The NHL draft is in the books, and it was one of the most active when it comes to trade calls in and around the draft in recent memory.
One team that didn't make a major move for draft picks was the Flyers. They also didn't make a major move, shipping out draft picks for players. Instead, they traded back in the first round and took a big swing on a big prospect.
The Flyers walked out of night one of the draft with Makism Sokolovskii, a 6'7" defenseman from the London Knights bound for the University of Maine and the NCAA after next season. Sokolovskii rose draft boards with his excellent reach, aggressive physical play, and his surprising agility. He won't even turn 18 until July, and though he's a project, he is a fascinating one with a ceiling that could put him in an NHL top 4.
Now, instantly, Flyers fans had feverish flashbacks to Samuel Morin, who seemed like he would be filling this role as a strong shutdown defender, only to have his knees disintegrate worse than Joel Embiid's. The Flyers also traded down, leaving more offensive players on the board.
At times, logic can dictate taking the best available player, but for Danny Briere and his front office, that wasn't the play in this draft. Instead, after looking at the pick, here's what it might reveal about the Flyers' future plans.
Ristolainen is here for now, but Seeler's days are numbered
Nick Seeler went from almost out of the NHL to a fan favorite, but that journey is a lot closer to ending. The no-trade clause in his contract is over, and he's already 33 years old. With a player drafted to do what he does, the writing is on the wall. Then you consider that Simon Benoit is in play, plus the Flyers have two high-value defensive prospects in David Jiriek and Oliver Bonk that they want to see play,
It also means that Rasmus Ristolainen still has real value to this team on the ice. If Seeler's presence is taken away or lessened to make room for the younger players, the Flyers will hold onto him as long as they can, unless he's involved in a deal for another veteran defenseman.
The Flyers aren't planning on moving York or Drysdale
With York signed long-term and Drysdale awaiting an extension, it is clear that they are part of the Flyers' long-term plans.
While that might seem obvious, it gets an extra stamp of certainty when you draft a 6'7" player to compensate for your 6'0" (York) and 5"11" (Drysdale) pairing.
They're looking at Stanley Cup winners as well as proven veterans and trying to emulate them
Sokolovskii will be one of the biggest players in the league once he arrives, but the precedent for a big two-way defender is evident in Stanley Cup-winning rosters over the last several years. A player like Niko Mikkola in Florida is a great example. Hits and blocked shots will be his biggest statistical categories, and he'll start in the defensive zone more often than not, but he was a key defensive cog on a back-to-back Cup-winning team.
On the Vegas Golden Knights, Brayden McNabb has made a career out of being a physical force who handles his end. Similarly, a player like Erik Cernak puts up heavy defensive minutes for the Tampa Bay Lightning and has two Stanley Cup victories to show for it.
These are not headline-making players, and none of them were picked quite high as Sokolovskii, but clearly, this kind of player has a place in the league. A player like Nikita Zadorov has been thrown around as a comp, and he doesn't play 20 minutes a night by accident. Tyler Myers has played over 1,100 NHL games and has remained effective by making his game heavier, and he's survived as a 6'8" two-way defender.
The model for what Sokolovskii can and should become is evident all over the league. The task at hand now is for the Flyers to get him there.
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