Flyers Snatch Forward Foerster at pick Twenty-Three
You knew the 2020 NHL Draft was underway when Gary Bettman emerged from his swampy hole in Secaucus, New Jersey. With trade rumors swirling, the Flyers started the night with the 23rd pick in the first round. There was speculation that the pick would be moved as part of a package to land star winger Patrik Laine from the Winnipeg Jets.
But there was not much in the way of wheeling and dealing as the first nineteen picks stayed with their teams. Calgary broke the ice, trading 19 to the Rangers for pick 22 and pick 72. The Rangers used the pick to draft defensemen Braden Schneider after selecting Alexis Lafreniere first overall.
Calgary would trade down again, to the Caps, vaulting them to the pick in front of the Flyers. The Washington hockey team used the pick to draft center Hendrix Lapierre, a top 10 talent with health concerns. This may have been a player the Flyers would have jumped on.
After missing out on Lapierre the Flyers drafted right-winger/center Tyson Foerster. He is a big player with good hockey sense. He is not over physical but is able to use his frame to protect the puck. His best attribute is his big shot, many think he has the best one-timer in the class. But there is a catch. He is not the best skater.
The Flyers have been able to “fix” bad skating in the case of Oskar Lindblom, but not so much in the case of Matthew Strome. This will be a wait and see, but it is nice to know he already has one elite tool.
Foerster will add another forward to the talent pipeline but he will likely need at least a few more years to develop. Given the number of recent forward prospects who have signed contracts, that may not be a bad thing.