Mavrik Bourque has the potential to be an offensive powerhouse and could be available for the Flyers to draft.
With uncertainly of when the draft will take place and how players are being valued, Bob McKenzie’s rankings give us a good idea of who is looked at as the best of the rest. And based on these rankings, the Flyers could have some good talent waiting for them.
Mavrik Bourque is one of the players that could be available to them. McKenzie has him ranked 26th on his list, right where the Flyers are slated to pick.
Bourque has been a go-to player since debuting in the QMJHL in 2018. The third overall pick by the Shawinigan Cataractes, Bourque has the makings of an offensively-gifted forward. He burst onto the scene his rookie season, posting 25 goals and 54 points.
He led the team in goals and was second in points. Despite losing the rest of his season after a February injury, Bourque was even better this season. In 49 games played, he had 29 goals and 71 points. He still managed to tie for the team in points. That’s without playing in the final 14 games.
He posted a 1.45 points-per-game average, the second best among first-time draft eligible prospects. Only Alexis Lafrenière has a better PPG total. And he’s projected to be the top pick in this year’s draft. That goes to show how deep this draft could be.
As with most players, adding on more top-speed and size will only help Bourque going forward. He steps in at 5’10” and 165 pounds.
Adding more consistency at the defensive end is another thing that he will need to work on. Especially as a center. That could easily be exploited at the NHL level.
All of the tools of his game are there. And at just 18-years-old, he is almost certainly going to bulk up during his time in juniors. So there is time for him to round out the rest of what could make him a dynamic player in the NHL.
Bourque has the skill and potential to become a vital part to any teams top-six. If the Flyers can add another bonafide scorer to their arsenal, there’s no telling how far they could go.