For the better part of a decade, one of the most popular players on the Philadelphia Flyers was Scott Laughton. This is interesting because he was never a top-scoring forward. He topped the 15-goal mark once (18 goals in 2022-23) and scored 30 or more points only in four years from 2021-22 to when he was traded in 2024-25. The fact that the Flyers were able to snooker a first-round pick out of Toronto for him is still kind of impressive.
That doesn't mean he wasn't valuable. He was fairly reliable in the faceoff zone, usually winning at least 50% of them. He was adept at stealing passes from other teams and rarely turned the puck over himself. He was the epitome of a solid two-way forward. While he spent time on all four lines during his tenure in Philadelphia, you mainly saw him centering the second and third lines.
There is a Swedish prospect who gives off similarities to Laughton. He is still raw at just 17. However, after some refinement, he could end up becoming a solid two-way center the Flyers could use. He may or may not become a power forward, but if you want a guy who can be a strong center on the second and third lines, he could be it.
Alexander Command is a prospect to watch
Alexander Command is 6'1" and 180 lbs. He'll turn 18 just before the draft. In his first season for Orebro HK in the Swedish Jr league, Command scored 17 goals with 27 assists in 30 games. He is ranked the 12th best European skater and is projected to go somewhere in the latter half of the first round. Funny, when the Flyers selected Laughton, he came in at #20, one place ahead of where the Flyers will pick this year.
The Hockey Writers say of him, in their profile:
"Command’s trademark to his game is his high-end compete level and work ethic. There is hardly a shift where he’s on the ice and you don’t notice him getting involved in a play, a battle along the boards, disrupting plays to regain possession. He’s always aggressive on puck carriers and in the pursuit of loose pucks. He never shies away from the physical side as well as he has an edge and feistiness to his game that makes him succeed. If he has a chance to make a hit, he won’t hesitate to do so. He can provide great support for his teammates and shows great timing in order to step up and intercept pucks."Peter Baracchini
Command is a guy who can deliver hits, score, and play a good defensive style of hockey. He is good at creating pressure, causing turnovers, disrupting play, and using his size and speed to make something happen. He is a rising prospect.
Again, being so young, he is a bit raw. He will star for Orebro's major team this next season, and it will be interesting to see what he can do against older, more experienced players. As a draft prospect, Command is the sort of player you are looking for. He has scoring abilities and a refined defensive mindset that is unusual for a center his age. That's one of the reasons he is becoming a favorite of many draft sites, even though he needs polishing.
Besides giving off Laughton vibes, he also resembles a younger version of Noah Cates. That might be his best attribute. By the time he might be NHL-ready, it might be time to move on from Cates, or Sean Couturier, for that matter. He would be a worthy successor to that group of centers who can play two ways and command the ice, no pun intended.
Command would be a great player for the Flyers because he can pick up where they left off. This wouldn't be a pick to make 2028 better. This would be a pick to make the 2030s better.
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