For every professional sports team, every fanbase look forward to their respective drafts. That's because it feels like their favorite teams drafted their faces of the future. Ultimately, time tells whether the prospects they selected pan out or not.
For the Philadelphia Flyers, they have hit on some of their prospects over the years, whether it's Claude Giroux or Porter Martone. But in some recent years, some of those prospects didn't pan out. As the years go on, fans will get to better judge whether or not their favorite team made the right pick or not. What stings even more is seeing the players they passed on in favor of a player who turned out to be a dud.
When looking at the Flyers' misses in the draft, one that sticks out the most is 2016 first-round pick German Rubtsov.
Flyers struck out by drafting German Rubtsov in first-round of 2016 NHL Draft
The Flyers held the 22nd overall pick in the first round, and they watched the likes of defensemen Charlie McAvoy and Jakob Chychrun get picked just before them. So, the Flyers looked at their draft boards and decided to draft Rubtsov out of Russia with the 22nd overall pick.
Rubtsov never panned out for the Flyers. He spent the majority of his time in the AHL with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. In the 2018-19 season, Rubstov recorded six goals and four assists in 14 games played. The following campaign, Rubtsov put up two goals and 11 assists in 42 games played. In 37 games during the 2021-22 season, Rubstov recorded two goals and four assists.
In terms of playing for the actual Flyers pro roster, Rubtsov lasted a total of four games, just in the 2019-20 season, where he didn't log a single point.
During the 2021-22 campaign, Rubtsov was traded to the Florida Panthers along with Claude Giroux in exchange for Owen Tippett. So, that was the entirety of Rubtsov's Flyers tenure. What makes matters even worse for them is that the Flyers picked him over the likes of Tage Thompson, Jordan Kyrou, and Alex DeBrincat, who were all on the board for them.
Flyers missed out on Tage Thompson, Jordan Kyrou, and Alex DeBrincat in 2016 by picking German Rubtsov over them
Yes, the Flyers would have been better off selecting either of those players of Rubtsov.
Thompson has made the biggest name for himself since entering the NHL, most notably while he was with the Buffalo Sabres. In these past five seasons, Thompson has put up no fewer than 56 points a year. This past season, Thompson's play helped the Sabres break their 14-year playoff drought, as he put up 40 goals and 41 assists in 81 games. Thompson also stepped up in the playoffs, putting up 15 points (five goals, 10 assists) in 13 games.
Oh, and Thompson won a gold medal with Team USA in the 2026 Winter Olympics, where he scored three goals and recorded an assist in six games.
As for Kyrou, he had been a consistent scoring presence on the St. Louis Blues. He made the All-Star Game in 2022, in a season where he posted 75 points (27 goals, 48 assists) in 74 games. During his eight-year tenure with the Blues, Kyrou recorded 168 goals and 210 assists in 488 games.
Finally, there is DeBrincat, who has shined during his time with the Chicago Blackhawks, Ottawa Senators, and Detroit Red Wings. He made it to the All-Star Game twice in his career, and he's only gotten better over time. This past season with the Red Wings, DeBrincat scored 41 goals (tied personal-best for most in a season) and dished out 44 assists (personal-best in a season) in 82 games. In fact, DeBrincat hasn't missed a single game since the 2021-22 season. Overall, DeBrincat has 294 goals and 301 assists in nine years (696 games).
Make no mistake about it, the Flyers would have been better off with either of these three players. Instead, they can look from afar and think about what could have been. Well, unless they sign DeBrincat if he hits free agency in the summer of 2027.
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