The Philadelphia Flyers made two first-round selections in the 2025 NHL Draft that will hopefully become a part of the franchise reset that leads the team back into playoff contention.
The prime time for Flyers playoff runs was in the 90s and 2000s, where the Flyers made 11 straight playoff appearances from the 1994-95 season through the 2005-06 season. Keith Jones was around the team for a few years during that run, and played with two Flyers greats who have skill sets that bear a strong resemblance to the players the Flyers just drafted.
With the 6th overall pick, the Flyers selected Porter Martone, a forward from the Brampton Steelheads in the OHL, and with the 12th overall pick, they took center Jack Nesbitt from the Windsor Spitfires. Martone is a 6'3" power forward with a nose for the front of the net, known for his scoring touch and his hard-nosed style. Nesbitt is a big physical center who can play a 200-foot game and is evolving as a scorer.
If you close your eyes and think back to the Flyers in the late 90s, you'll likely picture two players in awesome black jerseys (seriously, bring those back), and when you open your eyes, you should have raised eyebrows and a quickened pulse.
Ideally, you've pictured John LeClair and Keith Primeau, two players who were central figures during the Flyers' playoff streak. LeClair was a 6'3" power forward who did his best work along the boards and in front of the net, shoveling in goals in bunches, including three straight 50-goal seasons, followed by two more 40-goal-plus efforts. Primeau was a 6'5" center who did everything needed of him, and was a player who probably would've been more productive in his career without injuries and if he'd been a little more selfish.
Now, there is no guarantee that Martone and Nesbitt are going to be able to match careers with LeClair and Primeau, but both players can be considered more modern versions of their 90s counterparts. Martone has the build and skill set to be that high-volume scorer who dominates the high-traffic areas of the ice. Nesbitt can play in all three zones and will be able to hold his own against anyone thanks to his size, and chip in with his reach offensively and defensively.
Now, the Flyers desperately needed to add some skill guys with size to the roster. As exciting as it is that the Flyers have amassed a nice collection of skilled guys, the size of the forward group isn't very impressive. Matvei Michkov is 5'10", Jett Luchenko is 5'11", Travis Konecny is 5'10", Trevor Zegras is 6'0", Bobby Brink is 5'8", and Jakob Pelletier is 5'9". Adding players with serious skill to go with intimidating size helps balance out the lineup and gives new coach Rick Tocchet some great new tools.
Speaking of Tocchet, he also played with LeClair and Primeau. Surely he was working closely with Daniel Briere and Keith Jones, and his knowledge factored into taking these players who are 90s throwbacks.
We'll be anxious to see these two and how they fit in to the New of Orange.