Philadelphia Flyers: Blockbuster trades highlighted 2011 NHL Draft

Sean Couturier was expected to be the favorite to be drafted first overall in 2011. But a bout with mononucleosis and a slow start knocked him off the top of the list.

He ended up falling in the draft, allowing the Flyers to scoop him up with that eighth pick. The team actually liked a few defenseman that were around the area they picked.

He ended up making the team out of camp as an 18-year old. The expectation following him was that of a prolific scorer. He had 96 points in back to back seasons in the QMJHL.

While the offense took time to develop, he quickly became a shut down defender early on in his career. He most notably shut down Evgeni Malkin in the playoffs while scoring his first career hat trick in the series as well.

Some Flyers fans finally got what they wanted when he broke out during the 2017-18 season. He collected 31 goals and 45 assists. He followed up that season with 33 goals and 43 assists last season.

A promotion to the top line and playing with Claude Giroux helped grow his offensive game. But his defensive side never wavered. He is regarded as one of the best two-way forwards in the league.

A finalist for the Selke Trophy before, this could finally be the season that he takes it home. While the offense was down a little, his defensive side seemingly got even better. The Flyers are certainly happy they were able to scoop him up with the eighth pick.