2014 Entry Draft - Who do the Flyers choose?

[TimKerrFan12]

Ehlers.....I watched him all year in Halifax.  He has Drouinisque puck skills.   Fast, fast fast.  Not big but plays a bigger game then his size.

[BobbyClarkeFan16]

Fabbri is a great player but on the small side. Never say die attitude and skill to go with it.

Fabbri is a smaller player, but you know who else were 5'10, 166 pounds when they were drafted? Peter Forsberg and Simon Gagne. Mark Recchi was roughly 20 pounds heavier than Fabbri when he played as well. Lots of room for Fabbri to grow. I'm hoping he's the guy they end up drafting because he can also play left wing, a position of great need right now when you consider there's Hartnell and Raffl and not much else.

[flyercanuck]

@BobbyClarkeFan16

 

He certainly wouldn't be the worst pick out there....and welcome to the board!

[BobbyClarkeFan16]

@BobbyClarkeFan16

 

He certainly wouldn't be the worst pick out there....and welcome to the board!

Thank you. Looking forward to being a part of this community.

[OccamsRazor]

Jammer posted last night in a mock draft the Flyers were going to take Julius Honka....i admit i'm not real familiar with him but after watching some clips i like his game, really shifty and nice offensive upside can use more Dmen like him in the system.

 

And a right handed shot. 5-11 174.

 

I admit i'd be shocked to see the Flyers draft Dmen with their #1 in back to back drafts.

 

But it seems they have learned good Dmen are like gold in the NHL. 

 

 

Very smooth skater. Anyone else know this kid???

[RonJeremy]

As far as defense goes, we have a small offensive highly skilled guy in Ghost, we have a big shutdown guy in Morin, and Haag is a all around kinda guy . So all we need now is a franchise dman? I really would love to trade the Schenn brothers and our first rounder to Fla for the pick so we can get Ekblad. In our entire history we have never drafted a dominating defenseman.

[OccamsRazor]

I really would love to trade the Schenn brothers and our first rounder to Fla for the pick so we can get Ekblad. In our entire history we have never drafted a dominating defenseman.

 

I would be ok with getting Ekblad i just know a trade like that will be costly and i'm talking more than what you suggested and there is no guarantee that Ekblad will be a true #1.

 

FC even stated that and he is a Colts fans and said he may be just a #2.

 

So will he be able to dominate in the NHL like he has in juniors going against BIGGER guys i can't say.

 

It reminds me of a lot of the hype kind of not exactly of when J-Bo came out similar size and cannon shot maybe not as physical so we saw once he got to the NHL he didn't dominate no where like he did in juniors.

 

So after rethinking all that i would be ok with staying pat at #17 and taking a Honka if that is what they want to do. Ekblad would be a nice media splash though and would immeditaely become their best prospect i think...but not at the cost of Morin.........who know what they have up their sleeve.

[BobbyClarkeFan16]

As far as defense goes, we have a small offensive highly skilled guy in Ghost, we have a big shutdown guy in Morin, and Haag is a all around kinda guy . So all we need now is a franchise dman? I really would love to trade the Schenn brothers and our first rounder to Fla for the pick so we can get Ekblad. In our entire history we have never drafted a dominating defenseman.

 

You know, I'm not really sold on Ekblad. His performance at the WJC was kind of mediocre and while it's not the be all and end all for players, it's certainly brought up some red flags. As for Morin, Gostisbehere and Hagg, one of those three have the potential to be a very good top pairing guy. People also forget that with a guy like Morin, he's still about 25 to 30 points under weight for his size and that once he adds the weight and muscle to his frame, he's going to be a legitimate monster to play against. As well, this was the first time in Morin's junior career that he got to play a bit of offense and he looked good on the point in Rimouski. I hope they send him back and let him dominate as a 19 year old before calling him up.

 

As for this year's draft, as much as I like Honka (and he's a good free wheeling defenseman with incredible hockey IQ), Roland McKeown in Kingston would be the guy I'd target if they draft a defenseman. His coach and GM (who both have played with against Scott Niedermeyer) called him a Scott Niedermeyer clone in how he plays the game. He can skate, play physical, is smart defensively and has developed his offensive game. Another guy to watch is Travis Sanheim from Calgary. He's really climbing up the charts in most scouts eyes and he had a fantastic U18 tournament (a tournament the Flyers scout and invest in very seriously).

[OccamsRazor]

As for this year's draft, as much as I like Honka (and he's a good free wheeling defenseman with incredible hockey IQ), Roland McKeown in Kingston would be the guy I'd target if they draft a defenseman. His coach and GM (who both have played with against Scott Niedermeyer) called him a Scott Niedermeyer clone in how he plays the game. He can skate, play physical, is smart defensively and has developed his offensive game. Another guy to watch is Travis Sanheim from Calgary. He's really climbing up the charts in most scouts eyes and he had a fantastic U18 tournament (a tournament the Flyers scout and invest in very seriously).

 

I'll take your opinion and run with it.  

 

McKeown is slated later about around 25-27 actually after Sanheim....so i would be upset if the Flyers were to pass on a Scott Niedermeyer clone. I haven't seen that comparison about him but his smarts have been noted and labled as a do it all Dman and has better size (6-1 195) than Honka.

 

report on McKeown: McKeown is a strong, do-it-all defensemen whose biggest asset is his ability to think the game and know his position. He makes strong, simple plays, has a good shot and distributes the puck effectively.

 

Sanheim is already 6-4 205 already but no where the glowing reviews as the first two mentioned. Sanheim projects to a defensive defenman at the NHL level though.

 

I just hope Flyers draft the best one....which ever one that one is i can't say.

[RonJeremy]

@ocams and Clarke, I like those other guys too, but we are really in a bad situation on defense. Our defense is mediocre and Timmo and Streit are a year older a step slower, and we have no depth on the blue line. Our top 3 defensive prospects are probably not ready and we need IMMEDIATE help. We can't wait another 2-3 years for our prospects to not only make the team but to also make a impact. With age and wear and tear if Timmo or Streit get hurt ,we are finished.

So Ekblad is said to be NHl ready and that's what we need. If the price is too high, then I still think we still try and land a recently drafted defenseman who can help right away. In the past 3 years there have been lots of good dman drafted by other teams, some are in the NHL others are ready to make the jump. These are the guys I would target, there are some teams with a bunch of good young men in their system and who could use some offense. So B Schenn or Laughton are most likely to be the trade bait.

There is NO WAY we can go into next season with this old, immobile ,uncreative defense. We have NO SHOT in the playoffs unless we upgrade our defense. We made the offensively weak Rangers look like the Canadiens of the 70s the way they blew by our slow old defense. Our other option is to overpay for a guy like Niskanen ,in reality we need 2 more defenseman. So maybe a FA signing and a trading of Schenn or Laugton for a dman. Then at the draft we can take the best player available,but god forbid,not a center.

[OccamsRazor]

So Ekblad is said to be NHl ready and that's what we need.

 

True but he dominates too on his size in juniors he should realistically be return for at least one more season i think and continue to work on other aspects of his game, it can't hurt Flyers will be ok and why risk rushing him???

 

Besides some time in the A too wouldn't hurt him and he isn't eligible till 2 years from now.

[BobbyClarkeFan16]

@RonJeremy - The cost for an unknown like Ekblad isn't worth the Schenn brothers and a 1st. On top of it, if the Flyers do the expected and move Lecavalier, that leaves Brayden in his role as a center and not having to move around to accommodate whatever expired flavour the Flyers might be bringing in. He's a center and that's where he's most effective. I also feel good about prospects like Alt, Hagg, Gostisbehere and Morin all possibly vying for a spot on the big club. If a guy like Alt gets 19 to 20 minutes a night, that's a win. He's done his time in Adirondack and looked very good under the watch of Terry Murray. I really think Alt is ready and he should be able to step in with no problems next season. Does it make him a top pairing guy? No, but if he gives a solid 17 to 19 minutes a night, then that's fantastic for a first year player in the NHL. 

 

@OccamsRazor - McKeown would be a fantastic addition to the blue line prospects. Add him to the current group of Alt, Hagg, Gostisbehere and Morin and that's quite a good collection of young defenders. As for Travis Sanheim,  his offensive game grew last year and now that Calgary has three defensemen that will be gone due to overaging, Sanheim is going to get top pairing and top power play ice time. It's possible that he can score 10 goals and add 55 to 60 assists in that role. He's got one heck of a shot from the point and he's got good soft hands to distribute passes. I did find some scouting reports on Sanheim and some of the scouting reports liken him to Sam Morin in that he's got exceptional ability, but he's raw. McKeown is a more polished prospect at this point, but the upside of Sanheim could be huge.

 

I'm still hoping for a forward though and that Fabbri is the guy they go with. With four solid defenders in the pipeline right now, the club really needs a legitimate left wing prospect. I doubt they'll draft one of the Russian prospects (if they did, Scherbak from Saskatoon is a heck of a player), so it's pretty much Fabbri or bust as far as I'm concerned. Although, with the draft being in Philadelphia, I'm wondering if there'll be pressure on Hextall to make a big splash to acquire a big name and if the first will be used as bait.

[OccamsRazor]

McKeown would be a fantastic addition to the blue line prospects. Add him to the current group of Alt, Hagg, Gostisbehere and Morin and that's quite a good collection of young defenders.

 

Well from the mocks i have seen he should be there so i hope the Flyer brass target the right guy. They seems to have turned the corner on their drafting philosophy these last two drafts so there is that to be positive about. And you're him/or even Honka i belive would give them a hell of a top 5 in a couple years.

 

Really excited about that possibility.

 

And by the way welcome to this site a really great group of guys and gals here.

 

Yes some smarmy ones to a few that will nit pick what you say to death and some who will argue every point and many that are really good to have conversations,

 

You'll have to navigate on your own but it's one of the best sites i think around some really good knowledgeable folks here look forward to future opinions and discussions. Enjoy your stay.   

Edited May 23, 2014 by OccamsRazor

[BobbyClarkeFan16]

Thanks Occams. I'm having a great time here so far. Lots of good people and lots of knowledgeable people, which makes for great discussion.

[RonJeremy]

@ Clarke, Alt is at best a number 5 or 6 dman, we already have a team full of 5 and 6 guys,and we are paying them a ton of money. Do you know we have the highest paid defense in the league. We are paying an awful lot for mediocrity. We do have some good prospects in Ghost,Morin and Haag, but they are not gonna step in and make an immediate impact,chances are they will not make the team for at least a year. We need a big minutes guy now, if we go Into next year with basically the same defense,we are just wasting another season. Imagine if next year we lost either Coburn ,Timmo or Streit to an extended injury who is gonna step in? The answer is NOBODY . Our defensive depth is so weak and no one on the Phantoms is the type of dman who has the skill set that we need.

Manning and Lauredson are stay at home dmen with no offensive game and probably not even in the picture at all . We need a number 1 and 2 guy on the blueline with puck rushing and playmaking ability. As I see it, the only answer is a trade or finding the next Ray Bourque in the draft. All the scouting reports say that Ekblad is NHL ready and will transition as easy as Seth Jones did.

I believe Hextall will make a deal for a defenseman either with a trade or by signing a FA, or both. Wehave to unload some of our bloated contracts or we can't do anything. This is all Homers fault for constantly passing up defense to draft another center and for not drafting enough defenseman over the last 10 years . We have been trading for defensive help since Mark Howe

[mojo1917]

@RonJeremy

 

Alt's ceiling is a 5/6 ?  says who ?

 Alt has the pro athlete pedigree, has won a state championships as a quarterback, has exellent size, is already a good skater.

He's played in high pressure situations as a kid was the teams fulcrum and is a winner, he has intangibles that I don't think anyone else on the Phantoms blue line possess.

I wouldn't be surprised if he turns into the best of our prospects. He may not, but the kid has all the tools, we're not talking Matt Conan or some Blake Kessel who have physical limitations.

 

 

Manning ? Laurideson ?  they are the depth guys, call ups ,

Eckblad is a vapor, he's a stud in junior, great.  

trading two roster players plus for him is folly.  

Especially given Luke Schenn's improvement once he had a steady reliable partner and not Mezaros, Schenn's projection was an Adam Foote type player, and you know i'd be fine with that, i think we're seeing the light go on with him.

 

I understand the desire to upgrade the defense, and I think it will upgrade on its own with our prospects , creating two holes to fill one isn't the answer.  

 

we can stand pat and in two years our defense could look like 

Striet, Alt

MacDonald , Schenn

Hagg , Coburn

Ghost

 

that's not too shabby.

[BobbyClarkeFan16]

we can stand pat and in two years our defense could look like 

Striet, Alt

MacDonald , Schenn

Hagg , Coburn

Ghost

 

that's not too shabby.

 

....and that doesn't even include Morin, who is looking more and more like he might just reach his ceiling and possibly become a Chara type defender. At first, I was hesitant about the Morin pick because I really liked Josh Morrissey, but Morin has really grown on me and I think once he fills out and he's in the 230 - 240 pound range, he's going to be an absolute monster on the back end. He's also going to get a ton of power play time in Rimouski this year and that's only going to benefit his overall game. People are just going to need to be patient with the club and that patience will be rewarded.

[BobbyClarkeFan16]

I should also throw this out there. Jake Virtanen, one of the top rated wingers in this draft, just had major shoulder surgery and is out for 4 to 6 months. I think we've found our first player who is probably going to fall in the draft this year. 

[JackStraw]

Alt is at best a number 5 or 6 dman, we already have a team full of 5 and 6 guys,and we are paying them a ton of money.

 

Alt has the potential to be a good 3rd pairing and maybe even a competent 2nd pairing guy. And he's cheaper then the 5/6 guys we are paying a ton of money to. That's a step in the right direction.

We do have some good prospects in Ghost,Morin and Haag, but they are not gonna step in and make an immediate impact,chances are they will not make the team for at least a year.

 

And we should all be fine with that if it turns out that way. As opposed to the constant "win now" mentality that this franchise and its fans have always had. My guess is that both Ghost and Hagg will see time with the Flyers at some point this coming season.

 

Imagine if next year we lost either Coburn ,Timmo or Streit to an extended injury who is gonna step in?

 

Who steps in for the Kings if Doughty is out for an extended period of time? Who steps in for Karlsson in Ottawa? And so on. What you suggesting is true of every team. In an emergency, Lauridsen has already stepped in and performed ok.

 

All the scouting reports say that Ekblad is NHL ready and will transition as easy as Seth Jones did.

 

I wouldn't mind having him but you can't blow up your roster for a draft pick. And even if he is NHL ready, he is not going to solve the problems you're talking about for next year anyway. Seth Jones didn't step just in and become a #1 defenseman.

 

The reality is, no matter how you look at it everyone is going to have to have some patience. There is no quick fix for the defense that will turn the Flyers blue line into Chicago's blue line next season.

 

I believe Hextall will make a deal for a defenseman either with a trade or by signing a FA

 

If Timonen retires I would expect Hextall to do something. If Timo is back, I think Hextall stands pat with the defense.

 

There are problems to address for sure, but the situation is not as dire as you make it out to be. In Carchidi's column today (not that I think he's great or anything) he makes a reasonable point. Suppose that Laviolette had been fired after last season (as many of us thought he should have been). Berube gets a full TC and the team doesn't have that horrible start to the season. Other things staying the same (which they might not but for the sake of argument let's assume) the Flyers finish ahead of the Rangers and could very well be in the conference finals right now. So there is good reason not to do anything rash to go after Ekblad.

[OccamsRazor]

I should also throw this out there. Jake Virtanen, one of the top rated wingers in this draft, just had major shoulder surgery and is out for 4 to 6 months.

 

My question i'll defer to you is i wonder if he will fall to the 2nd like Hagg did and could they snag him then. I'm sure even before your answer if he does slip to the 2nd Flyers will still have to move up to snatch him.

 

 

For those not familiar with him his clip above.

 

He is a RW though right?? No?

 

Nice size too 6-1 209.

Edited May 24, 2014 by OccamsRazor

[flyercanuck]

@OccamsRazor

 

Virtanen won't be around when we pick in the 1st...let alone the 2nd. If he drops it may be a couple of spots. There's no way he falls to the 2nd round.

[BobbyClarkeFan16]

@OccamsRazor

 

Virtanen won't be around when we pick in the 1st...let alone the 2nd. If he drops it may be a couple of spots. There's no way he falls to the 2nd round.

 

Agreed. He won't be around in the 2nd, but he is definitely no longer a lock to be top 10. Too many teams are going to be worried about his shoulder, especially with the game Virtanen plays. I don't think it's unreasonable at all to see him drop to where the Flyers might be able to get him. Look at a guy like Mikhail Grigorenko. He was expected to be the 2nd or 3rd player drafted behind Yakupov and he had quite the fall - and he was healthy on top of it. 

[RonJeremy]

@ jack straw...you said who steps in for karlsson or Doughty if they get hurt....the difference between karlsson, Doughty and Timmo/Streit is age and durability . Those guys are 25 our guys are over 35.., huge difference . When it comes to rehabbing, recovery, ability to heal and odds of getting injured. A 25 year old can log huge minutes and recover quickly, Timmo and Streit cannot . We are over using them, and they will never make it through a full season and a long playoff, unless we come up with a couple of big minutes younger guys. THATS THE DIFFERENCE. Our top 2 dmen are ancient and the other teams dmen are not. Guys like Lauredsson,did ok filling in, but he filled in for a few games., not half a season. The other problem is Manning,and Lauredsson HAVE NO OFFENSIVE SKILL and NO SPEED.

Sometimes you have to take two steps back to take a big leap forward,sometimes you have to have balls, going after Ekblad would set us back, but the reward would be big later on. We still have too many centers so giving up Schenn would create a spot for Laugton.Everyone keeps saying it's no guarantee Ekblad will be great ,it's that exact lack of balls in drafting defenseman, that has us in the situation were in now. We surely could use Hamilton or Maata much more than we could use Coots and Laugton at this point,and every non move had a residual effect. Had we drafted a dman or two the JVR deal would have not happened. So I would rather have a team with JVR, Hamilton and Maata ,than a team with Coots , Laugton and L. Schenn.

If we don't move up for Ekblad, I still think if we could get a guy like Nurse ,or Ristolanen for Schenn , I would make that trade

[OccamsRazor]

@OccamsRazor

 

Virtanen won't be around when we pick in the 1st...let alone the 2nd. If he drops it may be a couple of spots. There's no way he falls to the 2nd round.

 

 

Ok kind of what i expected but can't be sure he won't be there at #17 guys slide with shoulder injuries. Flyer D prospect Vasiliev was a 1st round pick projection the year he was selected and slide to a 7th round pick that year. So i guess we'll just have to wait no crystal ball here.

[OccamsRazor]

The other problem is Manning,and Lauredsson HAVE NO OFFENSIVE SKILL and NO SPEED.

 

Manning has much offensive skills he was 2nd on the Phantoms with shots on goals with 198 in 73 games the only one with more is Akeson. 8goals 23 assist 31 points isn't to shabby...but that -24 is ugly. 

 

Manning however is mostly a offensive Dman and really hasn't gotten a whole lot of time up to see where his game is at the NHL level. And hasn't impressed anyone in the A with his defensive acumen.

 

However the little i saw of him he was ok. Hard to tell with such little time in the NHL or it is for me.