Photo Credit: NHL.com
That time is upon us once again: The NHL Player Entry Draft, where the Flyers hope that they somehow can find a couple of diamonds in the rough who could one day soon help this struggling club return to greatness. In this article I will try to predict who Philadelphia will look to draft with each of their picks. This year, like no other before it, will prove to be a monumental task in which to do so- largely due to the COVID pandemic shutting down whole leagues and delaying the start of others. There was simply not enough game tape on certain players to make a full assessment of certain prospects. But, lucky for me, the Flyers and the other teams around the league will be dealing with the same problems and therefore we are on the same playing field when making our selections.
Last year I was able to predict the Flyers’ 1st round selection when I had the team taking Tyson Foerster from the OHL’s Barrie Colts in my final Mock Draft, but they may not even be selecting anyone in the first round this year to hear the team’s general manager (GM) Chuck Fletcher tell it (in his latest press conference a week ago on the state of the Flyers). That thought process may have changed by now given the fact that he was able to bring in defenseman Ryan Ellis without having to trade the teams’ 1st round selection away to do so. That’s not saying that he might not try to utilize it to acquire another player; Only time will tell. But Chuck’s longtime right-hand man and current Flyers’ assistant GM Brent Flahr is trying to advise Chuck against it, instead wanting to use their first-round selection on the best player available. If you use that thought process it might then be used on the WHL’s Edmonton Oil Kings 6’6 goaltender Sebastian Cossa.
If the Flyers were to take this young record-setting goalie who in 19 games played went 17-1-1 this past season while averaging a 1.57 goals-against-average and a .941 save percentage, then it would be sure to start a controversy in Philadelphia over who then would be looked at as the future franchise netminder on South Broad Street: Hart or Cossa? While this writer believes you can never have too many goaltenders or good defenseman, I think the team would be more inclined to choose a forward. Rumors are that the Flyers have been scouting Swedish winger Fabian Lysell pretty heavily who scored just 2 goals while playing 26 games last season in the SHL (Sweden’s top hockey league) for the Lulea HF. There are guys out there like right-hand-shot (RHS) defenseman Brandt Clarke who they could hope to fall to them, along with sniper Mason McTavish (who I wrote about before) or Cole Sillinger; But sadly, I think all of these great talented players will be off the board by the time the Flyers make their selection.
Round 1:
With all that being said my choice for the Flyers 1st round pick (IF THEY ACTUALLY MAKE IT) is Matthew Coronato who helped the Chicago Steel win the United States Hockey Leagues (USHL) Clarke Cup Championship this season. He was also granted the honor of being named the USHL’s Forward of the year. He did so by scoring a USHL best 48 goals (with the help of his amazingly quick release) and 37 assists for 85 points in just 51 games played this season. If scoring at a rate of 1.6 points-per-game (PPG) wasn’t impressive enough, Coronato gets back to help in his own end as well, achieving a +37 average which just so happened to be another USHL’s best this season. This young player has plenty of tenacity when it comes to retrieving that puck and a drive that just won’t quit.
If the Flyers were to make this pick it would fit a need for sure. Philadelphia is a team full of pass-first players and needs some guys who like to shoot the puck, which Coronato would be oh-so-happy to oblige after spending a little time at the University of Harvard where he is set to attend this fall.
Round 2:
For the Flyers’ second round pick at #46 overall there is but one player they need to look at. His name is Tyler Boucher of the United States National Developmental Team. That last name should ring a bell for most Flyers fans and yes, if you’re pondering whether it might be long-time goaltender Brian Boucher’s son, it is indeed. But I assure you this selection would not be made as some sort of favor or nepotism: Tyler has earned everything he got on his own. In fact, this selection might be viewed as a bit of a stretch (especially considering if fast-rising winger Villie Koivunen is still on the board), but it has to be made simply because Boucher provides something the Flyers so desperately need- something that he possesses more than any other name that will be called in this year’s draft class: PHYSICALITY. Tyler, who stands at 6’1 and over 200 pounds already, possesses an NHL frame and he uses it. Boucher is- hands down- the most brutal player in this year’s draft! He delivers the type of hits that have been known to rattle the filling out of people’s heads and make the opposition crawl to the bench afterwards telling the coach they don’t want to go to school today. Tyler never takes a shift off; In fact, his relentless pursuit of the puck allows him to literally compile more hits in a single shift than most Flyers players do in a single game (or for that matter, more than some do in five game times)! But that’s not all this player who grew up in the Flyers’ locker room is good for: Boucher can provide some offense as well since he is a creative shooter who can quickly assess what is in front of him and react quickly in order to get the best shot possible on net. Boucher would be a great fit to the Flyers seeing that he plays like the Bullies of old and would be able to counteract the Tom Wilson’s of the East in a few short years.
If you like what you read about Boucher, then feel free to check out my article listed below that I wrote on him back on February 24th to find out more.
Round 3:
With the 78th overall selection I had quite the conundrum with who to select. Both players I would take at this pick are from the Chicago Steel once again, who are becoming quite the powerhouse team in the United States Hockey League. With the previous two selections being both forwards I would suggest the Flyers pick a defenseman like the Steel’s Jack Bar who already stands at 6’2 195 pounds and plays the game like the defenseman of old by clearing the front of the net with ease, lifting his man’s stick when a shot is coming in from the point, and always having head on a swivel so as not to be caught off guard. (which you can read more about in this article I wrote about him- and other potential draft-day steals- not too long ago)
But he will most likely be gone by the time the Flyers are to call in this selection. So, I will turn to his fellow Chicago Steel teammate Josh Doan instead. Like I’ve said a thousand times before: The Flyers’ roster and prospect pool is filled to the brim with pass-first players. They are need some finishers, and Doan would be a tremendous talent still on the board this late in the draft. Son of former-NHL Phoenix Coyotes Captain Shane Doan (who is currently waiting his call to the Hockey Hall of Fame) Josh plays the game with plenty of heart, grit, and determination- like his dad did. He is a bit of a late bloomer seeing that he is 19 years old but let’s be honest- with the kind of talent that the Steel have currently and have had over the past couple of years while Josh has been in Chicago (like Owen Power, Brendan Brisson, Sam Colangelo, Sean Farrell, and Matthew Coronato) it’s easy to see why Doan may have been forced to take a back seat. But even when he was buried on the depth chart by these players once again this season, he managed to produce some pretty impressive numbers scoring 31 goals and 39 assists for 70 points this year in just 53 games played. In fact, Josh seems to emulate his dad’s game so well you would think that Shane must have found some kind of magical oasis out in the desert where he drank from the fountain of youth. Don’t believe me? Just watch these two videos provided below of the two scoring a hat trick with some uncanny similarities.
Did you notice the two have the same strong wrist shot and quick release? How about their preferred place to set up (atop the faceoff circle)? Without question, Shane’s blood runs deep in this young forward. Josh will be heading home to the desert next season and will attend Arizona State University where he will be suiting up for the Sun Devils. Doan will be able to continue to grow his game there and will be sure to contribute to their growing success. Doan would be quite the steal at this point in the draft and the Flyers would be wise to select him if still available.
(Intrigued about this prospect? Take a look at this article I wrote on him back on April 11th to find out more).
Round 4:
Here is where the Flyers will finally claim their defenseman, one with a right-hand-shot at that. Ty Gallagher from the United States National Team is a good one. He stands at 6’0 and 190 pounds and has quite the nasty wrister which he used to help the US U18 team by recording 14 goals and 13 assists for 27 points this year. This solid defenseman not only added to it but managed to turn some heads at the World Junior Championships this year when he netted 3 goals in just 5 games played. He would be yet another solid pick-up that the Flyers could add to their prospect pool and, as he is set to attend Boston University now, Philadelphia would be sure to keep a close eye on this Terrier since he would be joining Flyers’ prospect Jay O’Brien if he does not turn pro this fall.
(Want to know more about Ty click on this article I did about him back on May 11th)
Round 5:
Deep into the draft now, Chuck will be looking to find another hidden gem like he did last year with Elliot Desnoyers whose play was so impressive this past season that he has already inked his first professional contract; a rare feat for any 5th round pick- especially so quickly after being drafted. In saying that, another name who could follow in Desnoyers footsteps would be Sean Tschigerl from the Western Hockey League’s Calgary Hitman. Sean is a 6’0 181-pound winger who scored at a point-per-game pace last season totaling 21 points in 21 games played. He probably should be taken much earlier than this but, due to him getting a late start on things this year because of COVID, he might just be overlooked by most teams for players that they had more game tape on to assess. Tschigerl is aggressive on the fore check, forcing the opposition’s defense to create frequent turnovers. Once he does then he is off to the races where it tends to be just him and the goalie with Sean usually coming out on top, like when he even got a rare shot by the great Sebastian Cossa this year when his team played the Edmonton Oil Kings.
Tschigerl is definitely someone to watch next season and could be a nice addition to the already impressive young core of offensemen that Fletcher has previously drafted.
Round 6:
Once again, the Flyers should look to add size and a little toughness to their meek and diminutive lineup and, lucky for them, Finland’s Niko Huuhtanen might be still available when they are to make their choice. Niko plays wing and is currently 6’1 and 203 pounds. With his already great size, Huuhtanen offers a blistering release and a whole lot of grit. This season for the Tappara U20 Niko totaled 20 goals and 14 assists for 34 points in just 37 games played. He was also selected to represent his country in the U-18 World Junior Championships this past year where he scored 5 points in 7 games played. His hard nose play often times helps him to be a plus player and will surely help him next season in the Liiga (Finland’s top professional league) where he is set to play for Tappara’s top club. Any player a team selects at this point in the draft is a gamble, but this player really has some upside to him, especially since he already has an NHL frame (which he uses to sit guys right down on the backsides quite frequently). Huuhtanen’s size and toughness would be a welcomed addition to the Flyers’ locker room, and this is why Philadelphia should take a chance on him.
Round 7:
We have finally arrived at the Flyers last pick in this year’s draft and like most that came before this writer thinks that they should go back for more of the same. This time in the form of a big, physical, left hand shot defenseman from Germany named Maximillian Glotzl. Who at 19 years old is now in his second year of draft eligibility. Standing at 6’2 and 198 pounds this player like the suggested draft picks before him in this article comes with great size, lots of physicality and the wherewithal to play a 200ft game. Glotzl who can clear the front of the net, as well as erase minds in the end boards has been a force to be reckoned with in the Germany’s junior leagues the past few seasons but did not show the same offense prowess that he did last season when he was called up to the DEL (Germany’s top professional league) this season. Let’s remember he is still just 19 years old, and he may require a slight learning curve. I mean a 7th round pick doesn’t seem like that much of a risk for the Flyers to waste on a guy that has been called by scouts the biggest German defensive talent today not named Moritz Seider- who is set to make his NHL debut next season and was taken by the Detroit Red Wings 6th overall in the 2019 draft. I don’t know about you but having already viewed a lot of tape on Seider if that statement is even remotely true the Flyers should be jumping at the chance to pick Maximillian with their final selection in this year’s draft.
So, as you can probably tell this mock draft that I just presented to you is full of talented players who possess great size and strength along with the ability to play very physical and defensively sound at the same time. It is chalked full of both offensemen and defensemen who love to shoot the puck and are willing to get into the dirty areas in which to do so. All of which the Flyers need more of in their current lineup, but you may have noticed that this mock draft lacks something. Goaltending! The reason for this is that (in this goaltender turned writers mind) after the Edmonton Oil Kings Sebastian Cossa there is a huge drop off in skill in this position. Most draft eligible goaltenders this year posted numbers that were just atrocious. With the vast majority letting in over 3 goals a game and posting a sub .900 save percentage in the process, I couldn’t see suggesting Chuck waste another pick on a goaltender like he did before when he selected Roddy Ross from WHL’s Seattle Thunderbirds back in the 6th round of the 2019 player entry draft. Instead, I think Fletcher would be better off signing a 23-year-old undrafted collegiate free agent goaltender named Dryden McKay from Minnesota State University instead. Dryden not only led the entire NCAA in win percentage this past year, winning an astounding 84% of his starts he also was ranked second in the nation in goals against posting a 1.53 GAA. With that being said McKay is not just a shot in the pan he has been nothing less than dominate in all three seasons he has played in for the Mankato Mavericks so far. Where to date he has been able to win a remarkable 75 games with an incredible 24 of those wins being by way of a shutout! There’s no way this 2-time Hobey Baker Award finalist should not turn pro next season and there’s no reason why he couldn’t do so while wearing orange and black. Dryden is that good, and since there is limited goalies in this draft worth selecting the Flyers should ink McKay quick, fast and in a hurry to round out this talented group of potential Broad Street Bullies.
