The NHL Draft is almost upon and as the Flyers currently have seven selections to make.
Another twist and turn in these indescribable times as the NHL Draft is just a day away. The event will be held virtually during the next two days. The Flyers, still holding this selection, will open the first round with the 23rd overall pick.
The draft was originally scheduled for March June 25-27th in Montreal. However, the event, along with the season, had been postponed at the time. The season resumed in late-August, pushing the draft into early October.
Round One will take place on Tuesday, October 6th. The remaining rounds with run on Wednesday, October 7th. Free agency will immediately follow that this weekend. For fans wanting to virtually watch the event, it will be streamed on NBCSN on Tuesday. Rounds 2-7 will be on the NHL Network.
Fans can also head to Fubo TV to stream the event from their phone, laptop, television, etc. it includes a seven-day trial that allows you to watch both days of the draft.
Overall, without any trades, the Flyers holds seven picks in the draft. The only round they don’t have a selection in is the third. That pick went to San Jose in the Justin Braun trade.
The selections for the Flyers are as followed:
Round One- Pick 25
Round Two- Pick 54
Round Four- Pick 116
Round Five- Pick 147
Round Six- Pick 178
Round Seven- Picks 202 & 209
With such a gap between the second and fourth round, there’s a chance the Flyers could find a way to trade up if they see someone they like. It wouldn’t be the first time they’ve done so. They did just that to grab Travis Konecny.
They also traded down early in the first round last year, ending up with Cam York. The extra seventh round pick could come into play as well. The pick comes from the Canadiens from the 2019 Draft. Montreal received a seventh round pick for that draft while giving the Flyers a seventh in this draft.
It wouldn’t net a lot, most likely. But it is something that could be used at some point. The pick that has the biggest chance to be in play is that 23rd overall. Chuck Fletcher, when speaking about the draft, said the team intends to keep it. However, if something comes up, they will entertain the idea of moving it.
Fletcher also mentioned that the team is more likely to move down in the draft than they are to move up. With a deep selection of players expected in the first round, it wouldn’t be the most shocking move for Fletcher to move from the 23rd overall if there are still plenty of players they like remaining on the board.
There won’t be much “can’t miss” talent after the first overall selection, but there are plenty of players on the board who will likely be available to the Flyers when the time comes. They appear to be going with a best player available mentality.
The Flyers went defense heavy early on during last year’s draft, so they could go with a forward with this pick. They should have plenty to choose from, including Lukas Reichel, Tyson Foerster, Mavrick Bourque, and Brendan Brisson.
Each player holds their fair share of strengths, with most touting a few risks as well. While young, Reichel has impressed playing in the DEL in Germany. He plays a solid game overall, but doesn’t necessarily stand out in any facet of the game. His lack of physicality could be one of his only issues.
Foerester possesses one of the best shots in the draft, but there are concerns about his skating. Bourque is touted for his creativity and vision, but needs to add on more strength. Brisson is strong on his skates, but needs a much bigger frame to compete in the dirty areas.
Out of all of those, Reichel does seem like the best choice as his flaws are extremely minimal. Any of those players would be solid selections, though.