A History of Flyers Top Five Draft Picks

As it currently stands, the Flyers still have a hold of their fifth overall pick for this year’s draft. There have been rumors that they could trade the pick, but all signs point to them keeping it. In Chuck Fletcher’s availability for the draft, he seemed to hint that they would indeed use it unless the right deal came along.

For the Flyers to trade the pick, Fletcher spoke on the type of player that they would like to get in return. The team would be looking for someone in a certain age group, likely in their early 20’s. A player that could not only help right now, but for several years after all well. It’s also about assigning a value to that pick and what would be better for the team to do in the end.

It hasn’t been often that the Flyers have had a top five pick in the draft. If they end up making this pick, it would only be the eighth time in franchise history that the team has selected someone fifth or higher.

The last time the Flyers chose within the top five was in 2017 when they drafted Nolan Patrick with the second overall pick. During the lottery selection, the Flyers actually jumped up from the 13th spot into that pick. It had been 10 years since the last time they chose that high. And coincidentally enough, they also had the second overall pick in 2007. They ended up with James van Riemsdyk.

The only other top five pick the Flyers had in the 2000’s was Joni Pitkanen fourth overall in 2002.

The other four top picks were spread apart in five to ten year spans. Serge Bernier was chosen fifth overall when the Flyers came into the league in 1967. Eight years later, Mel Bridgman would be taken first overall in 1975. It would be seven years later that Ron Sutter would be chosen with the fourth pick in 1982. And lastly, Mike Ricci was also taken with the fourth overall pick in 1990.

Overall, it was a mixed bag of results for the Flyers over the years when they’ve been fortunate enough to have a high pick in the draft.