Philadelphia Flyers 2020 Draft Spotlight: Tyson Foerster
The 18-year-old has taken a huge jump in the rankings and could be available for the Flyers in the upcoming draft.
The NHL Central Scouting’s final rankings were realized just a few days ago. We can use those rankings to profile some of the players the Flyers may have a chance of drafting with their first-round pick.
NHL.com released its list of how they believe the first round could shake out. Adam Kimelman was one of the writers chosen to predict the picks. So we’ll be starting with his choice for the Flyers, Tyson Foerster.
Foerster is ranked fairly well according to NHL Central Scouting. They have the Barrie Colts forward as the 21st ranked North American skater. It didn’t look like he would end up being quite as high after his first season, though.
It wasn’t a disappointment of a rookie season. Foerster was drafted with the 55th pick in the OHL Priority Selection Draft. So he wasn’t necessarily expected to be a top player. His first year overall could be considered solid, but not outstanding. He finished ninth on the Colts in points (23) and goals (10).
It was only his first season in the OHL, so there was time to grow. And Foerster certainly did that this past year. Calling this season a breakout would be an understatement. He almost tripled his point total from a season ago. The same for his goal and assist total.
A year after finishing ninth in points, Foerster is now the leading scorer for the Colts. His 80 points are 37 above the next highest scorer on the team. Half of his goal total came on the power play, an area that is a big part of his game. He also added two shorthanded goals.
Foerster broke onto the scene early this year, grabbing six points in just the fourth game of the season. He had three goals and three assists in the game. The points continued after that as he went on a 13-game stretch where he grabbed 12 goals and 15 assists. Eight of those games were multi-point. And he three of those games, he scored twice.
What was most impressive is that Foerster hardly ever went a game without registering at least one point. His longest stretch was only two games, most recently to end the season.
His impressive season earned him an invite to the CHL Top Prospects Game. Players such as Alexis Lafreniere, Quinton Byfield, and Jamie Drysdale were expected to headline the event. But it was Foerster that took over once again. He grabbed two goals and three points overall to earn MVP. He put his name squarely on the map at the perfect moment.
According to The Hockey Writers, Foerster is projected to be a middle-six winger. His prowess on the power play, if it is to continue after this season, will be a big part of his game.
The power play is something that the Flyers improved upon greatly this season, but could still use something more. Foerster would likely return to the OHL for at least the next season. The Flyers wouldn’t need him to jump right into the NHL.
But with his quick jump up the rankings, he could turn out to be the perfect player for the Flyers to take with their first-round pick.