WHOOOOO? In a draft where the Philadelphia Flyers were said to have been looking for size, scoring, physicality, and a right hand shot defenseman. Chuck Fletcher leaves fans in shock after the team announced their 2nd round selection in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft: Emil Andrae. An undersized Swedish player who is a left hand shot defensemen standing at just 5’9. This selection makes little sense when you look at the team’s depth at defense already. With names like Sam Morin, Mark Friedman, Yegor Zamaula, Wyatte Wylie, Mason Millman, Cameron York, Ronald Attard, Adam Ginning, Linus Hogberg, and Jack St. Ivany which are all fighting for a spot in the Flyers’ system already.
Would it not have been wiser for the Flyers to select sniper Tristen Robins from the Saskatoon Blades of the Western Hockey League (WHL)? A player who the San Jose Sharks ended up taking just two picks later who had 33 goals on the season last year.
Or better yet the goal-scoring, hard-hitting winger from the Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey league (OHL) William Cuylle who stands at 6’3 and 203 pounds; Cuylle possesses one of the nicest wrist shots in all this year’s draft which he used to score 22 goals this past season. The New York Rangers sure snatched him up rather quickly when they had the chance at 60th overall.
Hopefully, Andrae will prove us all wrong, but this writer thinks that the Flyers just missed out on a great opportunity to add one of the above mentioned gifted players to the teams syste, whom both of which are just about one year away from making an NHL roster.
Click here to shop for our latest sporting apparel and accessories from Flyers Nitty Gritty
Lets face it, Chuck Fletcher doesn’t do his homework on the draft. He’s a graduate of the Holmgren school: build through free agency. Try to make a trade for needs. The draft is just A way too slow process to create players for the NHL, so go through the motions when picking 18 year olds. Fletcher has a horrible record drafting players.