One question that is on most Flyers fans minds are what the Flyers will do at the NHL Draft? This year the Flyers are fortunate to have two picks in the first round of the draft, one at 7 and one at 22. This is great for Danny Briere and a rebuilding Flyers bunch, as draft Capital is important to rebuilding or restructuring a team to become competitive in the future. Whether that be making a selection, and/or using said picks as leverage to move up in a draft. They could also be used to acquire good NHL talent.
Either way, the NHL Draft is a spectacle, but it’s always unpredictable, expect the unexpected. Fortunately, for Briere and the Flyers this year the NHL draft is loaded with good talent across the board in rounds 1 through 2, so it’s a good thing Flyers have two picks in round one. What will the Flyers do with pick #22?
The Flyers more than likely will not make this selection at 22, and I feel confident saying that. Briere said he will remain aggressive, and we’ll try to move up in the draft if need be. I could see the Flyers moving to within the 10 to 15 range and selecting a Right-Handed defenseman Tom Wallinder. Wallinder will not be a player to be selected at 22 if the Flyers were to wait for him to drop, this young man is a smooth skating defenseman. It’s highly unlikely he’s there at 22 for the Flyers to select.
This would give the Flyers one Forward and one defenseman in the first round of the draft, with Wallinder becoming the first defenseman to Flyers have selected since 2019 in the first round if the draft (Cam York). There are two other defensemen the Flyers could move up for, Mikhail Gulyayev and Dmitri Simashev, but both are left-handed. The Flyers need to develop a homegrown right-handed defenseman for once, and the Flyers are more than familiar with the Swedish prospect system.
All indications are pointing towards the Flyers drafting a Forward at #7, so I think they will pick a Defenseman with their second pick in the first round (22).
Some Defensemen that the Flyers could move up for:
Tom Wallinder (Flyers really like)
Mikhail Gulyayev
Dmitri Simashev
Using the Cam York trade as a template for the Flyers to trade up to within the 10-15 range this year. The Flyers traded back in 2019, and received the 14th and 45th pick in return for slot 11. Briere could trade the 22nd pick, a 2024 2nd round pick (Either the Columbus or LA one), and maybe a prospect.
