October Draft Update - Early Draft Analysis For Philadelphia Flyers 2014 Draft

2014 Early Draft Overview

Flyers Current Draft Position

The Eagles would probably end up in the top 3 picks of the draft if the season ended now. The 2014 NHL draft is relatively wide open although Aaron Ekblad and Sam Reinhart have been favorites for a year or two to be taken with the first two picks in the draft. The draft does not appear to have the quality at the top or quite the quality depth of the 2013 draft overall but this does look like a deeper draft for the wing position than 2013.

Just one or two games ago the Flyers were one of the 3 worst teams in the NHL with a 1-7 record but even with a loss after 2 straight wins, they are within 5 points of 2nd place and have a game in hand over Carolina and the Islanders who are tied for 2nd in the Metropolitan Division with 11 points.

They have some talent but with limited defensemen and an inconsistent offense at best, it is difficult to prognosticate exactly where they end up but for now a top 10 pick is realistic and they are still in the bottom 2 or 3 of the NHL.

Right now they remain the 2nd or 3rd worst team with Buffalo and Edmonton. Buffalo has 5 points (in 12 games), Flyers have 6 points (in 11 games), Florida has 8 points (in 12 games), Edmonton has 8 points (in 14 games).

If the Flyers finished with the third worst record, defenseman Aaron Ekblad should be on their radar. If Ekblad and Reinhart were taken 1-2, defenseman Roland McKeown would be one of my early favorites for the Flyers to take. The Flyers may think otherwise though as they have always leaned toward what they consider the best player and that often is a forward, especially centers.

Flyers Centers

The organization needs to determine how center Brayden Schenn and Sean Couturier fit into their future plans. It is possible Scott Laughton will be ready to play on the Flyers next season. In my opinion, Sean Couturier has good value to the Flyers as a defensive center at the least. He's one of the team's best penalty killers and he has also began to win faceoffs at a fairly high rate. Some think Sean has been disappointing offensively and further think Laughton can also be a defensive center and penalty killer.

They are both very young players and having two good two way centers eventually doesn't hurt. Sean also will have a low salary under the cap for a couple seasons. If either Schenn or Couturier stand out offensively, it may influence the Flyers decisions.

Vinny Lecavalier began the season as the 2nd line center but has been moved up to the 1st line where he is playing right wing with Giroux at center. It remains to be seen if the move is a permanent move.

The organization has a tendency to take centers and forwards in the first round of drafts although they took Samuel Morin with their first round pick in 2013.

Team Needs

The Flyers big needs are defensemen and pure goal scorers on the wing. It is unknown if top prospect defenseman Sam Morin will be ready for the NHL next year. He showed promise during training camp and preseason.

While Shayne Gostisbehere and Robert Hagg are potential puck movers on defense and Hagg is a good passer from the defensive zone, the Flyers need defensemen who can either pass the puck better or skate with the puck or both. Morin is solid in those areas but he is a big defenseman.

Here is a look at ten players besides Ekblad and Reinhart and how they would fit the Flyers:

Defenseman Roland Mckeown 6-1, 200 Kingston (OHL) - 2nd pick overall in the OHL draft.

McKeown may be the best puck moving defenseman in the draft next to small defensemen Anthony DeAngelo and Julius Honka. Although the Flyers have prospects Shayne Gostisbehere whose strength is moving the puck and Robert Hagg who is a very good skater and potential puck mover also, this remains one of the Flyers biggest needs. McKeown has come into his own on the defensive end and is a very good skating defenseman and he has pretty good size for a puck moving dman.

Gostisbehere remains a possibility to fit with big prospect Sam Morin on a pairing in the future but McKeown and Morin could definitely form a very promising 1st pairing duo in the future. McKeown is also a good passer and has the ability to get the puck out of the defensive zone and also in the offensive zone.  This makes McKeown extremely enticing and he is appearing on a lot of prospect lists as a top 10 pick at the moment. He also has a right handed shot. The Flyers top 3 young defensive prospects Morin, Hagg, and Gostisbehere are all left handed.

Left Wing Jake Virtanen 6-1, 210 Calgary (WHL)

Virtanen is a complete winger who has added a lot of size and strength in just two years as a 16 year old and 17 year old. He has not yet arrived at the point where he is scoring goals every night but he has good hands, he's fast for his size and he is a hard working player on and off the ice. Virtanen also is responsible on the defensive end. He may not be ready to make the Flyers in 2014-2015 but the remainder of his season with Calgary in the WHL could change that. He is someone who may be able to replace James Van Riemsdyk who the Flyers traded for Luke Schenn.

If the Flyers had the 3rd, 4th, or 5th pick I am not sure they would draft Virtanen (yet) but he is someone to keep an eye on if the defensemen are off the board and they end up picking lower down than their current standing.

Left Wing William Nylander 5-11, 172 Rogle (Allsvenskan) Sweden

Nylander is a fast skating wing who could also play center. Nylander can handle the puck extremely well and is creative with the puck. Some are very excited about Nylander but he is not a very good defensive player and isn't likely to add much weight to his frame. He has the niftiness and creativity of Giroux but also plays somewhat like a smaller and quicker version of Jakub Voracek.

He would add more speed to the Flyers which they do need but I remain skeptical he is what the Flyers really need. At the same time, Nylander has spectacular ability offensively so he is someone to keep a close eye on.

Center/Left Wing Leon Draisaitl 6-1, 209 Prince Albert (WHL) 2nd Pick CHL Import Draft

Draisaitl is an intriguing package of size, power, skating ability and vast potential. He has played well this season and last season but it still feels as though he hasn't reached his potential yet. He is the best player to come out of Germany to date. The physical ability of Draisaitl is attractive to scouts and teams. At times, there have been some who say he isn't the fastest skater. Draisaitl has a little more passing ability than Virtanen but Virtanen's speed and overall hockey instincts may be better.

Left Wing/Center Michael Dal Colle 6-2, 184 Oshawa (OHL)

Dal Colle seems to me like a Flyers type of prospect. Maybe I have that feeling because he plays on Scott Laughton's team but Dal Colle can shoot some and pass the puck and has the strong ability to play center and he is a sound defensive forward also. He needs to add upper body strength. Dal Colle also seems like a safe pick. He is a fast and fluid skater and he has quick hands and excellent hockey sense. Dal Colle knows how to put himself into position to score or pass the puck. If he was on the board where the draft if they end up drafting somewhere in the top 10, it wouldn't surprise me if they chose Dal Colle.

Left Wing/Center Sam Bennett 6-0, 178 Kingston (OHL)

Bennett is a fast skating winger and center who is a good scorer, puckhandler and passer. He's one of the top offensive players in the draft but Bennett could add weight to his frame. He reads plays well and has a good understanding of the game. Bennett is one of many players who could find his name called just about anywhere in the top 10 depending on how the rest of the hockey season plays out. The Flyers do need to add speed to this team although with Scott Laughton nearly ready, I'm not sure Sam would be the best pick for them (yet).

Defenseman Haydn Fleury 6-3, 203 Red Deer (WHL)

Fleury is a big kid who can add more to his frame and may even still grow more. He's a good skater who can handle the puck who made mistakes with the puck at times earlier in his career. Early reports are his defense and decision making have improved so he's projecting as a good two way defenseman prospect right now. Fleury logs a lot of ice minutes in all situations so he's one to watch. He has more size potential than McKeown so it could be a battle to see which one of McKeown or Fleury is the second defenseman taken in the draft behind Ekblad.

The Flyers could suddenly have a stockpile of young future defensemen if they added Fleury or McKeown to Morin, Hagg, and Gostisbehere.

Left Wing Brendan Perlini  6-2, 205 Niagara (OHL)

Perlini has been one of the top scorers in major junior hockey so far this season with Niagara in the OHL. He's a solid puckhandler with quick hands and outstanding hockey sense. Perlini is patient with the puck when needed and can also be a quick decision maker and a good passer. With 13 goals and 16 assists for 29 points in 15 games, he has been one of the biggest risers so far if not the biggest rising star in the draft prospect rankings so far. The only question is his speed.

I would like to see more of Perlini and he is one of the forwards I am watching closely as a potential Flyers prospect. The Flyers need a pure scorer on the wing and Perlini could be exactly what they need on the lines since they traded James Van Riemsdyk. They could use more speed overall so I'd like to see his speed more closely but they also need some more size upfront (who can score and make plays).

Right Wing Nikolay Goldobin 6-0, 178 Sarnia (OHL)

Goldobin was a prolific rookie scorer in the OHL last season with 68 points in 68 games after he came over from his native Russia in the CHL Import Draft. So far this season, Goldobin has 9 goals and 11 assists for 20 points in 15 games. He is a very intelligent offensive player with little in the way of a defensive game but he is learning the North American game.

Left Wing Nick Ritchie 6-2, 231 Peterborough (OHL)

Ritchie had only 1 goal in October although he had 4 assists. The big power winger is fast for his size and has a heavy shot and quick hands but consistency has been an issue.

Flyers Prospect Review Friday Night Games

Two Flyers prospects Scott Laughton and Michael Parks were instrumental in wins for their clubs and both were playing in big games against powerful opponents.

2012 1st round pick Scott Laughton had a hat trick vs. London in the OHL last night. He scored the shorthanded backhand winner in the third period to put Oshawa up 4-3 and finished it off with a long empty net goal. His first goal was a snap wrist shot after he created some space for himself near the left faceoff circle. The goal put Oshawa ahead 2-1.

2010 5th round Pick Winger Michael Parks had a goal and 2 assists for the University of North Dakota vs #1 ranked Miami University in a 4-2 win. A junior at UND, Parks missed several games with injury last year so lets see if Parks can stay healthy over the season because he is considered a promising prospect. This was the inaugural game for the newly formed NCHC (National Collegiate Hockey Conference). 

2012 3rd rounder Defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere had the game tying goal for Union College in a game they eventually lost to Lake Superior State 6-5 in OT. He was a -2 on the night. Like Parks, Gostisbehere is a junior.

Defenseman Sam Morin, the 2013 1st round pick, had no points for Rimouski in a 4-3 OT loss to Shawinigan. He was -1 on the night and had a roughing penalty although it was a coincidental minor. He also had an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty but was listed with 2 Penalty minutes.

2012 4th round pick left wing Taylor Leier had an assist and was a +2 in Portland's 5-4 win over Swift Current in the WHL.

2011 3rd round pick center Nick Cousins had a goal (his first one of the season) and an assist in the Phantoms 6-3 loss to the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins. He was a +1 on the night. 

2012 4th round pick defenseman Fredric Larsson had no points and was even in the plus minus in a 3-1 Youngstown loss to Indiana in the USHL.

2012 2nd round pick goaltender Anthony Stolarz did not play for London in the game vs. Laughton and Oshawa. His backup Jake Patterson played on Friday night.

Philadelphia Flyers Scott Laughton Nets Hat Trick for Oshawa vs London in OHL

The Philadelphia Flyers 2012 First Round Pick Center Scott Laughton has been terrific since he was sent down to his junior team the Oshawa Generals in the OHL. Laughton had 3 goals (including a shorthanded game winner his second shorthanded game winner of the season already) against London in a big battle of OHL titans.

Laughton put the Generals up 2-1 with his first goal of the night, an even strength goal in the 2nd period. London tied the game with less than a minute left in the second period when center Bo Horvat, the 9th overall pick for Vancouver in the 2013 NHL draft scored. London took the lead 3-2 early in the third period when center Max Domi, the 12th overall pick for Phoenix in the 2013 draft scored on the power play.

After Michael McCarron, the Montreal Canadiens 1st Round pick in the 2013 draft drew a roughing penalty for London, Oshawa's Michael Dal Colle (one of the top prospects for the 2014 NHL draft right now) tied the game at 3-3 with a power play goal at the 6:52 mark. Just over 30 seconds later, Oshawa's Sam Harding had a delay of game penalty.

Laughton scored his 7th goal of the year  a little over minute later to give Oshawa the 4-3 lead. He added an empty net goal at 19:18 of the final period to finish off the hat trick. Oshawa went on to win 5-3.

Laughton has 7 goals and 8 assists in 7 games this season. He has scored a point or more in 6 of those games and two points or more in 5 of the games.

Anthony Stolarz, the Flyers 2012 2nd Round Pick was not in net for London tonight. His  backup Jake Patterson was the netminder so Stolarz remains undefeated in regulation this season. Stolarz record remains 6-0-1 while Patterson is at 1-2.

http://www.ontariohockeyleague.com/video/index/id/c0d8d77dda077642fcc571f42139d567

Philadelphia Flyers Prospect & UND's Michael Parks 1 G, 1 A, vs #1 Miami in 1st Period

The Flyers 2010 5th round pick Michael Parks has a goal and an assist for the University of North Dakota in the first period vs #1 ranked Miami University tonight.

Parks has been promising since he was a freshman but missed games due to injury last year.

2014 NHL Draft Top 40 Prospects Mid October Update 10.2

This is an early in season list not a preseason list but there is a lot of hockey to play. Version number is the month. The final weekend of October has passed so we move to Version 10 F although a few games may remain in October.

1. Aaron Ekblad, D 6-4, 216 Barrie (OHL) - Ekblad is a superb all around physical defensive player with a two way game. Exceptional and rare defenseman who can cover the entire ice. Has 3 goals and 4 assists in just 6 games to start season although he is a -3.

Version 10.2 Update - Ekblad has not scored any points in the last 3 games.

Version 10 F  - Ekblad has 3 goals and 3 assists in his last 5 games. He's now at 6 goals and 7 assists for 13 points in 14 games for the season.

2. Sam Reinhart, C/LW 6-1, 185 - Kootenay (WHL) Reinhart has been a prolific and pure goal scorer at a young age in a league with older players. He has been a star phenom for two seasons. The scouting report is he has quick hands, quick feet and he's smart. Seems to be a little more of a goal scorer than someone who sets up other players. Reinhart has a positive NHL future and he could be an NHL star but I am still rating him slightly below Nathan Mackinnon but very slightly. However Reinhart could easily reach Mackinnon's rating over the rest of this season.

V 10.2 - Reinhart has 21 points in 10 games this year. He remains in the top 2 prospects and in contention for the top pick.

Version 10 F - Reinhart has 9 goals and 18 assists for 27 points in 15 games. He is 4th in scoring in the OHL with the top 4 players each having played in 15 games now. Reinhart is behind overager Mitch Holmberg who is on fire with 37 points and Portland teammates and 2013 2nd and 3rd picks Nic Petan and Oliver Bjorkstrand who each have 30 points.


3. Leon Draisatl, C/LW 6-2, 208 - Prince Albert (WHL) Draisatl has 4 goals and 7 assists in 7 games for Prince Albert who got off to a fast start in the WHL but lost to Edmonton 9-1 and Swift Current 5-2 over last weekend's games.

V 10.2: Draisatl has 4 points in his last 4 games including 2 goals. He has 6 goals and 9 assists in 11 games. He is the 10th ranked prospect in International Scouting Services Oct. 14th rankings.

V 10 F: Draisatl has 7 goals and 13 assists for 20 points in 15 games. He has scored a point in 12 of 15 games.

4. Jake Virtanen, RW/LW 6-1, 208 Calgary (WHL)

v 10.2: Jake has 3 goals and 4 assists in 9 games. He is the 12th ranked prospect in International Scouting Services Oct. 14th rankings.

v 10 F: Virtanen has 8 goals and 5 assists for 13 points in 16 games.

5. Roland McKeown, D 6-0, 197 Kingston (OHL) - Top defenseman on undefeated Kingston. He is a +15. He also has 7 assists in 7 games although he's not a big defenseman. McKeown is a good puck mover and has pretty solid size for a puck moving two way defenseman with good potential on offense for NHL.

V 10.2: McKeown has 1 goal in his last 2 games with 2 goals and 7 assists in 9 games. He is +17 and was a -3 in his last game when Kingston lost it's first game to Guelph in a 9-3 drubbing.  He is the 7th ranked prospect in International Scouting Services Oct. 14th rankings.

V 10 F: He has 2 goals and 7 assists for 9 points in 14 games. McKeown doesn't have a point in 6 games but he is +22 on the season. Kingston has been on a 0-2-1-1 streak so they have not won in their last 4 games.


6. Michael Dal Colle, LW/C 6-2, 179 - Dal Colle is off to a terrific start after a good year with Oshawa as a 16 year old with 5 goals and 8 assists in 7 games.

V 10.2: Michael has a goal and 2 assists in his last 3 games for Oshawa. He has scored a point in 6 games straight with 2 goals and 7 assists in those games. Oshawa has had three straight 2-1 games and lost their first game on Monday Oct. 14 to Saginaw. He has moved up to the 3rd ranked prospect in International Scouting Services Oct. 14th rankings.

V 10 F: Dal Colle has 9 goals and 14 assists for 23 points in 15 games. He has scored a point in every game but 1 in October which was a shutout loss to Mississauga.


7.William Nylander, C 5-10, 170 - Considered a gifted player and a phenom and star since he was in midget hockey, Nylander was a top 5 prospect on many preseason boards but he has just 1 goal and 0 assists in 8 games for Rogle in the Allsvenskan league in Sweden so he needs to get it going. V 10.2: Nylander has 2 goals and 1 assist in his last 3 games. He now has 3 goals and 1 assist in 11 games. He is the 4th ranked prospect in International Scouting Services Oct. 14th rankings.

V 10 F: Nylander has come on lately. He now has 4 goals and 4 assists for 8 points in 15 games in a Pro League (2nd tier pro league in Sweden).


8. Sam Bennett, C/LW  6-0, 178 - Kingston (OHL) Bennett's stock has continued to rise though it's early in the season. Scoring and winning games will get attention. He has 5 goals and 5 assists in 6 games for Kingston in the OHL. Kingston is undefeated at 6-0 and dominating the OHL this year so far. Bennett is the team's leading scorer at the moment. Bennett had 40 points in 60 games in his first year for Kingston last year as a 16 year old. With a "late birthday" of June 20, 1996 that will also help him if he keeps this pace up.

V 10.2: Bennett has scored 3 goals and had 1 assist in his last 2 games. He is at 8 goals and 6 assists after 8 games. He is the 9th ranked prospect in International Scouting Services Oct. 14th rankings.

V 10 F: He has 10 goals and 10 assists for 20 points in 13 games but Bennett hasn't scored a point in his last 3 games.

9. Haydn Fleury, D 6-2, 198  - Red Deer (WHL) Solid two way defenseman. Fleury has 2 goals and 6 assists in 11 games. He is the 17th ranked prospect in International Scouting Services Oct. 14th rankings.

V. 10 F: Fleury has 2 goals and 6 assists for 8 points in 13 games. He is pointless in his last 2 games and also has missed 1 game because of injury but he has returned.

10. Brendan Perlini, LW 6-2, 205 Niagara (OHL) Perlini a big winger, has been on fire all season  long so far and probably risen further than any prospect.

V 10 F: Perlini has 13 goals and 16 assists for 29 points in 15 games. He is 2nd in the OHL in scoring and linemate Carter Verhaeghe is 3rd in scoring.

11. Nikolay Goldobin, RW 6-0, 178 Sarnia (OHL) - Goldobin is a winger with decent enough size but he needs to get stronger.

V 10 F: Goldobin has been hot lately with 10 points in 4 games. He has 9 goals and 11 assists for 20 points in 15 games.


12. Nick Ritchie, LW 6-2, 231 - A big power forward who has 5 goals in 5 games, this height and weight comes from CSS Scouting.

V 10.2: Ritchie has not scored a goal in 4 games. He now has 5 goals and 3 assists in 9 games. He is the 11th ranked prospect in International Scouting Services Oct. 14th rankings.

V 10 F: He has 6 goals and 6 assists for 12 points in 13 games and has picked up his scoring recently.

13. Kasperi Kapanen, RW 5-10 165 Kalpa (Liiga) Finland Yes this is one of the Flyers favorites Sami Kapanen's son. Kasper is talented and small but Sami was a smaller ball of fire. Sami is the majority owner and GM of KalPa Kasperi's team.

v 10.2: Kapanen has 1 goals and 1 assist in 7 games in Finland's top pro league which features older players. He has now played 20 games total in liiga. He is the 6th ranked prospect in International Scouting Services Oct. 14th rankings who list him at 5-11, 172 now.

v 10 F: Kapenen only has 2 goals and 1 assist for 3 points in 13 games in Finland's top Pro league.


14. Jakub Vrana, LW/RW 6-0, 181 Linkoping (SHL) Sweden (Czech born). Known for quick hands and his goal scoring. Vrana is playing in the SHL and has played in Sweden's junior league.

V 10 F: Vrana is pointless in the SHL so far in 5 games.


15. Brycen Martin, D 6-2, 184 Swift Current (WHL). Martin is a good skating defenseman with excellent defensive skills but he needs to add strength and he isn't a great shooter.

V 10 F: Martin has 1 goal and 6 assists for 7 points in 15 games.


16. Anton Karlsson, RW 6-1, 203 Frolunda J20 SuperElit (Sweden)

V 10.2: Anton has 8 goals and 6 assists in 14 games. He is the 5th ranked prospect in International Scouting Services Oct. 14th rankings.

V 10 F: Karlsson hasn't played a game since our last version.

17. Ivan Barbashev, C/LW 6-1, 185 Moncton (QMJHL)

v 10.2: Barbashev has 7 goals and 11 assists in 13 games. He is a -3 on the year and has a 21.2 % shot percentage which is a huge increase over last year's totals over the entire season. He is the 5th leading scorer in the QMJHL right now among several older leading scorers. He is the 19th ranked prospect in International Scouting Services Oct. 14th rankings.

V 10 F: Barbashev has 7 goals and 11 assists for 18 points in 14 games. Barbashev has been out with injury since October 16.


18. Julius Honka, D 5-10, 167 Swift Current (WHL). A small defenseman from Finland, Honka is a rookie in the WHL. He's one of the top offensive defensemen in the draft who has also been playing solidly on defense.

V 10 F: Honka has 5 goals and 12 assists for 17 points in 15 games. He has slown down a little recently but still has 2 goals in 4 games.


19. David Pastrnak, RW 6-0 168 Sodertalje (Allsvenskan) Sweden

V 10 F: Pastrnak has 4 goals and 8 assists for 12 points in 15 games in Sweden's Allsvenskan league the second tier Pro league in Sweden.


20. Blake Clarke, LW 6-2, 196 North Bay (OHL) Clarke an American was highly touted as a prospect in preseason rankings.

V 10 F: Clarke has been out since October 5. We've lowered his ranking slightly but we'll keep a sharp eye on Clarke because he is a good scoring power forward with growth potential.

21. Jared McCann, C 6-0 179 - Sault Ste. Marie (OHL) McCann has 7 goals in 5 games with a total of 11 points and he's a +8 for the 4-1 Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds.

V 10.2: McCann has 0 goals and 2 assists in his last three games so he now has 7 goals and 6 assists in 8 games. He is the 14th ranked prospect in International Scouting Services Oct. 14th rankings.

V 10 F: McCann has 7 goals and 11 assists in 14 games. McCann had 7 goals in his first 5 games and 0 goals in his last 9 games but he does have 7 assists in his last 7 games and he's +10 on the season for the top team in the OHL to date.

22. Anthony DeAngelo, Sarnia 5-11, 167 DeAngelo is a very small defenseman who has always been prolific offensively. He was once the youngest player ever to play in the USHL before Sarnia drafted him and signed him. He is a great puck mover and offensive player who can score and create offense. He is playing better defensively this year so far under a new coaching staff which includes former NHL defenseman Andy Delmore.

v 10 F: Deangelo has 6 goals and 15 assists for 21 points in 14 games and leads all defensemen in the OHL in points.

23. Nick Schmaltz, C  5-11, 170 University of North Dakota - Schmaltz is playing for Green Bay in the USHL before moving to University of North Dakota in 2014-2015 most likely. Schmaltz entered the preseason draft rankings as the top USHL prospect but there are a few USHL players who are draft eligible who could move ahead of him.

v 10 F: Schmaltz has 5 goals and 7 assists for 12 points in 10 games.

24. Matt Mistele, LW 6-2, 190 Plymouth (OHL)

V 10 F: Mistele has 3 goals and 2 assists for 5 points in 11 games. He has missed games but played in Plymouth's last 3 games and he hasn't scored in October.

25. Dylan Larkin, C 6-0, 192 U.S. National Under-18 Team (USHL). Larkin is a playmaker who has been an ascending prospect recently.

V 10 F: Larkin has 4 goals and 1 assist for 5 points in 6 games.


26. Alex Tuch, LW 6-3, 215 U.S. National Under-18 Team (USHL). Tuch is a big winger who goes almost anywhere on the ice. He is rising after the early season and a very strong prospect to watch.

V 10 F: Tuch has 4 goals and 4 assist for 8 points in 6 games.
 

27. Adrian Kempe, C 6-2, 187 Modo (SHL) Sweden

V 10 F: Kempe has 0 points in 9 games for MODO in the SHL.


28. Nikita Lyamkin, D 6-3, 165 Chicoutoumi (QMJHL)

v 10 F: Lyamkin has 4 points in 17 games all assists.


29. Spencer Watson, RW 5-9, 166 Kingston (OHL)

V 10 F: Watson has 6 goals and 7 assists for 13 points in 11 games for Kingston.


30. Jacob Middleton, D 6-3, 208 Ottawa 67's (OHL)

V 10 F: He has 1 goal and 3 assists for 4 points in 13 games.


31. Joshua Ho-Sang, C 5-11, 166 Windsor (OHL)

V 10 F: Ho-Sang has 9 goals and 10 assists for 19 points in 14 games. He has 8 goals in his last 10 games and 8 points in his last 5 games. Ho-Sang is also +5 on the season.

32. Brendan Lemieux, RW 6-0, 206 Barrie (OHL)

V 10 F: Lemieux has 5 goals and 3 assists for 8 points in 14 games.

33. Ryan MacInnis, C 6-4, 185 Kitchener (OHL)

V 10 F: MacInnis has 2 goals and 2 assists for 4 points in 12 games for Kitchener.

34. Chase De Leo, C 5-9, 177 Portland (WHL)

V 10 F: De Leo has scored 7 goals and had 6 assists for 13 points in 12 games.


35. Aaron Haydon, D 6-3 197 Niagara (OHL)

V 10 F - Haydon has 1 goal and 1 assist for 2 points in 15 games.

36. Alex Nedeljkovic, G  6-0 184

v 10 F: Alex has a 3.31 goals against average with a .912 saves percentage.

37. Oskar Lindblom, LW 6-2 187 Brynas J20 (SuperElit) Sweden

V 10.2: Lindblom has 3 goals and 6 assists in 11 games in a lower tier league in Sweden. He is the 7th ranked prospect in International Scouting Services Oct. 14th rankings.
V 10 F: Lindblom has not played a game since our last version.

38. Robert Fabbri, C 5-10, 166 Guelph (OHL)

V 10 F: Fabbri has 6 goals and 13 assists for 19 points in 15 games. Fabri has 6 assists in his last 3 games.

39. Conner Bleackley, C 6-0, 199 Red Deer (WHL)

V 10 F: Bleackley has 7 goals and 10 assists for 17 points in 13 games.

40. Brayden Point, C 5-9, 160 Moose Jaw (WHL)

V 10 F: Point has 4 goals and 5 assists for 9 points in 14 games.

Philadelphia Flyers 2012 4th Round Pick Fredric Larsson scores 1st goal in USHL

The Philadelphia Flyers 2012 4th Round Pick Defenseman Fredric Larsson from Sweden scores his 1st goal for Youngstown in the USHL on October 12 in a 4-3 shootout win over Indiana. He's had a point in each of the last three games. Larsson does not take a lot of shots. He has 8 in 8 games.

Ex-Flyers Score, Present Flyers Don't Score

Ex-Flyers James Van Riemsdyk (JVR), Jeff Carter, and Joffrey Lupul are all among the top goal scorers in the NHL early this season. Van Riemsdyk and Lupul each have 5 goals for Toronto in 6 games while Jeff Carter has 4 goals for the Los Angeles Kings and three shootout goals in 5 games.

The Flyers have 5 total goals from forwards in 6 games: 2 from Brayden Schenn, 1 each from Vincent Lecavalier, Max Talbot, and Tye McGinn (in his first game after he was called up from Adirondack in the AHL).

They have 3 goals from defensemen: 1 each from Braydon Coburn, Luke Schenn, and Erik Gustafsson (in his first game of the year after he was activated for the first time).

The Flyers traded James Van Riemsdyk to Toronto for defenseman Luke Schenn. Jeff Carter was traded to Columbus for right wing Jakub Voracek along with a 2011 first round pick which they used to select center Sean Couturier and a 2011 third round pick which they used to select center Nick Cousins. Joffrey Lupul was part of the blockbuster trade the Flyers made with the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for Chris Pronger. The Flyers also sent defenseman Luca Sbisa and two first round picks to Anaheim.

Luke Schenn is one of the top hitters in the NHL game but his overall performance has not been exceptional and the Flyers defense has been an Achilles heel for the team.

Voracek has been promising as an offensive player and catalyst, he had a good year in 2013 shortened season while Couturier is a solid defensive player with offensive potential. Cousins scored over 100 points last year in the OHL and is presently on the Flyers AHL affiliate team.

Lupul was and is a solid offensive player but was deemed expendable for a player of Pronger's stature although the Flyers paid dearly for the trade especially when Pronger suffered the career-ending injury. 

Philadelphia Flyers 1st Round Pick Sam Morin goal and assist for Rimouski

The Philadelphia Flyers 1st Round pick Samuel Morin returned to the Rimouski lineup today after a two week absence. Morin scored a goal to give Rimouski a 4-3 lead but Rimouski eventually lost 5-4 in an overtime shootout against Moncton. Morin also contributed an assist on a power play goal.

2014 NHL Draft Top 35 Prospects to Watch October 2013

This is an early in season list not a preseason list but there is a lot of hockey to play.

1. Aaron Ekblad, D 6-4, 216 Barrie (OHL) - Ekblad is a superb all around physical defensive player with a two way game. Exceptional and rare defenseman who can cover the entire ice. Has 3 goals and 4 assists in just 6 games to start season although he is a -3.

2. Sam Reinhart, C/LW 6-1, 185 - Kootenay (WHL) Reinhart has been a prolific and pure goal scorer at a young age in a league with older players. He has been a star phenom for two seasons. The scouting report is he has quick hands, quick feet and he's smart. Seems to be a little more of a goal scorer than someone who sets up other players. Reinhart has a positive NHL future and he could be an NHL star but I am still rating him slightly below Nathan Mackinnon but very slightly. However Reinhart could easily reach Mackinnon's rating over the rest of this season.

3. Leon Draisatl, C/LW 6-2, 208 - Prince Albert (WHL) Draisatl has 4 goals and 7 assists in 7 games for Prince Albert who got off to a fast start in the WHL but lost to Edmonton 9-1 and Swift Current 5-2 over last weekend's games.

4. Sam Bennett, C/LW  6-0, 178 - Kingston (OHL) Bennett's stock has continued to rise though it's early in the season. Scoring and winning games will get attention. He has 5 goals and 5 assists in 6 games for Kingston in the OHL. Kingston is undefeated at 6-0 and dominating the OHL this year so far. Bennett is the team's leading scorer at the moment. Bennett had 40 points in 60 games in his first year for Kingston last year as a 16 year old. With a "late birthday" of June 20, 1996 that will also help him if he keeps this pace up.

5. Jared McCann, C 6-0 179 - Sault Ste. Marie (OHL) McCann has 7 goals in 5 games with a total of 11 points and he's a +8 for the 4-1 Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds.

6. Haydn Fleury, D 6-2, 198  - Red Deer (WHL) Solid two way defenseman.

7. Roland McKeown, D 6-0, 197 Kingston (OHL) - Top defenseman on undefeated Kingston. He is a +15. He also has 7 assists in 7 games although he's not a big defenseman.

8. Michael Dal Colle, LW/C 6-2, 179 - Dal Colle is off to a terrific start after a good year with Oshawa as a 16 year old with 5 goals and 8 assists in 7 games.

9. Nick Ritchie, LW 6-2, 231 - A big power forward who has 5 goals in 5 games, this height and weight comes from CSS Scouting.

10. William Nylander, C 5-10, 170 -  Considered a gifted player and a phenom and star since he was in midget hockey, Nylander was a top 5 prospect on many preseason boards but he has just 1 goal and 0 assists in 8 games for Rogle in the Allsvenskan league in Sweden so he needs to get it going.

11. Jake Virtanen, RW/LW 6-1, 208 Calgary (WHL)

12. Anton Karlsson, RW 6-1, 203 Frolunda J20 SuperElit (Sweden)

13. Ivan Barbashev, C/LW 6-1, 185 Moncton (QMJHL)

14. Kasper Kapanen, RW 5-10 165 Kalpa (Liiga) Finland

15. Jakub Vrana, LW/RW 6-0, 181 Linkoping (SHL) Sweden (Czech born)

16. Nick Schmaltz, C  5-11, 170 University of North Dakota

17. Matt Mistele, LW 6-2, 190 Plymouth (OHL)

18. Adrian Kempe, C 6-2, 187 Modo (SHL) Sweden

19. Brycen Martin, D 6-2, 184 Swift Current (WHL)

20. Nikita Lyamkin, D 6-3, 165 Chicoutoumi (QMJHL)

21. Blake Clarke, LW 6-2, 196 North Bay (OHL)

22. Spencer Watson, RW 5-9, 166 Kingston (OHL)

23. Jacob Middleton, D 6-3, 208 Ottawa 67's (OHL)

24. Joshua Ho-Sang, C 5-11, 166 Windsor (OHL)

25. Nikolay Goldobin, RW 6-0, 178 Sarnia (OHL)

26. Brendan Lemieux, RW 6-0, 206 Barrie (OHL)

27. Ryan MacInnis, C 6-4, 185 Kitchener (OHL)

28. Chase De Leo, C 5-9, 177 Portland (WHL)

29. Julius Honka, D 5-10, 167 Swift Current (WHL)

30. Aaron Haydon, D 6-3 197 Niagara (OHL)

31. Alex Nedeljkovic, G  6-0 184

32. Brendan Perlini, LW 6-2, 205 Niagara (OHL)

33. David Pastrnak, RW 6-0 168 Sodertalje (SHL) Sweden

34. Oskar Lindblom, LW 6-2 187 Brynas J20 (SuperElit) Sweden

35. Robert Fabbri, C 5-10, 166 Guelph (OHL)

Philadelphia Flyers Scott Laughton tied for 16th in scoring in OHL

Philadelphia Flyers 2012 1st Round Pick Scott Laughton is tied for 16th in scoring in OHL after just 3 games since he was sent down to the Oshawa Generals. Laughton had a goal and 2 assists in Sunday's win over Guelph 4-1. Oshawa now has a 5-2 record in the OHL. Scott Laughton was named OHL Player of the Week for the past week.

Philadelphia Flyers Fire Laviolette, Hire Berube

The Philadelphia Flyers fired their head coach Peter Laviolette today after an 0-3 start who was in his fifth year as the Flyers coach. They hired Laviolette's assistant coach Craig Berube to become the Flyers head coach. The terms and length of Berube's contract have not been disclosed. Ian Laperriere who was the Flyers director of player development for the past year has reportedly been hired as an assistant coach with Kjell Samuelsson taking over Lapierre's duties as directory of player development. Derian Hatcher will be his assistant.

Philadelphia Flyers Sign Hal Gill and Promote Adam Hall

The Philadelphia Flyers signed defenseman Hal Gill and brought center Adam Hall up from the Adirondack Phantoms after putting Chris Pronger on LTIR. They should have up to 3.7 million dollars AAV (Average annual salary value cap hit) as of today at the trade deadline still available.

The Flyers are carrying 23 players on the roster right now which includes 13 forwards, 8 defenseman, and 2 goaltenders.

The 23 are:

 

Centers Claude Giroux, Vinny Lecavalier, Sean Couturier, Adam Hall, Scott Laughton
Left Wings Scott Hartnell, Brayden Schenn, Maxime Talbot, Jay Rosehill
Right Wings Jake Voracek, Wayne Simmonds, Matt Read, Zac Rinaldo
Defensemen Kimmo Timmonen, Braydon Coburn, Mark Streit, Luke Schenn, Andrej Meszaros, Nic Grossman, Erik Gustafsson, Hal Gill
Goaltenders Ray Emery, Steve Mason

Philadelphia Flyers Probable Opening Night Lineup October 2nd

The Flyers submitted their roster to the league office by 5 pm this afternoon as required which included 21 players. They were also required to be under the salary cap and reports have them with $25,000 or $36,000 remaining in cap space as of right now. NHL teams are allowed to carry 23 players on their roster during the season.

They are expected to use their LTIR on Chris Pronger tonight when it is permitted by the league which will free up additional space. The specific amount is not known until the player receives the designation but it should be up to 4 million at least. Once they are able to use the designation, they are expected to make at least one move by opening on Wednesday which would be to bring up center Adam Hall who was sent down to the Phantoms along with defenseman Bruno Gervais in order to get under the salary cap.

The General Manager Paul Holmgren reportedly said he expected to carry 22 players on opening night. Whether they decide to add a 23rd player by then or at some other point during the season is unknown. There have been various rumors that they would sign defenseman Hal Gill who's tryout contract expires at midnight tonight. Some rumors have said they wanted him under minor league contracts. Some have said they expected Gill to be signed to an NHL contract once the shell game and paperwork went through. Reportedly Holmgren is saying that he has not made any decision about Hal Gill.

We don't know if the Flyers want to sign him on a minor league contract (I don't know if there's room on Adirondack and I don't intend on trying to crunch what options they have there) and Gill is amiable to that or not. We don't know if they will sign Gill to an NHL contract. One thing to keep in mind is that will take some of the LTIR allowance and the Flyers may want to keep as much as possible of that available for an unspecified period. Injuries both on the Flyers and possibly even on other NHL teams (which would present a trade opportunity potentially although it is a longshot)could be a factor.

The primary reason the Flyers may want to add Hal Gill is for emergency depth on defense.

With all that said and this is obviously subject to change, here is the expected lineup with line combinations and pairings:

Lines 1-4 (As always subject to change by Laviolette who does change things up during the season but this is what he has been going with lately and it makes sense also for now)

Left Wing Scott Hartnell, Center Claude Giroux, Right Wing Jake Voracek
Left Wing Brayden Schenn, Center Vinny Lecavalier, Right Wing Wayne Simmonds
Left Wing Max Talbot, Center Sean Couturier, Right Wing Matt Read
Left Wing Jay Rosehill, Center Adam Hall or Scott Laughton, Right Wing Zac Rinaldo

Note: The decision to play the rookie Laughton vs veteran Adam Hall on opening night especially may be difficult. It's at home also and they obviously want to get off to a good start.  One of the factors is Scott Laughton made the team and can only be sent back down to his junior team Oshawa in the OHL. If you are going to look at Laughton, you obviously do want to play him and he did play for up to 5 games at the start of the last season (lockout shortened) but the Flyers also did not have Adam Hall. There also may be some benefit to him practicing up here as well because there are limits

Reportedly he can be here up to 9 games before his entry level contract would begin so the Flyers want to see how he does before deciding what is best for both the team and him. The General Manager Paul Holmgren reportedly discussed that today which I am paraphrasing.

They could go with Laughton opening night no question. My guess is Hall on opening night. I would have guessed they would activate Hall and Laughton and put Hall on the left wing instead of the fighter Jay Rosehill but reports were Laughton and Hall alternated at center at practice today with Rosehill and Rinaldo before Hall was sent down I guess.

Defensive Pairings

Kimmo Timonen, Braydon Coburn
Mark Streit, Luke Schenn
Andrej Meszaros, Nic Grossman

Head coach Peter Laviolette could play Erik Gustafsson instead of Meszaros on opening night. They actually need to get both of them some ice time. Gustafsson because he is a young player who still needs more experience and Meszaros because he is once again returning from injury and has struggled with various injuries so they will need to get him into shape. I am guessing but maybe they alternate them game activations or maybe spell Meszaros with Gus at least for a while.

They want to make sure their young players get ice time so I know Gustafsson will see some action if he is not the primary 6th defenseman over Meszaros. The Flyers did not want to risk exposing Gustafsson to waivers to send him to Adirondack. They no longer have the option of sending him down without waiving him.

Goaltenders
Ray Emery, Steve Mason

I expect Emery to start over Mason opening night but this decision has not been made yet supposedly.

That is 20 players who will probably dress.

I will guess Laughton is dressed opening night but it is a guess. That would  mean Hall would most likely not dress although I still think Rosehill should not dress.

I will guess that Gustafsson does not dress for the opener.

Philadelphia Flyers Send Chris VandeVelde to Adirondack Phantoms

The Philadelphia Flyers released Center/Wing Chris VandeVelde from professional tryout contract so he is now on his Adirondack Phantoms AHL contract. VandeVelde is on the Flyers AHL affiliate team however he is under contract with Adirondack and not on NHL contract with Flyers so another NHL team could sign him to a two way contract. The Flyers now have 24 players on roster although defenseman Hal Gill is on a tryout contract and he is the 24th player. The Flyers could sign him to a minor league contract. They may also be exploring trading one of their other defensemen. The Flyers are at the roster limit of 23 players under contract. It appears rookie center Scott Laughton has made the opening night roster although the 2012 1st round draft pick could play for the Flyers up to 9 games without his entry level contract starting. The Flyers could still potentially choose to send him back to his junior team Oshawa (OHL) prior to the 10th game of the season.

Flyers 1st Round Draft Pick Defenseman Samuel Morin Out for 3 Games with Rimouski

Report is Samuel Morin is out for 3 games with an unspecified injury playing for Rimouski in the QMJHL according to report. Update: According to the Flyers GM Paul Holmgren, Morin suffered a hand injury. http://www.lavantage.qc.ca/l-oceanic/25-09-2013-samuel-morin-ratera-de-10-a-14-jours

2013 Questions To Prepare For Philadelphia Flyers Opening Day

1. Will the Philadelphia Flyers trade a defenseman prior to opening day on October 2nd?

The Flyers need to get under the salary cap on opening day. They have salary cap room once they utilize the LTIR for Chris Pronger but will need to time moves to use the LTIR. In short they will need to waive players and/or send 2012 first round draft pick center Scott Laughton back to his junior team Oshawa (OHL) or trade to get under the salary cap first I believe. Then they will be able to use the LTIR on Pronger which essentially gives them some cap room. As an example, if they were to waive Bruno Gervais to free up some of the cap space they need, another team could claim him in which case they would lose Gervais. If he was not claimed, the Flyers could bring Gervais back once they utilize the LTIR on Pronger.

Alternatively, the Flyers could trade Andrej Meszaros or Nicklas Grossman either of whom would free up enough cap space assuming the Flyers did not take back a salary or too much of a salary of a player traded to them in return. There has also been speculation Braydon Coburn could get traded by that would be a big surprise to me at this point. I anticipate Coburn will return to a pairing with Kimmo Timonen which should help Coburn return to pre 2012-2013 form or close to it. Coburn is not untouchable but his value to the Flyers will probably exceed anything they would get at this point. The likeliest time he would have been traded probably would have been prior to or during the NHL draft.

Meszaros has one year remaining on his contract and no NTC or NMC clause in his contract (although clauses don't necessarily prevent a trade anyway). Grossman has 3 years remaining on his deal.An injury to a defenseman on another team could possibly open up an opportunity to trade one of them but I'm skeptical a team will want to trade for either. Keep in mind several teams don't have a lot of cap room. Also, other teams don't necessarily have an LTIR the Flyers have.

The Flyers could of course trade during the season prior to the trading deadline.

2. Will the Flyers keep 14 forwards and 7 defensemen or 13 forwards and 8 defensemen?

Remember the Flyers may need to maneuver to get under the cap and then use the Pronger LTIR so their final roster may not be settled until after opening night. Conventional wisdom is they will often carry 14 forwards but that is not always the case.

There is likely four players battling for three spots in the closing days of preseason: Left Wing Michael Raffl, Center Scott Laughton and defensemen Eric Gustafsson and Bruno Gervais. The wrench in this is Laughton's entry level contract (known as a slide contract) begins if he is on the roster for a certain number of games (I have heard 5 and I have heard 10 games).

Although some have speculated Laughton could move to wing where the Flyers need is more than at center, he has not played wing in camp or preseason and the Flyers seem to wish to keep him at his natural position of center. I think it is much more likely Laughton is sent back to Oshawa for a few reasons and if it isn't on opening day, it is likely to be prior to his entry level contract would begin.

They could also potentially move Couturier to wing so Laughton could be the center on the third line but I think the Flyers need to leave Sean at center and the third year is often seen as a critical year for many NHL players. I do not see that happening.

The benefit of Laughton playing another year in juniors is not particularly great however many NHL teams have similar talents going back to juniors. It almost has to be more beneficial than Laughton sitting on the Flyers bench as the 13th/14th forward although he would be practicing against the Flyers who are NHL players and also learning at the NHL level in practices. Unfortunately due to rules, Laughton can not play in the AHL this season. He must either return to Oshawa his junior team or be on the Flyers roster.

The Flyers may end up with 8 defensemen on the roster for a while because of the personnel and particularly because of what may be most beneficial in regard to Laughton. Though it isn't inconceivable they keep a forward such as Kris Newbury as the 14th forward and keep 7 defensemen on the roster.

It may be left wing Michael Raffl is close to being a lock, the way the roster is structured right now with the remaining players in training camp and the Flyers need. The type of forward they need the most right now is a winger like Raffl and there is no other winger left on their training camp roster who has the skills Raffl seems to possess.

Of course the other possibility is the Flyers make another move at forward in conjunction with the LTIR although it may be better to wait to actually trade for a player or sign a player until closer to the trading deadline or when injuries during the season may create an immediate need.

3. What are the Philadelphia Flyers line combinations going to be opening night?

This is a question the remainder of the preseason will be used to sort out and of course head coach Peter Laviolette often switches his lines up during the season. Of course Vincent Lecavalier is a new Flyer and the second line center. Finding linemates to click with Lecavalier and best take advantage of Lecavalier's skills is the top priority most likely.

Scott Hartnell and Wayne Simmonds are the Flyers top two power forwards who occupy the spaces down low and in front of the net mostly. Simmonds has been paired with Lecavalier for much of the time during camp and preseason and is almost definitely the second line right wing at least to start the season.

Previously, Left Wing Hartnell and Right Wing Jakub Voracek have been paired with first line center Claude Giroux most often. It seems likely they will make up the first line initially. So the question is who is the left wing on the second line with Lecavalier at center and Simmonds on the right wing?

Many have said Brayden Schenn is the most likely candidate although Michael Raffl played with Lecavalier and Simmonds against the Washington Capitals in Philadelphia while the Flyers had two squads playing in two different games that night. Schenn was in London, Ontario with the "B team" playing against Toronto. This does not imply Schenn was a B teamer because it is doubtful he really was. Most of that team was made up of players who will be on the AHL team or elsewhere however the Flyers had Hartnell and Read and Meszaros and Grossman with the "B team".

Sean Couturier is the 3rd line center without much doubt. The Flyers would like to see him improve offensively in this third season and Sean has played well in his preseason games so far. Last year he did not have good goal scorers playing alongside him either. Schenn also needs to become more consistent in his scoring and creating even if it is at the left wing.

While Matt Read could play left wing on the second line (or even first line), it may be better to put him at right wing on a line with Couturier. Giroux could use a protector like Hartnell on the first line most of the time so I think Read is most likely not playing on the first line most of the time.

That pretty much leaves Brayden Schenn and rookie Michael Raffl as the second and third line wingers most likely although Maxime Talbot has played with Couturier and could be on the third line as well with Couturier and Read.

Right now this is where I lean for the lines but this could be wrong, to be determined in last three preseason games. Schenn, Raffl, and Read seem particularly interchangeable potentially. :

Hartnell/Giroux/Voracek
B Schenn/LeCavalier/Simmonds
Raffl/Couturier/Read
Talbot/Hall/Rinaldo

13th: Rosehill
14th?

Expect Read, Hall, Couturier to log most minutes on PK.

4. What are the defensive pairings with new Flyer Mark Streit on board?

I believe Kimmo Timonen and Braydon Coburn to be paired together. Streit will most likely be paired with Luke Schenn on the second pairing. Meszaros and Grossman probably on third pairing although Erik Gustaffson could figure in if Meszaros is traded or gets hurt again. Many think Bruno Gervais has played significantly better than Gustafsson in preseason. Gervais was paired with Streit on the New York Islanders at one time although I don't think that will happen with the Flyers unless injuries cause it.

Both Timonen and Streit should be used on 1st and 2nd power play units respectively.

Gustafsson and Gervais may ultimately be competing for the 7th defenseman position. Gervais may be waived to open up cap space and may be brought back if he is waived once LTIR on Pronger is used.

5. Who are some players the Flyers have on the Adirondack Phantoms for depth?

The most likely forwards to be promoted to the Flyers if there are injuries are Kris Newbury who is mostly a defensive power forward who will drop the gloves, Jason Akeson a playmaker who can play center or on the wing but is small and not a checking forward although he has improved that part of his game enough to be viable for the Flyers if needed, and Tye McGinn who has played some games on the Flyers.

Center Nick Cousins is a prolific scorer who is in his first season with the Phantoms. Marcel Noebels could fill in if needed but he probably will not be up on the Flyers this year. Ben Holmstrom could be a possibility if he clears waivers but Holmstrom is strictly a 4th line center at best.

Assuming all defensemen on the Flyers right now are still in the organization, Gervais and Gustafsson are 7th and 8th defensemen (8th may be on the Flyers or at Adirondack initially) with Oliver Lauridsen most likely the 9th defenseman on the depth chart and Matt Konan 10th with Mark Alt probably 11th although those two are very close. Brandon Manning might be the 12th defenseman. Marc-Andre Bourdon is likely to be LTIR'd to start the season. He has not been cleared from his concussion symptoms.

2013 NHL Draft Prospect Battle - Morin vs. Morrissey vs. Pulock vs. Zadorov vs. Mueller

The 2013 NHL Draft was considered one of the best drafts if not the best NHL draft since 2003. Did the Philadelphia Flyers make the right selection on Defenseman Samuel Morin? The Flyers clearly needed to upgrade their system with young defensemen and they are loaded with young centers both on the NHL team and in their prospect system. They spent a 2012 first round pick on center Scott Laughton when they already had Claude Giroux who is still young, Brayden Schenn who may need to move to left wing because they signed Vincent Lecavalier in the offseason, and 2011 1st round draft pick Sean Couturier. 2011 third round draft pick center Nick Cousins was one of the top point producers in the OHL.
They could probably use a sniper on the wings but centers and defenseman have a little more value at the 11th pick overall and the Flyers have a number of solid wingers in their system also.
Although Philadelphia may not have quite matched the Buffalo Sabres duo of defenseman from the 2013 draft of Rasmus Ristolainen and Nikita Zadarov, the Flyers may have found a steal with the 41st overall pick in the 2013 draft in defenseman Robert Hagg from Sweden so the Flyers seemed to have added two potential future starting quality defensemen with Morin and Hagg.
This is possibly going to be an exciting class of defensemen to follow although it could take for many to get to the NHL. Seven defenseman were drafted from Edmonton's 7th overall pick through San Jose's 18th overall pick.

More goes into how these players do than their statistics but you can follow the statistics of these five players here for fun to start.
11th Overall Pick Defenseman Samuel Morin Philadelphia Flyers
13th Overall Pick Defenseman Josh Morrissey Winnipeg Jets
15th Overall Pick Defenseman Ryan Pulock New York Islanders
16th Overall Pick Defenseman Nikita Zadorov Buffalo Sabres
18th Overall Pick Defenseman Mirco Muller San Jose Sharks

Philadelphia Flyers Send 3 Players To Their Junior Teams

The Philadelphia Flyers sent 2013 1st Round Pick Samuel Morin back to Rimouski of the QMJHL, 2013 3rd Round Pick Tyrell Goulbourne to Kelowna of the WHL, and 2012 4th Round Pick Taylor Leier back to Portland of the WHL. You can keep track of their statistics this season on this blog.

Philadelphia Flyers Prospects 2013 Breakdown (Top 5)

The Philadelphia Flyers have 5 top tier prospects now that the 2013 NHL draft is in the books. None are particularly likely to be stars in the NHL at a Simon Gagne, Mike Richards, Claude Giroux or Jeff Carter level of player. However, I am hopeful these 5 players will become quality NHL players capable of becoming 2nd line or 2nd defensive pairing players at some point.

The Flyers have no player they drafted from the 1st or 2nd round prior to the 2011 draft left in the organization and the only one they have prior to the 2012 draft is Sean Couturier who made the Flyers roster from day 1 of his career. The vast majority of NHL players who have significant careers in the NHL come from the first two rounds of the draft.

I believe the organization benefitted from a very good 2013 NHL draft so at least as fans we have the possibility of turning around the system of prospects if of course these players are not traded. In addition the development of several of our 2012 draft picks in 2012-2013 was positive. Four of the 2012 draft picks made fairly significant strides this past season and even the 5th round pick had a promising season as an 18 year old.

The Flyers have a handful of players who may be closer to the NHL and contributing to the big club than a few of the top 5 prospects but my prospect ranking is not based on what prospects are closest to making the NHL necessarily.

1. Center Scott Laughton 6-1, 194 (listed at 177 but he was reportedly 194 at the Flyers development camp in July of 2013) - The Flyers selected Scott with their first round pick in 2012, the 20th overall pick. He did well enough the Flyers kept him on their opening day roster in the lockout shortened season in 2013 for 5 games before they sent him down to his junior hockey club Oshawa which is required as part of the NHL/CHL transfer agreement and Laughton's agreement with Oshawa. His service on the entry level contract would have started had they not sent him down.

Although he did not score a point, he did not seem to be overmatched in his appearances. Laughton increased his point per game average some at Oshawa in 2012-2013 compared to 2011-2012 and he also scored 7 goals and 13 points total in 7 OHL playoff games for Oshawa. He also was permitted to play for the Adirondack Phantoms after his OHL season ended. Scott scored a goal and had two assists for them in 6 games.

Laughton has good not great size for an NHL center but is reportedly put on some muscle and he was up to 6-1, 194 from 6-1, 177 at their development camp in July 2013. He's a good two way center with good smarts, instincts and he has good skating speed. He also will get physical and isn't afraid to mix it up. He definitely has potential to be a 2nd line center someday in the NHL but he projects to 3rd line center right now and with Giroux, Lecavalier, and Couturier, he may not be a 2nd line center for a number of years. It's possible he may not even be a 3rd line center for a while.
2013 Philadelphia Flyers Development Camp Highlights
He also has special teams potential both on the power play and penalty kill but will probably be a penalty killer first when he establishes himself on the Flyers. Laughton is a very good prospect and the Flyers top prospect although all 5 players in the top 5 are very close in terms of long term potential right now. Laughton will likely be on the Flyers long before the other 4 players in the ranking though. They also may end up using him on the wing if he becomes a player they can't keep off the ice which is possible at almost anytime moving forward. Laughton hopefully should be on the Flyers no later than 2014-2015 but it could happen sooner.

2. Defenseman Robert Hagg 6-2, 205 (I've seen him listed at 193, 203, and 205)- Many would probably consider 2013 1st round pick Samuel Morin as the second ranked prospect over Hagg but I'm going to give Hagg the slightest edge despite the fact Morin was the Flyers 1st round pick and Hagg was the 2nd round pick. The reality is the top 5 ranked players in this article are all close in ratings.

I had Hagg rated slightly ahead of Morin although the week before the draft the consensus of the experts had Morin rated higher. I think Hagg is a faster skater, has a better shot, and he's a better two way defenseman than Morin. Hagg can cover all or most of the ice depending on what he is asked to to do within the system.

Some think Hagg is closer to the NHL than Morin but I don't think that is necessarily the case. Hagg needs more confidence and consistency. Both Hagg and Morin took big steps in 2013. Hagg did play a major role for Sweden's Silver Medal winning WJC u20 team while Morin had a big role for Canada's Gold Medal winning WJC u18 team.

Hagg will be playing for Modo in the top Swedish Pro League again this year (after playing about half the season for the Modo J20 team and half the season for Modo) while Morin will be playing for Rimouski in the QMJHL again. Robert has said he needs one or two years at Modo while also saying he and his agent will sit down with the Flyers after this year and talk about what the Flyers want.

Hagg is still very young. He turned 18 in February of 2013. I think he could need three seasons combined in the Swedish Hockey League and AHL and he'll only be 21 years old at the end of those three seasons.

Robert has excellent potential to be on a 2nd defensive pairing with very good potential to quarterback the power play and he also can be versatile. I think he's capable of playing with an offensive defenseman or as the offensive defenseman paired with a physical stay at home defenseman.

He needs to refine all of the aspects of his game but has shown ability and skill in every facet of the game.
Robert Hagg WJC Sweden Team #14 Yellow
Goal about 2 mins and he really shows stuff at around 3 mins vs Russia

Hagg interview with Philly Media After Selection

3. Defenseman Samuel Morin 6-6 203 - The Flyers 2013 1st round pick at 11th overall is a tall and very physical and tenacious defensive player. He improved his skating significantly this season and he said he had a much better latter part of the season in 2012-2013 after starting out slowly.

There is considerable discussion over Morin's skating speed. Some say he has adequate speed for a big and physical stay at home defenseman. Others believe he is fast for his size and has shown some ability to join an offensive rush. Morin may also be improving his shot and his goal scoring could increase with more emphasis on it.

The Flyers also think Morin has a hard work ethic and I do like his intensity on the ice. At 6-6 with his reach also he can steal pucks. Morin does not back down either although he needs to add weight and muscle to his frame. At the same time, I do not think this is a big concern as he just turned 18 in July of 2013. There may be some limitations because of his length but he should be able to add enough with his height so that is not a problem at the NHL level in a few years.

I don't necessarily think Morin is going to be a great 1st pairing big two way defenseman such as Chris Pronger or Shea Weber but he will be capable of becoming a very big 2nd pair defenseman with a nasty and physical aspect in his game. It was very encouraging when the Flyers selected Hagg at the 41st overall pick in the 2013 draft as he was a first round prospect on almost all boards and there is something about Hagg and Morin as a nice combination on defense to get out of a very good defenseman class that I really liked. I liked the Morin pick better when we also got Hagg as strange as that sounds.

There is a positive and negative side to Morin's youth. He did not even turn 18 until after the draft. The positive is with his size, skills and improvement in 2012-2013 there is upside and he has plenty of time to develop further. The negative is he may be a little further away from getting to the NHL. I also think under the transfer agreement between the NHL and CHL (governing body for Canadian junior hockey), he may have to play two more seasons for Rimouski if he is not on the NHL club.

So it is more likely he has at least three more seasons combined at Rimouski and the Phantoms in the AHL before he is ready for the Flyers. He may also get a handful of games with the Phantoms once Rimouski's season ends in 2014.


2013 IIHF u18 World Championships [Gold Medal Game] Canada - USA - Full Length Game (Russian announcers)
Samuel Morin (#5) paired with Winnipeg 13th pick overall Josh Morrisey (#7) 1st pairing.
Dillon Heatherington 50th pick overall paired with Madison Bowey 53rd pick overall.
Chris Bigras 32nd pick overall paired with Shea Theodore 26th pick overall.

#55 on Rimouski - 1 minute video
Paul Holmgren announces his selection of Samuel Morin

Sam Morin fights 2013 3rd Round Pick Jonathan Diaby


4. Defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere 5-11, 170 (Shayne has been listed at 160 and he reportedly gained some weight over this past year so he may be somewhere between 170 and 180 now) -
Shayne is a talented, smart, offensively skilled defenseman who can move the puck, stickhandle, set up the power play and offense, pass and shoot the puck. He worked on improving his defensive skills over the past season at Union College and as a member of the USA WJC u20 Gold Medal winning team in early 2013.

The question with Gostisbehere is his size and ability to hold up and be physical in the NHL but there are more smaller defenseman recently with success and Gostisbehere is a very skilled defenseman. He also has run the power play extremely well. Kimmo Timonen has played at 194 and no I am not saying he is a future Timonen, no one is. Erik Gustafsson is also a 5-10, 180 to 185 defenseman.

Shayne turned 20 years old in April and will play his junior year at Union College in 2013-2014. He seemed rather committed to playing all 4 years at Union College based on comments he made at the Flyers development camp in July of 2013. He is probably two years at the very earliest from playing on the Flyers and may be three years away if he plays at Union and the Flyers think he needs a full season with the Phantoms in the AHL.

Even though he was almost 20 at the WJCs, Shayne making the squad and playing on the power play at times with 2013 4th overall pick and top defenseman Seth Jones was a big positive. He was also paired with 2012 1st round pick Jacob Trouba. He did not look out of place playing with some of the NHL's best prospects against some of the NHL's top prospects.

I think Gostisbehere could be on just about any of the defensive pairings depending on his development and he is a top quality quarterback on the power play. He should be very capable of moving the puck and bringing it up the ice. He will need to figure out how to be a good player on defense in the NHL at his size.

It may seem overly optimistic for all three of these defensemen (Hagg, Morin, Gostisbehere) to make the Flyers and work out at the NHL level but one of the reasons I really was pleased with the 2013 draft was I think these three defensemen are a nice mix of defensemen. Morin is big, physical, hard working and plays with a nasty and competitive streak while Hagg is a near great skater and very good overall defenseman prospect and Gostisbehere can be a puck mover and offensive minded defenseman.

5. Center Nick Cousins 5-10, 180 - Cousins is a playmaking center who developed into a big time scorer in major junior hockey playing for Sault Ste. Marie in the OHL. He ended his career in the OHL with 291 points in 264 regular season games. He had 103 points in 64 games in 2012-2013 and may have taken the scoring title in the OHL or come very close but he was suspended for 4 games after a 5 minute major penalty and game misconduct penalty for hitting a player from behind.

Vincent Trocheck had 109 total points while Charlie Sarault had 108 points and Cousins finished 3rd in the OHL with 103 points. Cousins progressed from 32 to 68 to 88 to 103 points in his regular season career at Sault Ste Marie. Cousins isn't a big center and needs to improve his defense according to Paul Holmgren in 2013-2014. He is most likely going to play for the Adirondack Phantoms for the season.

If Nick can put it together and gets the opportunity for the Flyers, he is as capable of any of the top 5 prospects as having the best career especially offensively.

Next 5 up in a future post:

6. Defenseman Erik Gustafsson *
7. Defenseman Oliver Lauridsen *
8. Right Wing Petr Straka
9. Goaltender Anthony Stolarz
10. Left Wing Taylor Leier

*Gustafsson and/or Lauridsen could both be on the Flyers or get more time on the Flyers if called up so they may not be consideder prospects much longer. It is practically on the borderline if  Gus should still be called a prospect. He has never played more than 30 games for the Flyers in a season but he does have 60 total games played for the Flyers.

2013 Philadelphia Flyers Draft Prospects Statistics

REAL TIME UPDATED STATISTICS for the 2013 Flyers Draft Picks Do you ever try to keep up with the Philadelphia Flyers draft picks and prospects and wish there was an easier way to do it than looking them up periodically? Just bookmark our site and come back whenever you like during the hockey season and you'll find updated statistics here.

You'll also find a post for the top 25 prospects in the organization with constantly updated statistics as the hockey season progresses and a post with all prospects from previous drafts who are still property of the Flyers with updated statistics throughout the hockey season.

The 2013 Flyers draft picks will be playing in the QMJHL (Quebec Major Junior Hockey League), the SHL (Swedish Hockey League formerly called Elitserian or the Swedish Elite League), WHL (Western Hockey League), and the USHL (United States Hockey League - the top junior hockey league in the United States). You don't have to look their statistics up by league or try to search the best way to find them through individual lookups each time you want to look it up. You'll also have incentive to look them up much more often.
You can view our 2013 Philadelphia Flyers Draft Magazine with some good links to Samuel Morin and Robert Hagg videos, PRE draft analyses which show why drafting two defensemen in the first two rounds was the best way to go in the 2013 draft, and post draft analyses.
1st Round - Defenseman Samuel Morin Rimouski (QMJHL) - Sam will be slated to go back to Rimouski for the 2013-2014 season. Sean Couturier made the Flyers team and roster as a rookie in 2011 but there is virtually no chance Morin will make the Flyers opening day roster.

2nd Round - Defenseman Robert Hagg Modo (Sweden) - Hagg will be playing for Modo in the Swedish Hockey League in 2013-2014. He stated this during his press conference after the Flyers drafted him. Hagg will be playing in Sweden's top professional league against many players who are older.

3rd Round - LW Tyrell Goulbourne Kelowna (WHL) - I believe Goulbourne most likely has one year of eligibility left with Kelowna as he is under 20 years old so he will be returning to Kelowna in 2013-2014. The Zac Rinaldo "clone" who has already been called Z2 has little shot to make the Flyers opening day roster this season.

5th Round - Defenseman Terrance Amorosa Holderness School (NH) - Amorosa who was born in Quebec played for a prep school in New Hampshire and he will play for Sioux City in the USHL in 2013-2014. These statistics should be updated once the season starts and he plays.

6th Round - Goaltender Merrick Madsen Proctor Academy (NH) - Madsen played for a high school in New Hampshire and will play for Des Moines in the USHL in 2013-2014. These statistics should be updated once the season starts and he plays.

7th Round - Defenseman David Drake Des Moines (USHL) - Drake will return to Des Moines in the USHL in 2013-2014. He and 6th round pick Merrick Madsen will be teammates.

Morin and Hagg at 2013 Flyers Development Camp (about 3 minute mark and after). Couple shots of Amorosa earlier.

2013 Philadelphia Flyers Prospects On Adirondack Statistics

Follow Philadelphia Flyers prospects up to date statistics courtesy of eliteprospects.com who are on the Adirondack Phantoms in 2013-2014 here. As of this post on July 26, 2013 these are projected players to be on the Phantoms and could change before the 2013-2014 season starts. I have it in a loose order based partly on who we project as the best prospects, who could be called up or are most likely to make the roster and we've also separated the forwards and defensemen to an extent. The reason I did that is to compare players at a glance. You can also click Adirondack Phantoms on the 2013-2014 entry for any player to view the current statistics for the Phantoms at eliteprospects.com.
Center Jason Akeson


Center Nick Cousins


Left Wing Michael Raffl


Right Wing Petr Straka

Forward Marcel Noebels

Defenseman Oliver Lauridsen

Defenseman Mark Alt

Defenseman Matt Konan

Left Wing Tye McGinn

Defenseman Maxim Lamarche

Center Kyle Flanagan

Right Wing Derek Mathers

Center Ben Holmstrom

Left Wing Andrew Johnston

Defenseman Tyler Hostetter

Defenseman Cullen Eddy

Right Wing Brandon Alderson

Left Wing Tyler Brown

Right Wing Matt Mangene

Left Wing Rob Bordson
Defenseman Zack Fitzgerald
Goaltender Yann Danis

Goaltender Cal Heeter

Goaltender Carsen Chubak

Philadelphia Flyers Prospects 2012 Draft Statistics To Date

REAL TIME UPDATED STATISTICS for the 2012 Flyers Draft Picks Bookmark our site and come back whenever you like during the hockey season and you'll find updated statistics here without having to look them up individually. For some prospects such as some foreign prospects and others, we arranged the statistics from two sites. Where you see no statistics for the player, that is a placeholder as of July 2013 and the statistics will be updated as they occur in the future.

You'll also find a post for the top 25 prospects in the organization with constantly updated statistics as the hockey season progresses and posts with all prospects from other drafts who are still property of the Flyers with updated statistics throughout the hockey season.

The 2012 Flyers draft picks could be playing in the OHL, WHL, USHL, ECAC (College hockey), and the KHL. You don't have to look their statistics up by league or try to search the best way to find them through individual lookups each time you want to look it up. You'll also have incentive to look them up much more often.

1st Round - Center Scott Laughton Oshawa (OHL) - As of July 2013, it is up in the air if Scott will be on the Flyers this year or back at Oshawa. See end of this article for more.

2nd Round - Goaltender Anthony Stolarz Corpus Christi (NAHL) - I believe Stolarz will return to London in the OHL in 2013-2014. London is one of the top powerhouse teams in major junior hockey.

3rd Round - Defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere Union College (ECAC) - Gostisbehere stated he would return to Union College for his junior year in 2013-2014.

4th Round - Defenseman Fredric Larsson Brynas J20 (Sweden) - The Flyers are helping Larsson and his agent to find a USHL team to play for in 2013-2014 possibly Youngstown as of July 2013. Larsson played on the Brynas J20 team in the Superelite junior hockey league in Sweden in 2012-2013.


4th Round - Left Wing Taylor Leier Portand (WHL) - Leier will return to Portland in 2013-2014 for what will probably be his last year of eligibility in the WHL. It would be a major surprise if he made the Flyers opening day roster. Leier comes off a breakout year and could rise with a good or great season although he is considered a late bloomer.


5th Round - Defenseman Reece Willcox Merritt (BCHL) - Willcox will return to Cornell University in the ECAC in 2013-2014 for his sophomore season after logging top minutes including on the penalty kill as a freshman for Cornell.


7th Round - Defenseman Valeri Vasiliev Spartak Jrs. (Russia) - Vasiliev the son of the Russian hockey legend of the same name played in 11 games for Spartak Moscow in the KHL and for the Spartak Jr team in 2012-2013. There is reason to believe he will be playing in the KHL for Spartak Moscow in 2013-2014. Vasiliev was not at the Flyers Development Camp in July 2013.


As of July of 2013, there are a few potential factors that may play a part in where center Scott Laughton plays in 2013-2014 whether is in the NHL with the Flyers or with Oshawa in the OHL again where he most likely will be in his last year of eligibility if he is sent down.
He may perform so well in training camp and preseason that he makes the Flyers opening day roster regardless of the other factors. It is also possible he makes the opening day roster but is sent down before the service time is started on his entry level contract which is what happened last season.
The Flyers are currently a little over 2 million over the salary cap (in season) which is within the overage permitted in the offseason before penalties. Many think they will trade a defenseman prior to opening day although they do have last resort options to waive a few bottom of the roster players and/or Laughton (who can be send down without exposing him to waivers and getting picked up by another NHL team) to get under the cap. Pronger's LTIR would allow them to bring back players waived who clear waivers and/or Scott Laughton.
If they do trade a defenseman, they could possibly trade for a forward which may affect Laughton making the Flyers roster for the season or it could also open up more cap space to sign a free agent forward even if they don't trade for a veteran forward. They could also theoretically add a forward to the major league roster and Laughton also still makes the roster.
Finally it may also be possible the Flyers prefer not to start his entry level contract so he loses the spot to another forward whether it is a player in the organization or is a future acquisition.