When the clock hit zero at the end of the Flyers' final game of the season, it clinched an outcome most had been hoping for. With their loss to the Sabres, Philadelphia clinched the fourth-best odds in the NHL Draft Lottery.
Tied in points with the Bruins and Kraken coming, and now following, this game, the Flyers dip below them in the standings due to having fewer regulation wins. It was the best outcome of the three scenarios that could alter the standings on the final day of the season.
While many won't have an interest in how the actual game went, there were still some positives that came out of it despite the loss. Matvei Michkov finished the season with 26 goals to lead all rookies. He became the first Flyers' rookie to lead the team in scoring since Andre Lacroix did it back in the 1968-69 season.
Tyson Foerster finished the season red hot, scoring nine goals across the final nine games. He has been one of the players who have benefited the most since the dismissal of John Tortorella. After some tough stretches during his second full season, he ends the year as a 25-goal scorer. It will help him tremendously as he will be an RFA in the offseason.
But those are not the details that most were excited about. Losing in regulation now gives the Flyers the opportunity to take one of the best talents that will be available come draft night. There will be plenty of centers available for the taking.
To refresh everyone on the odds for each potential pick the Flyers can have, the numbers are as follows:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
9.5% | 9.5% | 0.3% | 15.4% | 44.6% | 20.8% |
Even with the fourth-best odds of the top pick, the Flyers are more likely to drop back to fifth, or even sixth, if they don't win the lottery. Huge changes in the draft order rarely happen, so it's not expected that much will change. It's not impossible either, though. Philadelphia jumped into the second spot in 2017, a massive leap from the 13th spot. They had just over a two percent chance to do so. Their odds are larger this year.
They have only drafted first overall one time in franchise history, and that came via a trade in 1975, where they selected Mel Bridgman. The two times they selected second overall were the aforementioned 2017 and 2007. They took Nolan Patrick and James van Riemsdyk, respectively. And the last time they drafted fourth overall was in 2002 when they took Joni Pitkanen.
There is no word on when the draft lottery will be, but it's likely to happen toward the end of the first round of the playoffs. And from there, speculation will run rampant on who the Flyers could select with whatever pick they end up with. If everything remains where it is, or if the balls fall perfectly, Philadelphia could end up with one of the best players in the draft.
Names projected to go at the top of the draft are center Michael Misa and defenseman Matthew Schaefer. Also expected to be among the top group include centers James Hagens, Caleb Desnoyers, Anton Frondell, and right winger Porter Martone. It will all depend on what the Flyers' draft strategy is. One assumes that center is the position they would be targeting with a top pick.
Acquiring a young forward who could team up with Michkov also has to be at the top of the team's list. Michkov has already shown what he could do when paired with skilled players. Adding another could give the Flyers' quite the dynamic dup for years to come.
It was a trying season as the Flyers took a step back in their quest to build themselves into a more competitive team. The signs are there, and they have some of the pieces on the current roster to do so. The hope is that this is the lowest the Flyers will be in the coming years. There's talent in the pipeline, and they will add another this summer.
The season is over everyone, but there is still plenty more to come.