In any sport, one of the coolest things to see is a bunch of teenage kids (or, in the case of the NFL, young twenty-somethings) live out their lifelong dream when being drafted. They've worked hard all of their lives and have reached the goal that they have long hoped to reach. The difference between the NFL (and NBA) with the NHL is that most of the time, you don't see the draft picks right away.
Instead, because of their youth, the NHL is more like MLB. Most of the guys selected need some time in a minor league setting to season up. Their skills need to be honed and practiced until they become better. To be honest, out of the 224 players taken this weekend, only around15-20% of all drafted players will play at least 200 games in the NHL. The vast majority of those guys are in the first two rounds.
This year, the Flyers selected six players in the first two rounds. Is there a chance any of them could break training camp with the team?
Granted, anything can happen in the summer. Free agent acquisitions and trades could dramatically change the roster. Perhaps a draftee may not want to sign. Someone could get injured, and the door opens for a young prospect. Maybe someone shines during training camp.
Looking at the current roster, I see one draft pick that has a legitimate shot of making the roster out of camp.
And that is Porter Martone. I know this sounds crazy because the Flyers are loaded at right wing right now. However, if he has a strong camp showing, it is possible the Flyers keep him around some. After all, it's what they did for Jett Luchanko last season. I could also see them experimenting with putting someone at the left wing, like Bobby Brink or Matvei Michkov, and pairing them together to see what happens.
Now, Martone is committed to playing college hockey at Penn State. He could get the Luchanko treatment and be rewarded with some NHL time at the start of the season. As long as he doesn't play more than nine games. If the Flyers sign him to an entry-level deal this summer, I could easily see them giving him a shot to see what they have in him. Just a taste of the NHL.
Carter Amico could have been the other one. With Rasmus Ristolainen sidelined with injury, this could've been a great audition for Amico to show what he has to offer. He is committed to Boston University, along with Jack Murtagh. Amico, because of the current state of the defense, would've had a chance to impress. The problem he's had is a knee injury that sidelined him last season and could slow him down this summer. He should be ready to go once the college season starts.
Now, this is not to say that Nesbitt or any other pick can't get a shot, too. Shane Vansaghi was noted to possibly be one of the first NHL-ready players. Either way, we'll have to see. This is looking as if it could be an interesting summer.