Besides center, a popular choice for the Flyers at #21 in this year's draft is defense. They could use some help on the blue line, as some defenders are getting older and some of the defensive prospects may not be panning out. More importantly, much like relief pitchers in baseball, you can never have enough reliable defeners.
Ryan Lin might be a defensive prospect that the Flyers could consider and has been mocked to Philly in several publications. The downside of Lin is his size. He is 5'11", which is a bit smaller than what the Flyers have been doing lately. He also stands at 175 lbs, which doesn't add a lot of umph to his size.
However, size doesn't always matter. If you’ve got heart, fight, and talent, that can compensate for the lack of size. Lin has that in bunches.
Lin has played for for the Vancouver Giants of the WHL for the past three years. This year was, by far, his best. He tallied 14 goals with 43 assists. It was his second straight season with over 50 points, but he increased his goals by nine. The only player on the Giants who scored more than Lin was Cameron Schmidt, a third round pick by Dallas last season. Lin has also appeared for Team Canada in the Under 18 Junior Tournament, World Junior Olympics, and the Hlinka Gretzky Cup.
He is currently ranked as the seventh best defensive prospect heading into this draft. The consensus by most has him going in the top-10, but if he were to fall, the Flyers may find themselves with a rather solid choice in front of them. He has draw comparisons to Cale Makar, Quinn Hughes, and Lane Hutson.
What is it about Lin that makes him special? Part of that is his style of play. He can score, but still be a solid defender. He can man the blue line, steal a puck, send the puck up in the transition game, and help get the offense going.
A draft profile by The Hockey News says this about Lin:
"What makes Lin such an intriguing prospect is his high-end skating. His mobility helps not just in the transition game, but also when his team has possession in the offensive zone. Lin appears to have a never-ending motor, as he is always moving around in the offensive zone regardless of whether or not he has the puck on his stick.Adam Kierszenblat
Lin's ability to win board battles is a skill that arguably does not get enough attention. He understands body positioning, which allows him to cut off angles and force loose pucks towards his teammates. Lin's speed is also on full display in the defensive zone, as he can beat defenders to loose pucks on dump-ins and has the awareness to move the puck to safe spaces before the forechecker arrives. "
He almost sounds like a guy who plays defense like a forward. With his speed and grit, he could be the weapon needed to break though Carolina's defense and set up the play in the offensive zone. He could also be a remedy for the anemic power play.
We're not going to know who Daniel Briere and the Flyers are looking for when they make their selection. However, if Lin is available he might be hard to pass up. While the Flyers need a center, a defender with offensive production and defensive abilities like Lin possesses is hard to find.
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