The Flyers left the NHL Draft with high marks. Experts came out impressed with the haul of nine prospects that Philadelphia left Los Angeles with. But another team in the Metro might have had the best draft of all.
The New York Islanders were already expected to come out with one of the best prospects in the draft. They won the draft lottery and were geared to select defenseman Matthew Schaefer. But they were aiming for more.
Rumor had it that the Islanders wanted to bring the hometown kid, James Hagens, to New York. They traded Noah Dobson to the Canadiens in a package that gave them the 16th and 17th picks. After that, they would try to package those picks to move up into the top five of the draft.
That didn't happen, and Hagens went to the Bruins with the seventh pick. That was one pick after the Flyers selected Porter Martone. The Islanders would keep both picks, selecting Viktor Eklund and Kashawn Aitcheson.
Eklund's size may have been the reason for falling in the draft, but he could end up being a steal at 16. He came in as one of the best European players in the draft. Aitcheson can be a menace on the ice, laying nasty hits on his opponents in open ice. He also has the offense to back it up.
The moves didn't stop in free agency. The Islanders didn't make a huge splash, but they added much-needed depth. They were able to do so without needing to overpay players or lock them into long-term deals.
They also scooped up a highly-touted free agent that had been rumored to be signing with the Flyers. And that was Maxim Shabanov. The KHL forward was highly sought after and had been linked to Philadelphia since January. But every time a rumor came out that he was signing with the Flyers, it was quickly debunked by his agency. One report stated that as of February, the Flyers hadn’t even spoken to them.
The Flyers held optimism, even as late as Tuesday afternoon. When speaking about the opening day of free agency, Flyers GM Danny Briere mentioned that the team was in constant contact with Shabanov and his team. They had even spoken that day. There was a cautious optimism that Shabanov would choose them.
And then the Islanders swooped in and signed him to a one-year deal. It's not the biggest loss, as there are serious concerns about Shabanov's size and whether his style will translate to the league. The level of physicality is much different in the NHL, and Shabanov may not be able to pull off the flashy moves he has made in Russia.
It still doesn't hurt to bring in a player of Shabanov's caliber. If it works out for the Islanders, they turned a small risk into a huge reward. Of course, we can all breathe a sigh of relief if it doesn't.
But the Flyers may have to keep a closer eye on the Islanders this upcoming season. They haven't been messing around.