With the NHL Draft just days away, many scouts and experts alike are narrowing down which players could be headed to certain teams. It's never the easiest thing to do, and many things could change in the days leading up. We've already seen a handful of draft picks switch hands in recent days, which could severely change the way things shake out.
What hasn't changed is the Flyers being in a tough spot late in the first round. They won't have any of the premium names available to them. But because this doesn't appear to be a deep draft in terms of star-level talent, they should still have some quality prospects available to them. And there isn't a complete consensus on who they could choose.
These are just a few of the names connected to the Flyers and may give insight into what they could be targeting with their first-round pick.
Maddox Dagenais, C, Quebec (QMJHL)
Kevin Kurz of The Athletic likened Dagenais to a few of the Flyers' recent draft picks and noted that adding another of a similar style could be good for a team that may later need to trade some of its prospects for a bigger name.
With more games in the QMJHL, Dagenais turned into a point-per-game player this season, finishing with 30 goals and 62 points in 62 games. One of the biggest assets of his game is his shooting, and while his speed has improved, it's not where it needs to be if he wants to be a center at the next level. There are concerns that he would be better suited as a winger, and the Flyers would preferably need him down the middle.
If there are other centers on the board, it would make more sense for the Flyers to go a different direction. But if they believe that Dagenais' skill could help regardless of his position, selecting him would not be a bad decision.
Maksim Sokolovskii, LHD, London (OHL)
Scott Wheeler highlighted Sojolovskii's steady rise among scouts and suggested the Flyers could be the start of his draft range. And he made note of the obvious size he possesses.
Sokolovskii is one of only a few defensemen who have been mocked to the Flyers. It's not necessarily an area they need to target with their first-round pick, though they could use some more defensemen in the pipeline. And it would align with their theme of drafting as many players as they can from the London Knights.
All jokes aside, Sokolovskii is an imposing player at only 17 and may continue to develop in that area. You're seemingly not going to get offense out of him, which makes him a risky player to use a first-round draft pick on for a team that needs more offense. But the Flyers have shown that they don't necessarily care about that. Many believe they reached for Jack Nesbitt when they traded up, and the same for Jett Luchanko when they traded down. Still, there's bound to be better options on the board.
Ilia Morozov, C, Miami University (Ohio) (NCAA)
James Dator, Yahoo Sports, didn't offer any words on Morozov, but he wasn't the first to take the 17-year-old for the Flyers, as TSN also did. His transition to the NCAA was solid, posting eight goals and 20 points in 36 games. And what was most impressive was that he was one of the youngest players in Division I hockey at the beginning of the year and started the season as Miami's top center.
Morozov has many of the traits the Flyers are looking for in their prospects, notably his competitiveness and strong work ethic. But there are questions about his upside at the next level. Now, it's going to be tough for the Flyers to find a center late in the first round with high potential, so Morozov would not be a bad selection. It would be banking on his future potential as he grows his game at the collegiate level.
Oliver Suvanto, C, Tappara (Liiga)
Bleacher Report's Hannah Stuart brought up parts of Suvanto's game that could excite the Flyers, talking about his energetic style of play and attention to detail. Though she did make note that it could be a bit soon for him to go off the board.
Stuart is not the only one to suggest Suvanto to the Flyers, though. Stuart's counterpart, Kristopher Knox, and the Daily Faceoff also mocked him to Philadelphia. He's ranked as the third-best European skater and didn't look completely out of place against older players. But his offense hasn't really taken off yet. He's only 17, and this was his first season in Liiga, Finland's top league. He also skipped the U20 league entirely, further proof that he can handle a more mature level.
He still needs to develop his offensive game more, and the Flyers would be taking a risk hoping another season in Liiga would help him do that. He's one of the draft's youngest prospects, so there is still a lot of room to grow. But the Flyers have already had questions on some of their other prospects and their offensive abilities. So if there are more offensively gifted centers on the table, they should look elsewhere.
Alexander Command, C, Örebro HK U20 (SHL U20)
Sean DeCoursey of Yahoo Sports didn't rely any message about why Command would be perfect for the Flyers, instead simply commending his overall game and his projection as a possible middle-six or top-nine center.
If Command is available to the Flyers, he could be a high-potential option. He led his U20 squad with 44 points in 30 games and excelled in the playoffs with 13 points in 14 games, third among his teammates. Command also stood out with Sweden's U18 squad at the World Juniors with seven points in seven games en route to their gold medal.
He may not be the flashiest prospect available, but his reliability and effectiveness in all situations on the ice should be intriguing to the Flyers. Even if he's not affecting the game offensively, he can find a way to have an impact elsewhere. And for a team that wants to become harder to play against, Command's profile could be a perfect fit. Out of all of the players mocked to Philadelphia, Command may make the most sense.
The reality of drafting late in the first is that any player will come with questions and uncertainty about various parts of their game. But ultimately, the Flyers should have several viable options, especially down the middle, when Danny Briere steps up to the podium.
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