Flyers Enter Bizarre and Unpredictable 2021 NHL Entry Draft
By Colin Newby
General manager Chuck Fletcher and the Philadelphia Flyers will continue a hectic and condensed offseason following the NHL Expansion Draft, which proved to be a lot less hectic than everyone thought.
The 2021 NHL Entry Draft will take place virtually this weekend. The first round will air on ESPN2 at 8pm EST on Friday, July23, and the remaining six rounds will air on NHL Network and SportsNet (Canada) on Saturday, July 24.
The Flyers currently own the 14th overall pick. The vacated Arizona Coyotes pick at number 11 eliminates one team ahead of them. They own one pick in each of the other rounds.
The pandemic added complexities to this year’s draft that have not been present in past years. The cancellation of junior seasons has shifted the entire scouting process ahead of the draft.
The Canadian Hockey League, which includes three of the best junior divisions in the world, was severely affected by Canada’s enforcement of pandemic restrictions. The Ontario Hockey League cancelled its entire season, and the Western Hockey League played a limited schedule.
The NCAA went through with the 2020-21 season but played an unideal schedule. The Michigan Wolverines featured top draft prospects Owen Power and Matthew Berniers as well as Flyers prospect Cam York, but they were forced to forfeit their chance at the National Championship because of positive COVID tests during the tournament.
NHL scouts were restricted from many arenas in North America, and trips overseas to scout international talent became extremely difficult to justify. Many draft-eligible prospects took part in showcases this spring, but these limited sample sizes weren’t true replacements for the extensive amount of cancellations this season. Game film will have the heaviest influence on players evaluations of any draft in league history.
Assistant GM Brent Flahr noted this draft’s lack of “generational talent” in a press conference last week. The assertion was in reference to how the projected top picks have not established themselves at the level that junior players like Connor McDavid, Sidney Crosby, or Auston Matthews did before they were drafted.
The lack of a consensus first-overall pick also likely factored into Flahr’s statement, but the overall unpredictability of the NHL Draft in all years coupled with the lack of proper scouting grasp leaves the possibility for sleeper picks to emerge after they are drafted.
The fickle nature of the draft will likely lead to more frequent trades. The first tier of talent is projected to drop off around the 10th pick. The possibility of a draft night slide out of the top 10 for a highly regarded prospect could increase the value of the Flyers pick in a potential trade. Fletcher has already voiced his willingness to part with the pick if the right situation came along.
The addition of the Seattle Kraken throws yet another variable into the draft. They will pick second following the Buffalo Sabres.
The Flyers have rumored interest in: