One thing the Flyers could use is a left wing. Lynden Lakovic, a prospect playing for the Moose Jaw Warriors of the WHL, could be one of the guys who fit that bill. The 18-year-old left winger stands at a hefty 6'4" with 190 lbs on his frame. He could make a great complement for our dearth of right-wing players.
Lakovic seems to be a great scoring prospect. For Moose Jaw in 2023-24, he scored 18 goals with 21 assists in 68 games, helping to guide the Warriors to a WHL Championship. This past year, he upped those point totals to 27 goals with 31 assists in just 47 games.
With that in mind, why is projected to be a mid-teens to mid-20s selection in the draft, just where the Flyers may be making their second pick? What would make a scorer like that fall?
Lakovic missed a lot of time this season due to a fractured collarbone. Before he got hurt, he was riding a 13-game point streak. He missed time between December and February. Missing that amount of time allowed other players to climb the boards. Other teams may be a bit nervous about selecting him because of the injury, despite the fact that he did return to action.
The Hockey Writers said of him:
"Although he’s built like a power forward, he plays much more of a finesse game, giving him a unique blend of size and skill not seen in any other players at the top of the draft class."
Despite his size, he is also not very physical and has lost some of his physicality after the injury, which isn't a surprise. However, that could change with some great coaching (by one of the greatest physical players of all time, Rick Tocchet) and some maturity as a young man. Because of this, he has drawn some comparisons to Tage Thompson.
Thompson, we can all admit, would be a great addition to the Flyers. Thompson is someone that Flyers fans would love to have and have speculated on as the Sabres will, at some point, get rid of him, as that's what the Sabres do with good players. If we can't have him, could we have a younger version of him?
Speaking of Thompson, it took a few seasons to grow into the player he is now. Lakovic would need some time to develop further and mature. Give him a few more seasons, and he could be the left winger the Flyers need. If he is available, he should be someone on Philly's radar. For a late first-round pick, he could be a franchise stalwart for years to come.