you can start to see why NHL clubs would be wise to sign this young responsible player sooner rather than later.
Ryan McAllister- Western Michigan
While this next player may be a newcomer to the NCAA, this freshman forward has been on this writer’s radar for years. Ryan McAllister, the former Brooks Bandit alum who torched the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) for 57 goals and 82 assists for 139 points last season; came to Western Michigan already with a championship mentality, seeing that he had just finished a year in which he won the AJHL’s Inter Pipeline Cup and won the Ernie Love Trophy (for leading the league in points). He was named both the league’s regular season MVP and the playoff MVP, then went on to win Canada’s National Junior Championship, the Centennial Cup, along with being named that tournament’s MVP. So, it came as no surprise to this writer when McAllister was able to get off to a blazing hot start this year by leading all of college hockey in points for most of the season; before teams began to see him as a genuine threat and keep multiple men in his vicinity at all times. Now, I was lucky enough to have Ryan join me on my podcast “Prospect Watch” earlier in the year (which you can view below), and I have to tell you somebody better sign this 21-year-old before he spends the next 10-15 years playing in their division in the NHL and making them regret it. Because even if he commits to playing for WMU again next year, best believe his totals of 13 goals and 35 assists for 48 points will only multiply.
Jake Livingstone- Minnesota State
Moving to defense, we focus on Jake Livingstone of Minnesota State University. Jake is a 6’3 205, pound defender who has had NHL clubs drooling for years now, and for good reason. Through a combined 110 career games played for the Mankato, Livingstone has shown that he can both bring the offense by scoring a total of 80 points as well as proving he is, in fact, defensible responsible by maintaining a career +54 average. So as these videos will further prove my point Livingstone, I believe will be able to offer any professional team that signs him the best of both worlds.
Yaniv Perets- Quinnipiac
Regarding goaltending, other writers and scouts maybe head over heels for a guy like Maine’s 6’4, 205-pound goalie Victor Ostman. But this guardian of the blue paint turned writer is here to tell you there’s more to goaltending than size alone. Ostman is in his third season playing in the NCAA, and his combined goals-against-average during that time is a very uninspiring 3.03, and still worse is the fact that he has only managed to win 33% of the games he’s played in. Yaniv Perets of Quinnipiac, on the other hand, has led all starting goaltenders the past two seasons in goals against with a 1.17 G.A.A. average last year and a 1.52 G.A.A. this year. On top of that, over the last two seasons, while playing for the Bobcats, Perets has won an astonishing 76% of the games he’s played in! Still not impressed? Well, maybe you will be after I tell you 20 of his 52 NCAA victories have come by way of a shutout! After attending the Philadelphia Flyers Development Camp earlier in the year, I was able to catch up with Yaniv, and he did not disappoint. If signed, this 23-year-old goaltender could immediately step into the NHL this season and not only win games but take over a team’s net for the next 10-15 seasons, making them a true contender.
While some NHL organizations may be too distracted with them being in the midst of their latest perennial playoff runs, struggling teams who just sold off all of their assets at the trade deadline to try to start a rebuild would be wise to get a kick start their overhaul by signing one of these ready to go undrafted free agents who could potentially step into their NHL lineup the day after their collegiate season is over. Thus, negating the need to wait two or three years before someone’s game, they are drafting this summer matures.
Prospect Watch: Top Five Defensemen available in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft
Welcome back to our continuation of the top five players available at every position in the upcoming draft. Previously we have covered centers, wings, and goaltenders.
So, the only position left to talk about is the blueliners, better known as defensemen. Now, what attributes teams consider in determining whether one defenseman is better than another has all become relative to the type of defender they are looking for. Some NHL executives may be looking for more of an old school defensively responsible defenseman like the great Larry Robinson, whose career +722 average helped him hoist the Stanley Cup on six separate occasions. Others may prefer one more offensive-minded, like the legendary Ray Bourque, who netted 410 goals in his career. Not saying that one type is better than the other it just depends on what type a general manager may need or want to add to his club at the present time. I’m an old goaltender, so I like my defensemen to take care of things in their own end before they go jumping up into the play in the offensive zone. Remember, a player can score 50 goals a year, but if he’s on the ice when his opponent scores 60, is he really being that effective?
Keeping that philosophy in mind, I constructed this list of the following players.
5. Luca Cagnoni
The first player on my list comes from the Western Hockey League’s (WHL’s) Portland Winterhawks, and his name is Luca Cagnoni. Luca is an 18-year-old left-hand shot defender who stands at just 5’10 and weighs 172 pounds. With this season being Cagnoni’s third in the WHL, he has more than proven that he can excel at both ends of the ice. For example, offensively, Luca is scoring at a rate of 1.00 points per game (P.P.G.), totaling 15 goals and 45 assists for 60 points in 60 games played. What may be more impressive, though, is what he has been able to do defensively, considering the talent he faces on a nightly basis in the WHL. Through 133 total regular season games played with the Winterhawks, Cagnoni has averaged a career +45. Because of these traits mentioned, Luca is projected by many to hear his name called in the second round. So, if this two-way defender can hit the gym and get a little stronger in the future, he has the chance to be a top-four defender in the NHL.
4. Lukas Dragicevic
Is a 17-year-old right-hand-shot defenseman who currently is playing in the WHL for the Tri-City Americans. He is 6’2 and 181 pounds and is on this list purely because of his offensive abilities. Throughout 61 games played this season, Lukas has scored 15 goals and an incredible 53 assists to achieve 68 points. Folks, that’s a defenseman who is scoring at a rate of 1.11 points per game right now! From his long outlet passes, he puts right on the tape of a teammate in full stride. To his ability to cycle the puck in the offensive zone, I guarantee you Dragicevic’s skill set has more than one NHL executive dreaming of what he could do on his franchise’s power play unit right now. The only problem is Lukas has to learn when to go and when to stay at home, seeing that he, unlike others on this list, is a minus player. And once again, I reiterate it doesn’t matter how many points you score if you’re out on the ice when the other team scores more.
3. Etienne Morin
In the third slot, I have possibly my favorite defender in this draft, 18-year-old Etienne Morin. Morin, who is also expected to go in the second round this summer, plays for the Moncton Wildcats of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). He is another responsible left-hand shot two-way defender who excels at both ends of the ice, but where his game differs from Cagnoni’s is that Etienne can bring the physical aspect. You wouldn’t know that from looking at him, seeing that he’s only 6’0 and 183 pounds, but I bet if you asked the opposition’s winger who is having trouble skating back to the bench after colliding with him at the blue line, they would swear to you it felt as though they were just hit by their team bus. But, as impressive as Etienne’s open-ice hip checks in the defensive zone are, he has shown that he can also get it done in the offensive zone by filling up the stat sheet. Morin has recorded 17 goals, and 40 assists for 57 points in 60 games played this season. All while averaging a +21. With all these intangibles at his disposal, it’s no surprise that Morin’s name has been shooting up teams’ draft boards this season.
2. David Reinbacher
Next up on my list is the 18-year-old Austrian-born David Reinbacher. Standing at 6’2 and 187 pounds, this coveted right-hand-shot defender has been impressive this year playing for the EHC Kloton in Switzerland’s National League (top pro league). A kid who is holding his own playing against men, Reinbacher has demonstrated that he is not afraid to use his size to his advantage. Whether it be to knock his opponents off the puck, matching his forward’s stride for stride as he joins them on the rush, or unloading an accurate shot on net that the goaltender will still feel after the game, David has proven he belongs at the pro level, and thus will likely get selected somewhere in the later part of the first round of the NHL Draft this summer.
1. Axel Sandin Pellikka
Finally, we’ve arrived at who I think is the top consensus defenseman available in the draft, Axel Sandin Pellikka. Pellikka is an 18-year-old right-hand-shot blueliner in Sweden’s top professional league, the SHL. He is 5’11 and 181 pounds and is signed to play for the Skelleftea AIK until the end of the 24/25 season. Now, while Axel’s SHL’s stats of two goals and three assists for five points in 22 games played may not look that impressive compared to others on this list. His point totals from him playing in the J20 (the top junior league in Sweden) do. Before moving up to play in the SHL, this season, Pellikka was dominating the J20 by scoring 15 goals and 18 assists for 33 points in just 28 games. Paired with that 1.17 points per game pace in juniors, he maintained a +16 average. You may be asking what traits Axel has over the other talented young players on this list. He has the hands and accuracy that very few skilled forwards in the NHL have right now. So much so that if he was implemented into an NHL team’s roster today, I assure you he would be taking a veteran’s place in the shootout if the game went to overtime.
Again, this list was constructed based on my own preferences and biases. Each one of these players has distinct characteristics that certain clubs are looking for. Feel free to let me know which player from this list is your favorite. I’m sure, despite the order I choose to rank them in, it will not matter soon enough, as I can almost guarantee they all will make excellent pros in the years to come.
The Flyers need to get rid of the Old Guard
With management serving up yet another trade deadline folly, the fans of the Philadelphia Flyers have had enough! With teams around the league making significant moves for the better part of two weeks before the deadline Chuck Fletcher (the Flyers’ General Manager) set idle. He did so while playoff contenders acquired player after player they felt would improve their team’s chances at hoisting the Stanley Cup this season. For example, the New York Rangers went for broke, giving up all kinds of assets to add aging superstars like Patrick Kane from the Blackhawks and Vladimir Tarasenko from the Blues.
But the buyers weren’t the only ones improving their team’s outlook. Many sellers (teams considered out of the running for the postseason) were able to unload their impending free agents or unwanted contracts to gain draft capital and/or other teams up and coming prospects to get a head start on their potential rebuilds. One of the teams that were able to plunder away the best treasures at the deadline was the Chicago Blackhawks. Who over the subsequent three drafts has the possibility (with all the conditional picks they acquired) to select seven first-round talents. Make eight second-round selections, and have a total of five third-rounders. Folks, I don’t know about you, but with all those draft picks at their disposal, they are bound to build back another dynasty team sooner rather than later.
When you compare that to what the Flyers were able to do by trading Patrick Brown to Ottawa for a 6th-round pick. Giving away fan favorite Zac MacEwen to the Kings for Brendan Lemieux and a ’24 5th-round pick and sending Isaac Ratcliffe to the Predators for future considerations, you can begin to see why Philadelphia has been stuck in mediocrity for so long now.
But their troubles go well beyond Chuck’s inability to unload an impending free agent like James van Riemsdyk, who has scored 20+ goals seven times in his career (with one of those times being last year when he finished the season with a team-high 24 lamp lighters). Their problems are so deeply rooted that they date back to the beginning of their existence. Since their induction into the league, the Flyers have been known as a team that takes care of their players. This includes even after they hang up the skates for the last time, which on its face sounds amazing right? Not necessarily. Like no other team in the NHL, the Philadelphia Flyers have shown no shame in their corrupt practices of nepotism. Time and time again, the powers at be for the Flyers have seen to it that their friends and former teammates are gifted a job opportunity over a more qualified candidate from outside the organization. Now, I know what you’re thinking both head coach John Tortorella and GM Chuck Fletcher are from outside the organization, right? Sure, they are, but just like in politics, sometimes the people who appear to be in some of the most powerful positions, are but figureheads or puppets. In the Flyers case, the puppeteers or real shot callers are none other than former Flyers greats Bob Clarke (who is currently an executive and/or senior advisor to the Flyers), Paul Holmgren (who is a senior advisor to Dave Scott), and Bill Barber (who is a senior advisor and scouting consultant for the Flyers). These three men (all of which) who haven’t even played professional hockey in close to 40 years are the real powers that be. The ones who have been around the organization SO LONG that they have become consiglieres of sorts. But my question is, why do they still hold this mafia-type control over the team when the league as a whole has changed so much from when the Bullies ruled the ice?
In their day, teams filled their rosters with knuckle draggers who would beat their opponents into submission. Now, teams are built on the premise of skill using new in-depth hockey analytics that helps competent executives find affordable role players to fill their salary cap-restricted rosters. Something that the Flyers’ old guard knows nothing about. Hence the reason why Philadelphia has been so unsuccessful since the league’s implementation of said salary cap back in the 2005-2006 season.
This fear of the unknown has resulted in the team’s blind hiring of people in key positions for their franchise. People like 64-year-old Kjell Samuelsson, a former Flyers player who, since the moment he retired some 24 years ago, has been gifted jobs within the organization anywhere from an assistant coach with the Phantoms to his current role of being the Director of Player Development.
Or how about Dave Brown, a former Flyers tough guy who, over parts of 22 seasons, has held at one time or another the position of Assistant Coach, Director of Player Personnel, and or Director of Professional Scouting. As Coaches and GM’s came and went for the team, who could fathom that these two men would be allowed to hold onto these titles for that long despite Philadelphia being viewed among the league’s worst in scouting and player development? The old guard, that’s who. A bunch of old men who would rather see the team they claim to love so much falter year after year so that their old linemates are not without a job.
Now, as much as I would like to say that is where the systemic nepotism ends within the Flyers organization, I would be lying. It is SO deep-rooted that Danny Briere had his current job of Special Assistant to the GM made up for him. Both former Flyers Ian Laperriere and Jason Smith find themselves coaching the Phantoms. And there’s a laundry list of nostalgic players of old now inked to be player development coaches: Sami Kapanen, Sam Morin, Nick Schultz, and Chris Stewart, to name a few. Something has to change! While it is a nice gesture, it has not been conducive to the team winning championships. Operating with the same stagnant thought processes that they had since the late 60’s, and early 70’s is precisely why the Flyers haven’t been able to hoist Lord Stanley’s Cup in the last 48 years. So, until ownership realizes they need to drain the swamp by cutting ties with their good old boys. Get used to the mediocrity, as the Flyers will continue to leave you wanting something more when they make future “massive moves” like trading for Brendan Lemieux at the deadline.