Philadelphia Flyers Three Round 2019 NHL Mock Draft

The Philadelphia Flyers will have four selections in the first three round of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft.

With the 2019 NHL Draft over two months away, now seems like a good time to make a way too early, three round mock for the Philadelphia Flyers. This’ll be General Manager Chuck Fletcher’s first draft with the team and, like always, will be huge for the future of the franchise.

The Flyers, barring a trade before the end of June, will have four picks in the first three rounds with one in the first, one in the second, and two in the third thanks to the Cooper Marody trade that sent the young forward to the Edmonton Oilers back in March of 2018. Again, this could all change by the time the draft rolls around, but it’s what they have at the time this article was written.

I’m basing these picks more off of what Philadelphia needs in their farm system rather than what the NHL club needs at this moment, though one of these prospects could fill a longtime use for the team. This isn’t to say the Flyers pipeline is weak or anything, because it’s obviously not, but nothing is ever perfect in the world of sports and you can never have too much depth.

It’s also worth noting that zero of the players I’m about to name will see legitimate NHL time in the 2019-20 season. Whether they’re going to college or simply aren’t ready to make that big of a jump, I don’t want expectations to be that any of them are NHL ready. You normally see just two or three players in each draft do so, too, and sometimes even less than that.

So, with that all being said, let’s get right down to it. Here is the very first Flyers only 2019 NHL Mock Draft from Broad Street Buzz.

1. Round One, Pick Eleven: RW Cole Caufield

A native of Stevens Point, Wisconsin, Cole Caufield fills a need that fans have vied to get for years; a pure sniper.

Caufield had an exciting year with the USNTDP Juniors in the United States Hockey League (USHL), scoring 41 points in 28 games with the club. He led the team, which featured prominent prospect Jack Hughes, in goals by a considerable margin with 29 on the season. The next closest player had just 17, which speaks to how good Caufield’s sniping capabilities are. I’m also impressed that he was able to, on average, score over a goal a game. I don’t care about the overall talent level of the USHL, that’s a remarkable feat to reach in any league.

The versatile right winger showed out in the United States Developmental Program (USDP), as well. Caufield netted 77 points (54 Goals, 23 Assists) in 56 games with the Under-18 team. That was good for third in points and first in goals by another big gap.

Goal scoring isn’t all Caufield does. He plays with a noticeable aggressive demeanor and doesn’t back down from anybody. Flyers fans will come to love that from the future Wisconsin Badger, as we already do with Travis Konecny.

The only “flaw” he has is his size. Caufield stands at 5’7 and weighs 170 pounds according to EliteProspects, but I’m here to tell you that size doesn’t matter if the talent level is there. There are plenty of guys currently playing in the NHL who are considered small, from Tyler Johnson to Alex DeBrincat, and both seem to be doing just fine for themselves with their respective teams.

Caufield’s knack for scoring goals is just way too good to pass up and brings more than just that with very solid skating, deking, and passing abilities in his arsenal.

2. Round Two, Pick Forty-One: RW Albin Grewe

It wouldn’t be a true Flyers mock draft is they didn’t select some sort of playmaker, and Albin Grewe is that and then some.

The Swedish forward had a fantastic campaign with the Djurgårdens IF J20 team in the SuperElit league, scoring 34 points (13 Goals, 21 Assists) in 25 games played while potting six in eight playoff games. His regular season point and assist total sat fourth on the entire squad but far and away led them in Penalties in Minutes with a whopping 102, showing a lack of discipline in the youthful forward.

Additionally, his physical play style can also be attributed to his high amount of penalties. Grewe is only six feet tall but is a lot stronger than his frame would suggest. He’s never afraid to lay a hit on the opposition and gives 100% effort on every single shift. The lack of discipline could rub some NHL franchises the wrong way, but his offensive skill set will draw them right back in.

Grewe is lightning quick with and without the puck. He has terrific puck-handles to accompany his speed and as I mentioned above, is a gifted passer to top it all off. His talents alone would make him a sure-fire first-round prospect but again, he has to clean up his game a bit.

The Flyers can afford to take a risk on a player like Grewe in the second round. If he pans out, Philadelphia is getting a superbly gifted offensive forward who can play on either wing and center if absolutely needed.

4. Round Three, Pick Seventy-Two: G Mack Guzda

Goaltending may not look like a genuine need for the Flyers in their pipeline with Felix Sandstrom getting ready for AHL action next year and 2018 Fifth Round pick Samuel Ersson playing well in the Allsvenskan league in Sweden, but they need more bodies behind the two. This desire only increased with 2015 Third Round selection Matej Tomek struggling in his freshman year with the University of Nebraska-Omaha.

Mack Guzda is an 18-year-old goaltending product out of Knoxville, Tennessee and he’s got one thing that almost any NHL GM covets out of their net-minders; size. Guzda’s 6’5, 216 pounds and uses every inch to his advantage. As is the same with any big goaltender, he uses his frame to take away most of the top of the net and showcases mobility you wouldn’t wholly expect to see from a guy with his size between the pipes.

Guzda’s OHL stats aren’t great, though. In 49 games with the Owen Sound Attack, he had a 3.63 Goals-Against with a .878 save percentage which tied for tenth worst in the entire league among goalies who have played at least ten games. The year prior wasn’t much better, but it did earn him 2017-18 OHL First All-Rookie team honors. He needs to work on his puck-handling, too, as he was a bit turnover prone when trying to clear his own zone.

His combination of size and athletism is what appeals to me and could end up being a steal for the Flyers. The lack of consistency is concerning, but that should be corrected with the right amount of coaching.

The 2019 NHL Draft starts on June 21st and will last through the 22nd. Anticipate more mocks as the date draws closer.