Flyers add size and toughness with selection of Spencer Gill

The 2024 NHL Draft keeps rolling along for the Flyers. With the 59th pick, the Flyers selected 17-year-old defender, Spencer Gill. For any Flyers fans out there who may be worried, no, he is not related to Hal Gill. However, if he learns to play like Hal, pre-Flyers anyway, that wouldn't be such a bad thing. The Flyers acquired this pick by trading their 77th pick as well as the third-round pick that Daniel Briere snookered away from Minnesota yesterday.

Much like first-round selection, Jett Luchanko, he is amongst the younger players available in the draft. This shows that Briere is playing chess and not checkers. He is looking long-term here. While it would be great if guys could step up and play right away, most likely we are three to four years away from seeing them up as mature and seasoned prospects ready to make an impact.

Gill has spent the past two seasons in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) starring for the Rimouski Oceanic. His 12 goals tied him for tenth on the team and led all defenders for the Oceanic. His 34 assists were third overall on the team. As far the the QMJHL goes, his 46 total points were 11th best by a blueliner for 2023-24.

Spencer Gill has plenty of skills that aren't easy to find

Gill is young and raw, but the talent is there. For a player playing in just two years of junior league hockey, he has greatly improved his skill set and his draft stock is one that kept rising as this year continued. He could be the two-way defender the Flyers have been looking for.

Of Gill's abilities, Peter Baracchini, a contributor to The Hockey Writers, said this:

"Gill is a very strong passer, finding the cross seams and being very accurate with his breakout passes and stretch plays. He’s also great at drawing in players to open things up for his teammates and is quick to connect with them. He also has a strong shot from the point and has the awareness to make himself available for a shooting opportunity. When he sees his opportunity to walk in, he won’t pass that up.

He has a great work ethic on the other side of the puck as well, as his defensive game has improved tremendously. He’s better with his reads, defensive positioning and has shown to defend against the rush very well and using his size to his advantage. Having a 6-foot-3, 179-pound frame, you need to know how to utilize that and he’s becoming much better. He’s learning to be more aggressive against puck carriers and he shows great composure when dealing with pressure protecting the puck."

Likewise, Jean-Francois Damphousse of NHL Central Scouting said "When you look 4-to-6 years down the road, you're seeing a 6-foot-3, right-handed shot who can move the puck really well." NHL Central Scouting had him ranked as the 29th-best North American skater. Not too shabby.

Again, like Luchanko, this is a work in progress. They are looking to be a better team, not just in 2024-25, but in 2027-28 and beyond. Briere is looking to turn the Flyers back into what they were, one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference year in and year out. A pick like Gill can help improve this team's future for years to come. This looks like another solid pick for Briere.