Flyers Draft Options: Defenseman Corson Ceulemans
By Collin Coyne
Despite swirling rumors that have implied the Flyers may be saying goodbye to their first round selection in the upcoming 2021 NHL Entry Draft, as of right now the Flyers are still expected to make a selection at 13th overall, which means someone has to parse through the hundreds of mock drafts to pick out the some of the cream of the crop, and my personal favorites to take with the selection.
Obviously I am not a professional scout, so if it turns out that any of my predictions look really bad in a few years, I’ve formally hedged my bets, and with COVID-19 pandemic muddying the water a great deal, I’ve done my best to analyze the talent with what is available.
Today’s lucky customer is soon to be Wisconsin Badger Defenseman Corson Ceulemans. Off the cuff Ceulemans is a relatively difficult prospect to analyze due to the much lower quality of competition he has played against as a teenager. Out of desire to maintain NCAA eligibility, he decided not to go to the WHL, instead playing in the AJHL where he excelled.
His true coming out party was in this past World Junior Under 18 championship, where he put up eight points in six games, the best points per game percentage of all defensemen on the team, as a part of a loaded Team Canada. This performance launched Ceulemans up draft boards and NHL Central Scouting’s rankings, with him being named the 14th best North American skater and sixth best defenseman available.
Taking him at 13 could certainly be considered a reach among current draft boards, but in an offseason where GM Chuck Fletcher is looking to make some big moves, trading back a few spots for a defenseman is something Fletcher is certainly comfortable with doing, and Ceulemans’ certainly has some tools that could warrant it.
Ceulemans, a right handed defenseman, plays a very valuable position, as RHDs are less common than their left handed counterparts. While this is far from the end-all-be-all, it’s certainly worth noting. The real money with Ceulemans is made in his raw talent. An excellent skater, and maybe a better playmaker, Ceulemans makes the other team pay when given the opportunity, excelling at breaking out of the zone and having great IQ on the rush.
The power from his shot isn’t anything otherworldly, but with a solid release, and excellent lateral movement skills, he’s able to find passing lanes or set up deflections to help generate offensive chances. Oh yeah, he’s also big. At 6’2”, Ceulemans has the frame and skill to be an elite two-way defenseman, and while his 200 pound current weight is good, putting on some muscle in the NCAA could give him that extra step.
That said, there are reasons he’s projected to go in the teens, while other defenseman are going way higher. I already mentioned the relative lack of competition, but when the other team sets up in the offensive zone, Ceulemans can sometimes get lost and miss assignments. His clearing and ability to exit the zone are up to par for a top draft prospect, but getting lost on your assignments is something that will not fly in the NHL.
Ceulemans is somewhat of a boom or bust prospect, though with him I lean more towards the boom. He has all of the tools to be an elite defenseman who can eat a lot of minutes and put up plenty of points, and his big body would make him a fan favorite if he stays involved physically like he has. As the NCAA has begun producing more quality players in recent years, I become more optimistic that with proper coaching at Wisconsin he can clean up the defensive gaffes and become an excellent right hand man to any of the Flyers young defensive core.