Philadelphia Flyers: NBC Sports picks Mason Millman as top sleeper

A later round pick in 2019, Mason Millman has the makings of being a sleeper pick for the Flyers.

Mason Millman was the third defensemen taken by the Flyers during the 2019 Draft. Taken 103rd overall, he has the makings of a sleeper pick for the team.

Millman didn’t come in with stats like the two defensemen drafted before him. Those were Cam York and Ronnie Attard. York has lit things up for the USNTDP and Attard had 30 goals as a defensemen.

So behind those two, Millman had a bit to live up to. But as a fourth round pick, the Flyers saw the upside that he could bring to the team.

And he has begun to prove that with the Saginaw Spirit of the OHL. He wasn’t a high pick coming onto that league either. In fact, he was drafted by the Spirit until the seventh round. Millman was coming off just 19 points in 33 games for theLondon Jr. Knights U16 AAA team.

Millman was a young kid at the time, just 15 years old before he was drafted to the OHL. So he was still in the process of developing.

He has begun to develop even more during his two seasons with Saginaw. And Spirit general manager Dave Drinkill expects Millman to take an even bigger jump coming into his third season.

"“We expect him to take a huge role and be one of the top D in the league, and that means offensively and in the two-way style of playing against other teams’ top players. I really believe he can be one of the best defensemen in the OHL, if not the CHL.”"

He has already gotten better each season. After posting three goals and 25 points during his first year, Millman broke out this past season. He grabbed 13 goals and 44 points in 58 games.

To be even more successful at the next level, Millman will have to add more muscle mass to an already towering frame. He stands at 6’1” and is around 180 pounds. Adding that strength could make him an even bigger force to play against.

The Flyers will certainly have their eyes on Millman as he goes into his third season in the OHL. He will look to take on a bigger role as a 19-year-old.