Who would have expected the Flyers and Penguins to link up on a draft day trade? After selecting Porter Malone with the sixth pick, Philadelphia wouldn't select again until 22. Instead, they jumped up 10 spots to grab their guy in Jack Nesbitt. They gave away that 22nd pick, along with the 31st, to do so.
With players like Victor Eklund, Cole Reschny, and Carter Bear still on the board, this one is a head-scratcher. Nesbitt was ranked by most to be available with the Flyers' original selection. And with his projection of a third-line center, giving up two picks for a player that you could've just taken without a trade isn't a good evaluation.
The Flyers haven't been afraid to go off the board with their first-round picks. They did it last year with Jett Luchanko. And based on the fact that Nesbitt was reportedly a bit surprised to be taken by Philadelphia, it looks like they did it again. The Flyers have been good at hiding what they're doing, that's for sure.
Nesbitt's offensive upside holds some uncertainty. Nearly a top-10 pick, you expect to get a player who doesn't have question marks about what his impact could be on that side of the puck. Nesbitt was nearly a point-per-game player, posting 64 points in 65 games. It was a massive leap from the previous year, but you'd still like to see more out of someone you traded up for.
The Flyers are valuing size in their first-round picks. Martone stands at 6'3" and Nesbitt is 6'4". After taking a winger with their first pick, a center was a likely pick. But it feels like Philadelphia could've found a better option. Nesbitt is likely to play two more years with Windsor, so the earliest the Flyers would see him is the 2027-28 season.
Again, you might expect a pick that high to debut slightly sooner than that. We'll have to trust Danny Briere and Keith Jones on this one. Both were rather adamant that Nesbitt was the right pick in that spot. Guess we'll find out.
Though it's not a great thing when fans of your division rival are laughing at the decision you made. Here's hoping the Flyers get the last laugh in this one. And at least the Penguins may have reached with their pick as well.
With this trade, the Flyers won't pick again on night one, barring any other moves. With three second round picks, it's not out of the realm of possibilities that they could make another trade if someone else they desperately want is there. If not, we'll see you Saturday afternoon.