Philadelphia Flyers: 2012 Draft surrounded with big trades
Before they added that group of defensemen to the organization, the Flyers had the 20th pick in the first round. With that pick, they drafted Scott Laughton.
Laughton came into the draft regarded as a solid all-around player. While not a flashy player, he did put up 53 points the season before the draft. He followed that up with 56 and 87 points his final two junior seasons.
He actually debuted with both the Flyers and Phantoms during the 2012-13 season before being sent back to the Oshawa Generals. Laughton had three points in six AHL games, none in five NHL appearances.
Despite appearing as if he had cracked the roster for good in 2015-16, Laughton spent the next two seasons back and forth between the NHL and AHL. He was developing slower than the team had wanted him to.
He made the team for two seasons ago, appearing in all but one game. He has gotten better each season, providing the Flyers with a reliable bottom-six option. The goal-scoring has also increased each year.
He has become a key piece in the organization and was having a career season before the pause.
Anthony Stolarz was the first goaltender the Flyers drafted since taking Adam Morrison and Nick Riopel in 2009. Needing an upgrade at the goaltending position, Stolarz was a clear building block.
He had been climbing the ranks among goaltenders since before the draft. He was one of the biggest prospects at the position. Stolarz was coming off his only seasons with the Corpus Christi Ice Rays of the NAHL.
There, he was already regarded as a goaltender who was quick and had a good eye for the puck. He moved on to the University of Nebraska-Omaha. Stolarz appeared in just eight collegiate games, second most among the team’s four goaltenders.
He left college to join the London Knights of the OHL after just that one NCAA season. It turned out to be the right decision as the Knights would win the OHL championship in his first season. Stolarz appeared in 20 games for the team, posting a 2.29 GAA and a .920 SV%.
While splitting time in net once again the following season, it appeared clear that Stolarz was the team’s best goaltender. With an increased workload, his numbers didn’t fall off much from the prior season. He finished with a 2.52 GAA and a .926 SV%.
From there, he made his professional debut with the Phantoms in 2014. He would become the team’s starter the following season. Stolarz made his Flyers debut during the 2016-17 season, appearing in seven games. The numbers were solid as he posted a 2.07 GAA and a .928 SV%. Those were the best numbers he had ever posted.
He was back to the Phantoms for the next few seasons, appearing in the NHL once again last year. Injuries plagued the Flyers at the goaltending position, including Stolarz. He did get the chance to suit up for 12 NHL games. He wasn’t quite as sharp this time around, finishing with a 3.33 GAA and a .902 SV%.
He would later be traded to the Edmonton Oilers, the Flyers receiving Cam Talbot in the deal. Stolarz is now in the Ducks organization, splitting time between the NHL and AHL once again.
The Flyers grabbed the first of four defensemen next, nabbing Shayne Gostisbehere in the third round. He was coming off his freshman season at Union College. He was a big part of a team that gave up the fewest goals in the NCAA.
He also had shown a small ability to put the puck in the net as well. During his three seasons with Union, Gostisbehere chipped in with 22 goals and 82 points. That all culminated with championship in 2014. He was named the tournament’s MVP and earned a slew of awards. One of which was NCAA (ECAC) Player of the Year.
He debuted with the Phantoms following that championship. A devastating injury cut his 2014-15 season short. Gostisbehere has debuted for the Flyers, appearing in two games. He had also grabbed five points in five games in the AHL.
After rehabbing for the next year, Gostisbehere excelled in his rookie season for the Flyers. He grabbed 17 goals and 46 points, becoming a finalist for the league’s Rookie of the Year trophy. He also had a 14-game point streak, the most by a Flyers rookie defensemen.
The numbers dipped slightly the following year before he once again broke out during his third season in the NHL. He posted a career-high 65 points while grabbing 17 goals. He was looking like he was going to be one of the Flyers best defensemen for years to come.
That hasn’t been the case lately. Gostisbehere’s name has been in trade rumors for quite a while now. Last season wasn’t a true disappointment, but it was far from what the team had seen from him. This year was even worse, though Gostisbehere did end up needing arthroscopic knee surgery.
He has appeared in just 42 games this season, posting 12 points. Signing a lengthy extension in 2017, it’s possible his days in a Flyers uniform could be numbered. That is unless he bounces back to the player he had been in years prior.
Taylor Leier was the last forward the Flyers drafted in 2012, also taken in the fourth round. He was the fourth player of that draft who would end up debuting in the NHL.
Before then, Leier was a start on the Portland Winterhawks. He posted 27 goals and 62 points the season before he was drafted. He followed that up with 37 goals and 79 points as the team’s captain.
Leier then became a star in the AHL with the Phantoms. He collected 31 points in his first professional season, good for fifth on the team. He would make his NHL debut in the 2016-17 season, skating in six games.
Leier would score his first NHL goal the following season, also grabbing an assist in 10 games. He was given even more of a chance during the 2017-18 season. He was only able to put up five points in 39 games. The scoring wasn’t translating from the AHL.
He was back with the Phantoms the following season before heading over to Buffalo in a trade. Leier is now with the Rochester Americans, the Sabres AHL affiliate. A shoulder and neck injury limited him this past season, but didn’t stop the Sabres from offering him an NHL contract for next season.
The third defensemen taken by the Flyers, Reece Willcox was drafted in the fifth round. He is the only player on this list that remains in the Flyers minor league system.
Before debuting with the Phantoms in 2016, Willcox spent four seasons at Cornell University. While not a big scorer, the defensive side of his game had been developing quite well. He ended up with 29 points in 120 NCAA games.
He came into the draft know as a defensemen with good vision who was able to move the puck up ice quickly. Adding a much bigger offensive side to his game was one of his only weaknesses.
Willcox hasn’t quite been able to do that with the Phantoms. While the point totals have gone up, it’s the assists that have once again carried him. He did sign an extension with the Flyers in 2018, though that contract will end this summer.
His vision on the ice is noticeable and he’s been able to carve out a role for himself with the Flyers minor league affiliate. A lack of scoring touch hasn’t hurt him yet as he could be a good compliment for an offensive partner.