The NFL Draft is going on right now. So far, it looks like the Eagles are doing good. And while the Eagles are picking, it's time to think about the Flyers. Where could they be picking in this year's draft? What are their chances to move up?
Well, since the Flyers were one of the last teams out of the playoff hunt, they are not going to have a super high pick. This is kind of a mixed blessing. On the one hand, this is great because it shows they are close to getting good again. On the other hand, they are not going to get the sort of player that is expected to make an immediate impact. However, you never really know. Injuries took their toll on Nolan Patrick, second overall in 2017. German Rubstov, the 22nd overall selection in 2016, played just four games. A year before, Travis Konecny was selected with the 24th pick
As records go, the Flyers would be selecting 12th overall. If you go to Tankathon, you can see how the current setup looks. If you hit the button that says "Sim Lottery", you can become Gary Bettman and get the lottery going. I did this 20 times. In 16 of the attempts, the Flyers ended up in 12th, pretty much right where they are. Three times, they dropped down just one spot. There was one blessed time that the Flyers ended up second overall.
This shows how the lottery is supposed to work. The better you played, the more likely your balls will be selected first in the hopper. You won't see too much movement between spots 16 through 10. There are also rules to prevent a lot of movement. A team can move up only a maximum of 10 spots. So, the Flyers could, theoretically, move up to second overall. It's not likely. Remember, though, this is how they got to select Patrick.
The NHL Draft Lottery is set for Tuesday, May 7. We'll see then where the Flyers will select. San Jose has the best odds to get the top pick with Chicago and Anaheim right behind them.