Flyers Draft Options: Forward Matthew Coronato
The first round of the 2021 NHL Draft will take place on July 23rd, and the Philadelphia Flyers will have all eyes watching them when it’s their turn to make a selection. There has been plenty of chatter on whether general manager Chuck Fletcher and the organization will keep the pick to draft a player to add to the team’s prospect pool, or if they’ll ship the pick off for immediate help at a position of need, most notably on defense.
Fletcher hinted at possibly wanting to move the pick at his press conference on Tuesday, stating,
"“It’s a really good asset. If we use our first-round pick to select a player, obviously we’re going to be able to draft a high-quality player that will help us, but yet because it’s of high asset value, we have to explore what we can do with it. So the likelihood is, you normally end up keeping your first-round picks, but I think this offseason, in particular, I think I’m more willing to move it.”“If there’s some way we can help our team, not just in the short-term but more over several years, over the longer term, and it costs me the first-round pick, if I can get that type of asset I’ll certainly look at doing it.”"
Should the Flyers hang on to the 13th overall pick, one player that may pique their interest is 18 year-old forward Matthew Coronato. Coronato is a 5’10”, 185lb right-handed left wing from Huntington, New York that spent the 2020-21 season with the USHL’s Chicago Steel. Coronato recorded 48 goals and 37 assists for 85 points in just 51 games for the Steel. That was good enough for the league lead in goal scoring. He also ranked second in total points behind fellow winger and Chicago teammate Sean Farrell, who was a fourth-round selection in last year’s draft by the Montreal Canadiens.
Coronato is ranked 21st in the 2021 Draft class by TSN’s Bob McKenzie, 11th by TSN’s Craig Button, 32nd by EliteProspects.com, and he ranks 9th among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting. He is a surefire first-round selection, but the big question on everyone’s mind is where he will end up. Coronato is committed to Harvard University beginning in 2021-22 and will spend time in the NCAA with the Crimson to further improve upon his game. However, he already has a skillset to be desired by plenty of teams hungry for a goal-scorer in the draft.
The Flyers do have a few quality youngsters in the system that will push for extended playing time as soon as next season. Morgan Frost and Wade Allison lead the way along with the likes of Tanner Laczynski, Isaac Ratcliffe, Tyson Foerster, and Zayde Wisdom also in the fold to try and make the team. But Coronato could be a player that may challenge for a spot on the Flyers when he leaves Harvard at some point in the future.
Coronato possesses a lethal wrist shot and is a hound on loose pucks. He’s a player that’s not afraid to have the puck on his stick and plays much bigger than his frame would indicate. His skating is something that could be improved upon a lot more but he already has a fantastic offensive arsenal on full display. He’ll only get better with time and could potentially be one of the steals of the 2021 Draft.
With team scouts not being able to watch players as frequently due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s NHL Draft is a little bit more of a crapshoot than usual. There will sure be plenty of surprise picks because of the circumstances, and if a consensus better player falls to the Flyers, then that’s great! But in this instance, Coronato could be the goal-scoring prospect the Flyers and their fanbase have been laboring for should he still be available at #13.