Flyers 2023 Entry Level Draft - 7th overall (confirmed)

[AlaskaFlyerFan]

There is no substitute for speed.

[ruxpin]

19 minutes ago, phlfly said:

Well at lest 40 but we don't have any one can even get over 30 for last 10 years. I don't want hear a bs about balance shifts = to streaky players that are suk every 20 games 

No on the 40 for most of that list, but i get your point that someone who can score would be nice.

 

And at least one defenseman that can play defense.

[ruxpin]

15 minutes ago, AlaskaFlyerFan said:

There is no substitute for speed.

I'll take "Quotes by Lindsay Lohan for $300," Alex.

[flyercanuck]

9 hours ago, phlfly said:

Flyers need a player with 50 plus goals a season. Look all past cups all teams have players have 50 plus goals players 

 

Was just about to shoot this down but I see rux has it.

[pilldoc]

So .... less than 36 hours from D-Day (Draft Day).... (Wednesday 6/28)

 

As for what the Flyers are likely to prioritize, Briere and Flahr made it clear that they’re not looking for short-term fixes or the players who will make it to the NHL the quickest. In keeping with their rebuilding mentality, they’re targeting the players who will be best in three-to-four years, not those closest to NHL physical readiness.

 

Briere has been quoted ...“I’m not worried about next year or the year after..."

 

“If it’s just a player needs to get stronger, or there are skating issues that our staff feel like can be addressed — or whatever the issue is, that (it’s) a thing that we can help with and fix — then we’re willing to take those swings if we think the ceiling is that much higher for a particular player,” Flahr said.

 

Flahr noted that with some prospects, there’s only so much physical improvement that can be made; they’re simply too skinny or not athletic enough or fundamentally flawed from a skating or hockey IQ standpoint, and no amount of hard work on their or the organization’s part is going to change that. It’s their job to identify which players can be fixed, and which ones can’t.

 

But make no mistake — they’re selecting with long-term upside in mind, befitting their rebuilding strategy.

 

What exactly are the Flyers Draft options?

 

Matvei Michkov
Ever since the Flyers’ news conference on Thursday, industry chatter has steadily increased that the Flyers are very open to the idea of taking Mickhov if he is indeed there at No. 7.

 

Per Charlie O'Connor he can confirm that the Flyers’ top brass is indeed slated to meet with Michkov in Nashville. The Flyers, unsurprisingly, love his skill set, and acknowledge their rebuilding strategy fits with his longer-than-ideal NHL timeline. I’m confident that Flyers ownership wouldn’t veto the Michkov selection if Briere and Flahr believe it’s the right move. But I do suspect that the interview with Michkov matters here. The Flyers have long been an organization that shies away from drafting players with character concerns, even if the talent is overwhelming.

 

Basically, if Michkov is there and the Flyers pass on him at No. 7, I don’t think it will be the result of geopolitical fears or because Comcast Spectacor wouldn’t approve the pick. They’ll have passed on the person, not the player. If Michkov presents poorly at the interview — or strongly implies that he doesn’t want to be a Flyer during it — that likely would drive them to look elsewhere.

 

But will Michkov even be available at No. 7?

 

Chicago will go Bedard at #1

Ducks will go Fantilli at #2

Blue Jackets GM has been quoted as they want a "Franchise" Center -- Michkoiv is a winger.  That leaves either Smith or Carlsson

San Jose is where is gets interesting.  Per reports by Charlie there is a general industry consensus that the Sharks are more likely to take whichever of Leo Carlsson and Will Smith is still available at No. 4.

 

That leaves Montreal and Arizona. Montreal certainly could do it, and per Seravalli, they’re slated to meet with him in Nashville as well. But The Athletic’s Arpon Basu believes that the Canadiens aren’t sold on Michkov being the best pick for them, based on his conversations with team personnel, who worry about his neutral and defensive zone play and also whether they should build their top-six long-term around two very undersized wingers in Michkov and Cole Caufield. And he’s not the only one in the industry hearing that chatter. Could it be a smokescreen? Sure. Could Michkov change all of their minds in an interview for the ages? Of course. But the perception that they’re targeting other non-Michkov players (Ryan Leonard in particular) is very real.

 

And then, there’s Arizona. I have little read on what Arizona might do, but given its situation, there are many obvious reasons why the Coyotes would pass on Michkov. Right now, they’re in organizational limbo, trying to lock down a new arena and stay in Arizona — a three-year runway for Michkov does little to help them in that regard.

 

Then, there’s the fear that Michkov would be skeptical of joining a potentially-in-turmoil Coyotes organization in three years, given the tempting prospect of staying at home. Finally, they did just trade away defenseman Jakob Chychrun, and could have David Reinbacher (the top-ranked defenseman in this draft) staring at them at No. 6. Could Arizona select Michkov anyway? Sure. But there are some real reasons for them to hesitate.

 

And what about a trade-up possibility, where another team jumps the Flyers and nabs him? It could happen, but top-10 picks are rarely traded. Teams just value them too highly and get too excited to pick their preferred target. Perhaps the unique nature of Michkov’s situation changes that. But I’m betting on nearly 20 years worth of post-salary-cap NHL history that says it won’t.

 

[pilldoc]

Ryan Leonard

The Flyers have kept their player preferences at the top of the draft pretty quiet, but I have heard scattered rumblings that they very much like Leonard. Flahr was unusually eager to defend Leonard last Thursday, arguing that he’s not a product of his linemates (Will Smith and Gabe Perreault) and is fully capable of driving a line. Plus, his skill set would seem to be one that the Flyers would love — an aggressive power forward who — if he hits — projects as something like a smaller Matthew Tkachuk, and the entire hockey world got to see in these playoffs how a player like that can carry a club.

 

If Leonard is there — especially if Michkov is gone — I suspect the Flyers will strongly consider him at No. 7. The Flyers have shown a preference for taking U.S. NTDP products with high picks in recent years (Joel Farabee, Cam York, Gauthier, Devin Kaplan) and Leonard certainly fits the organization mandate of being “tough to play against” without sacrificing offensive skill.

 

David Reinbacher
Reinbacher would be the unexciting pick — the top defenseman in a forward-heavy draft — but not necessarily a bad one.

 

I still remain unconvinced that he has a serious dynamic element to his game. But his all-around soundness and his success in a pro league (in Switzerland) bode very well for his NHL projectability, and his righthandedness does add to his value as a prospect.

It’s difficult to imagine him busting, and I do believe he has the upside of a top-pair defenseman. A Cale Makar/Adam Fox game-changer type? I don’t see that. But if all breaks right for him in his development, he and York could form a heck of a top pair in Philadelphia for the next decade.

 

Zach Benson
Benson is the pick of the statistically inclined fans on social media, who point to his high-end skill and stellar production in the WHL (98 points in 60 games for the Winnipeg Ice). And there’s a reason why — right alongside Leonard — he’s my personal favorite non-Michkov option at No. 7. The upside is obvious when you watch Benson play, and as a pure playmaker, he could be a stellar complement to the young shooters that the Flyers have recently stockpiled (Gauthier, Tyson Foerster, Owen Tippett).

But I get the sense that Benson is viewed more favorably online than in scouting circles. It’s not that scouts don’t like him — Bob McKenzie’s scout-driven ranking last week put him ninth — but the general consensus appears to be that he’ll slip into the early teens at least. The truth is that he’s an average skater with unimposing size who plays wing. That combination scares scouts and teams, at least in terms of spending a top-10 pick on him.

Personally, I’d find it a very tough call to choose between Benson and Leonard if Michkov is gone and they’re both still available. But my hunch is that it wouldn’t be as difficult a decision for the Flyers. If he starts falling closer to No. 22, however, and the Flyers found some other way to pick up a second-rounder to use as a possible draft-day trade up? That’s another story entirely.

 

Dalibor Dvorský
Dvorský has emerged as a favorite of the scouting community; McKenzie’s list has him at No. 7, and noted that a few scouts he queried strongly believed that Dvorský should go even higher. And it makes sense — he’s a strong all-around center prospect who has already held his own at the professional level (Swedish Allsvenskan) and thrived against his peers internationally (13 points in seven games at the U18s).

 

The big question for Dvorský surrounds his upside, making him similar in that regard to Reinbacher.

 

Dvorský’s floor is extremely high — in an absolute worst-case scenario, he’ll be a strong two-way winger, and his most likely outcome is something like a quality play-driving middle-six center who proves capable of delivering multiple strong 2C seasons. But his offensive ceiling is a subject of much debate; some scouts believe it will come around as his skating improves, others see him as more of a two-way center than an impact center.

His skill set and profile don’t seem to fit the Flyers’ approach, but if the Flyers believe they can dramatically improve his skating — Dvorský’s biggest pre-draft physical weakness — perhaps they agree with the scouts who think he has true top-of-the-lineup potential.

 

Nate Danielson
I’m skeptical the Flyers would pick Danielson here — he was ranked 16th on McKenzie’s list, so it would be a pretty big reach relative to industry consensus, as he’s viewed more as a middle-six center by most clubs and is old for his draft year (he was born in September 2004). But I do believe the Flyers like Danielson, and the Brandon Wheat Kings product could easily be a trade-up option for them at 22. That said, if the Flyers were going to reach on someone at No. 7, Danielson seems like the most plausible option, especially if their scouts believe that his offensive production last season (78 points in 68 games) was deflated by the poor team around him and not the result of a lack of upside.

 

Gabe Perreault
Not a lot of buzz around Perreault to the Flyers over the past few weeks, but he’s right there with Benson in terms of skill set as a hyper-creative offensive weapon with less-than-ideal size and skating ability. I’d argue Benson is a better all-around skater than Perreault, but Perreault’s offensive production at the U.S. National Team Development Program was eye-popping and record-setting — 132 points (53 goals) in 63 games. Some worry that he was a product of his linemates (Smith and Leonard) but Perreault finished with more points than both them, which throws that theory into question.

Perreault might be a bit of a reach at No. 7, but no more than Benson, given their question marks are fairly similar. It just depends on which player the scouting department believes has a higher NHL upside.

 

The other defensemen
There are defensemen not named Reinbacher that could go in this range — Axel Sandin Pellikka, Tom Willander and Dmitri Simashev are the most likely to be taken in the top half of the first round, likely by teams that are intent on securing a blue-chip defense prospect.

 

I doubt the Flyers will be one of those teams, however. Perhaps they could trade up from No. 22 to nab one of the last remaining top-tier blueliners (or hope one of them slips), but aside from Reinbacher, I just don’t see them reaching for a defenseman in what is clearly a forward-heavy draft.

 

And there you have it .......

 

We shall see what unfolds in less than 36 hours from now......

https://theathletic.com/4642709/2023/06/27/philadelphia-flyers-nhl-draft-2023-first/

[GrittyForever]

I just hope today brings us something to get excited about for the future. 

[OccamsRazor]

38 minutes ago, GrittyForever said:

I just hope today brings us something to get excited about for the future. 

 

From this screen to God's eyes. Please. Me and all my friends deserve it...

[OccamsRazor]

 

[mkscrewy]

it's gonna be alright guys. tonight will only determine whether or not I will live long enough to see the flyers win a cup. I've only been a fan since 86-87, so I figure I have maybe 5-10 more years left in me. No pressure at all. Is there a "pretty good" 2-way winger who is solid at everything equally but great at nothing that we can convert to center? is there a second round sleeper we can take at #7 and beat everyone else to the punch? this is how we do it in the mid-2000s, right?

 

[GrittyForever]

47 minutes ago, OccamsRazor said:

 

There's been rumors about this for a while now. Hope it gets done before the draft and they give us another first. 

[mkscrewy]

7 minutes ago, mkscrewy said:

it's gonna be alright guys. tonight will only determine whether or not I will live long enough to see the flyers win a cup. I've only been a fan since 86-87, so I figure I have maybe 5-10 more years left in me. No pressure at all. Is there a "pretty good" 2-way winger who is solid at everything equally but great at nothing that we can convert to center? is there a second round sleeper we can take at #7 and beat everyone else to the punch? this is how we do it in the mid-2000s, right?

 

https://twitter.com/oandbpuck/status/1674152438062891008?s=20

 

Edited June 28, 2023 by mkscrewy

[radoran]

On 6/26/2023 at 9:43 PM, ruxpin said:

And at least one defenseman that can play defense.

 

Wait, there's and Axel Sandin Pellikka sitting out there and we're discussing a "Leonard"?

 

I forgive him for being Swedish.

[BobbyClarkeFan16]

At this point, I'm just ready for this to be over. And after reading what Friedman wrote today about what the Flyers will do if they can't get Michkov, I fully expect they're going to swerve everyone. Watch how people will freak out when they call Matthew Wood.....

[pilldoc]

7 minutes ago, BobbyClarkeFan16 said:

Watch how people will freak out when they call Matthew Wood.....

 

I actually have Wood going to the Red Wings at #9 ......

[OccamsRazor]

1 hour ago, GrittyForever said:

There's been rumors about this for a while now. Hope it gets done before the draft and they give us another first. 

 

They going to see who falls to 10?

 

 

[ctid]

Ok. Just been watching a bunch of Ryan Leonard clips and reading up some more on him. I take my earlier statement back. I'd rather pick Leonard over Benson.

 

 

[FD19372]

3 minutes ago, ctid said:

Ok. Just been watching a bunch of Ryan Leonard clips and reading up some more on him. I take my earlier statement back. I'd rather pick Leonard over Benson.

 

 

Agreed. Leonard has really good speed and isn't afraid to go to the net. You can't teach speed. You have it, or you don't. Not sure you can really teach going to the net, either.

[OccamsRazor]

Carlsson 2nd ok Duck i hear you.

[BobbyClarkeFan16]

Arizona COMPLETELY **** the bed. Wow......

[OccamsRazor]

 

Welcome to Philly!!!

[BobbyClarkeFan16]

Michkov!!!!!!!!!!

[pilldoc]

 

[pilldoc]

Closing this thread and passing it on to the other thread.....