Flyers GM Daniel Briere must have had some morning meetings with Eagles GM Howie Roseman before the draft. Much like Howie, Briere didn't seem content to stay put and draft. In the first round, Briere traded two later-round first-round picks to move up to 12 to snag Jack Nesbitt.
Starting in the second round, Briere moved again. He flipped the #36 pick to Seattle for the #38 pick, but also sent the Kraken the 68th pick to slide up to the 57th.
With the 38th pick, Briere selected defender Carter Amico from the US National Developmental Team. Two picks later, he picked teammate Jack Murtaugh. With the 48th selection, the Flyers chose Shane Vansaghi. After trading away their third-round pick, the Flyers got another second-rounder. With pick #57, Briere selected center Matthew Gard.
Flyers show size matters
There are a lot of top prospects the Flyers have left off the board that many experts, pundits, and fans wondered about. Take a look at the common denominator here: Porter Martone is 6'3", Nesbitt is 6'4", Amico is 6'6", Murtaugh is 6'1", Vansaghi is 6'3", and Gard is 6'5". The Flyers are bulking up.
Before you get nervous, this is not the Bullies 3.0. They are not going to go down that path of big size only matters, like had happened under Bobby Clarke's watch. However, there is a method to the madness. These guys are big, but also swift. They are fast, without their size bulking them down. That will be helpful as the Metro Division also gets a lot tougher.
It's also setting a tone. This is not a team that is going to be pushed around anymore. For almost a decade, the Flyers have been weaker. This is a group that looks as if it will fight back. The first round was making a statement. So far, the second round is putting an exclamation point on that statement. The first round is your stars in the making. The second and third rounds are the supporting cast that make up the rest of the team.
Amico is a tall, young man and could easily become a wrecking crew on defense. We don't have a guy like that right now and have been missing a big physical presence since Radko Gudas was flinging his body around. The other thing about him is that he is punishing, but not reckless. He won't spend a lot of time in the penalty box for something he did.
As for Murtaugh, he is a solid, no-nonsense player. His offensive game is lacking, but he could develop into a very dependable left wing. Think of Scott Laughton as a winger. He may not light the lamp a lot, but fundamentally, he's sound and a great guy to have around.
Later on, the Flyers selected right winger Vansaghi from Michigan State. Like the other two second-rounders, he also spent time with the US Developmental Team. He scored just six goals with 10 assists in his first year with the Spartans. He is still raw, but likes to use his size to set up screens and get in front of the net.
He's not particularly fast, but if he can get in front of the net, let's say on a power play, he could easily take a rebound and knock it in. I seem to remember that it used to be the specialty of players like John LeClair and Wayne Simmonds.
For some reason, the 57th overall pick wasn't something that anyone wanted. All told, Toronto had it first before sending it to Utah. It then became the property of Tampa and then Seattle before the Flyers acquired it. Gard is praised for his versatility in playing both left wing and center, and his high hockey IQ. He is a bit on the slower side and projects as a bottom-sized forward. But again, he is young and raw. He could be molded into something more.
We aren't going to see the fruits of this draft right away. However, in a year or two, we may start to see some of these guys making their appearance. Beware, Metro Division. The Flyers are coming back!