Philadelphia Flyers load up at the blue line in seven-round NHL Mock Draft simulation

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Okay, it’s time for an NHL Mock Draft via FC Hockey’s simulator, and one reason I’m fond of rolling with a simulation as opposed to manually writing these seven-round mocks is that I don’t have a chance to create some elaborate storyline for my prospects of choice to land with the Philadelphia Flyers.

But even with that mentality in mind, I was still pleased to land an outstanding haul of talent, especially at the backend. While you may feel I took one too many defensemen early, these are all future two-way players at the NHL level, even if they don’t all end up with the Flyers big club.

But in one of those top four picks, I did find a remarkable forward who I thought wouldn’t be there. And yes, it’s a winger who, if they landed with the Flyers, could very well stick around long enough to play for their NHL squad at some point when we reach the second half of the 2020s.

So, which blueliners were I happy to land in three of those first four picks, and who fell to me in the middle and late rounds?

1A: Zayne Parekh, D/Saginaw Spirit

Currently the 12th overall pick, but keep in mind that there’s a chance that changes by the draft, so I’m putting a 1A here. Part of me wanted a forward, but I also knew a high-scoring blueliner with Zayne Parekh’s potential was too good to pass up with the 12th overall pick. If he had 96 points in the regular season, we know he’s going to create opportunities and score goals, so now, the time has come to start improving his defense.

1B: Cole Hutson, D/USNTDP

This was the 32nd-overall pick at the time of this writing, so I went with a 1B as opposed to the former just in case the Edmonton Oilers complete what would be a historic comeback. Anyway, some may call this a reach, but I’m a big fan of Cole Hutson, who, like Zayne Parekh, is a high scorer, and his defensive play is also solid, even if it still requires some work.

Pick 36: Andrew Basha, LW/Medicine Hat Tigers

I almost took Andrew Basha over Cole Hutson, thinking there was a good chance he would be gone in the few picks that followed. But that wasn’t the case, and I managed to land the high-energy winger who already possessed good size and room to grow his defensive game. Plus, his 30 goals and 55 assists throughout the 2023-24 regular season tell us he can be a scorer and a playmaker.

Pick 51: Henry Mews, D/Ottawa 67’s

Yep, I ended up rolling with quite a few blueliners with a fair share of two-way potential, and Henry Mews is no exception. To be fair, it would be tough to see Mews, Hutson, and Parekh all make the big club in time, thanks to a potential lack of room, just depending on how the circumstances play out. But that doesn’t mean one of them won’t develop into a potentially outstanding trade piece, and that was my thought process here.

Pick 77: Julius Miettinen, C/Everett Silvertips

Heading into the true middle rounds, I was looking for players with high potential that included either versatility, size, productivity, or a combination. Julius Miettinen possesses that combo at 6’3, 201 pounds, and the ability to play center or wing. But let’s not forget about his debut in North America, in which he scored 31 goals and 67 points for the Everett Silvertips in the regular season.

Pick 148: Louka Cloutier, G/Chicago Steel

When I wasn’t looking for one of those high-potential skaters, I was instead looking to draft at least one (if not more) goaltender. And I did so with the thought process of drafting them regardless of whether they would end up with the big club in time, or if they could be developed and packaged into a trade. The potential-laden Louka Cloutier was one of those players, as was my next pick.

Pick 150: Mikhail Yegorov, G/Omaha Lancers

With more size than Louka Cloutier, Mikhail Yegorov could be the more potential-laden prospect of the two. Both, however, posted similar numbers in the USHL and will look to improve their respective stocks in the NCAA, with Yegorov heading to Boston University. If he ends up in the Flyers system and fills out his frame, several NHL teams could end up vying to get him into their respective systems.

Pick 173: Daniel Nieminen, D/Pelicans

Daniel Nieminen can still pack on a good 15-20 pounds, but his contract in Finland also runs through 2026-27, which gives him more than enough time in that regard. He already possesses a solid defensive game, but after putting up eight goals and 29 points in 37 regular season games, there’s no ruling out strong two-way potential.

Pick 177: Oskar Vuollet, RW/Skelleftea

So far, we’ve looked at one versatile forward in Julius Miettinen, and Oskar Vuollet is in the same mold, even if he doesn’t carry the former’s size. Still, you can’t help but get amped up over Vuollet’s production, in which he finished the 2023-24 regular season with 29 goals and 61 points in 41 games, plus another 14 goals and 21 points in just nine playoff games - or 2.33 points per game.

Pick 205: Artur Faizov, C/Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk

We got another versatile forward here brimming with potential and good size, so now it’s time to see what he can do in Russia’s second-tier pro league, and if Artur Faizov can parlay that into something more.

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