Could Flyers Pick Up A Goalie Late in Draft?
By Scott Cole
But let’s say the Flyers don’t take a goalie in their first three picks. Who’s left? One name that could fall to the Flyers in the third or fourth round is Damian Clara. Clara is an Italian goalie playing in the Swedish leagues and is making a name for himself as a 6’6″ giant. He could be the first Italian netminder drafted into the NHL. The 18-year-old has played his first year in the Swedish Junior League for Farjestads Jr. In 35 games, he was 17-17 with a GAA of 2.79 and a .903 save percentage. For an opening run in what can be a tough European, junior league, those aren’t bad numbers.
Tomas Suchanek is a 20-year-old Czech goaltender in the WHL, the same league that Hart came from. This year was his second year in the WHL, playing 46 games for the Tri-City Americans. He went 27-14 -3 with a 3.05 GAA and a save percentage of .912.
American-born goalie Carsen Musser played for the Under-18 junior league and could slip to the third round. Playing with Team USA, he appeared in nine games this year with a GAA of 4.11 and a save percentage of .863. Those numbers aren’t eye-popping, but in the World Junior Under 18 Championship, he played in two games and had a GAA of .075. He is one of those prospects who have a high ceiling when developing. For that, the Colorado College commit may be worth taking a look at.
Noah Erliden is a Swedish prospect who should be selected in the second round, but if he makes it into the third round, the Flyers should snag him quickly. He appeared in four games for Sweden at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup and held a GAA of 2.53 and a save percentage of .915. He is also just 17 years old. He could easily be someone that the Flyers can wait and develop on.
When you start looking at later picks, it is hard to judge where teams will pick. Players could rise and fall depending on the needs of the teams. For the Flyers, it might not be a bad idea to invest a third or fourth-round pick if someone good pops up. Someone you can develop to be a backup or future starter four or five years down the line might not be a bad choice to make.