Photo Credit: Matthew Wolfe/Portland Winterhawks
With the Flyers 5th round selection of the 2023 NHL Draft they picked Carter Sotheran. He is a big right shot Defenseman, who plays for the Portland Winterhawks in the WHL He had 23 pts in 68 games played in 2022-23, and 40 points this past season (13 goals, 27 assists).
Sotheran is a defensive defenseman with solid skating abilities, and a good defender. He told us at Flyers’ Developmental Camp that he has worked a lot with, now coach, Samuel Morin. The pair went over film, and work in the defensive zone throughout the course of the season. Sotheran also said that Nick Schultz has been very helpful.
Does he have a lot more work to do to make it to the next level? You betcha, but he’s trying to round out his game for a successful 2024-25 season. Getting some experience at the World Junior summer showcase sure helps in this area.
He stands at 6’3 and weighs 183 pounds, which puts him in a good position to break up plays. Sotheran is very good at moving the puck at the point, he really has a good keen hockey sense, and that is something that cannot be taught. He’s an unselfish player, and good in transition.
Sotheran was another great value pick for the Flyers in the fifth round of the draft. He knows this is a big season coming up, but he appears ready for the task ahead.
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Along with improving his skills, this young man needs to focus on bulking up. At 6′-3″ weighing just 183 lbs just isn’t going to cut it at the NHL level. At his height he needs to be at least 205 lbs. – 215 + lbs would be ideal for his height.