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The upcoming NHL Draft has Flyers fans excited and ready to go, and for good reason, as the team has been linked to almost every big name for trade purposes. Even with the possibility of promoting and hooking the best player available.
Will any of these picks help the Flyers become relevant here again in the near future? People can now hear the voice of the iconic Gene Hart said: “Ladies and gentlemen, the Flyers are going to win the Stanley Cup! The Flyers win the Stanley Cup! The Flyers win the Stanley Cup! The Flyers have won the Stanley Cup!” This draft could be a key to the Flyers’ immediate success. Without further delay, here’s my seven-round Flyers mock draft. Let’s go Flyers duh-duh-duh-da-duh.
Round 1: *TRADE* with Calgary Flames (Choose 9) LHD, Sam Dickinson
This choice makes even more sense, if indeed Matvei Michkov arrives in Philadelphia for the 2024-25 season. The Flyers selected a stud with their first pick, ultimately the Flyers selected a pivotal player at the defense position. Dickinson is 6’3, LHD, with a powerful shot that hits the net nine out of 10 times. The Flyers crave his lethal shot, heavy and accurate from the point. For once, the Flyers have stocked the Flyers farm system with at least one positional need.
Dickinson had a London Knights launch party for the 2023-24 season. For the season, he accumulated 18 goals and 52 assists for a total of 70 points in 68 games played. The Flyers brass saw him play a lot this season, so they are very familiar with him and his attributes.
If a person has seen Dickinson play in his first season with the Knights last year, then they would realize that he is a good skater even with his size. That’s what sets him apart from the rest of the group, and he’s only 17 years old. He is a very good distributor with the puck and closes the gaps well. Dickinson thrives in transition, a good comparable would be Ryan Suter.
This pick once again shows the NHL that the Flyers are trying to right the ship, as Dickinson restocks the Flyers’ closet as a highly touted defenseman who shows promise. Philadelphia’s proud orange-clad fans will have a lot to cheer about when they announce Dickinson’s name with the ninth overall pick, and there will be plenty of Let’s Go Flyers chants from the proud faithful inside their homes.
Round 1: (31) C, Cole Beaudoin (from a trade with the Florida Panthers)
The Flyers traded one of their second-round picks to move up and nab Dickinson, and Briere takes advantage of this. He gets a sizable center who played for the Barrie Colts, a 6’2 Cole Beaudoin. Obviously, the Flyers are well aware of Barrie’s organization, having drafted Tyson Foerster in 2021. Yes, Brent Flahr was the orange and black’s assistant general manager at the time.
Beaudoin is a sturdy power center and is willing to take a beating on his way to the net. Most of the time, however, he drives two or three defenders to the net, thus creating space for his teammates to score the easy goal. He is very creative with the puck and in his second season with Barrie he was more of a playmaker, scoring 28 goals in 67 games played. Additionally, he also recorded 34 assists, to go with his ultimate penalty-killing abilities. Beaudoin was one of Barrie’s most versatile centers, even with his size.
The Flyers could benefit from a fearless player who is willing to sacrifice his body for a dirty goal and has a high motor. Apparently, Beaudoin is a hard worker, and if one had seen Beaudoin play last season, he would have noticed what a good pair of hands he had. Beaudoin has excellent ice vision and a lethal wrist shot that adds to his good ice vision.
*The Flyers traded the 36th pick in the second round to move up in the first round.*
Round 2: (51) LW, Marek Vanaker
The 17-year-old from Vanaker was boosted and confident in a position with the Brantford Bulldogs in 2023-24. By all accounts, he endured a career season by scoring 36 goals and 46 assists in 68 games played. The Flyers again choose size, as Vanaker is 6’1.
Vanaker simply knows where to be and when, and is excellent in the corners. He can pick a player’s pocket and lead the charge down the ice with ease. Vanaker, originally from Ontario, is excellent at the network. He has a great wrist shot and will be a steady force on the Flyers’ power play going forward.
Round 4: Flyers have no fourth-round picks
Round 5: (148) G, Jakub Milota
Milota is a decent-sized goalie, standing at 6’2. He appeared in 33 games for the Cape Breton Eagles in the QMJHL and posted a 2.82 GAA and a .905 save percentage. He also went 18-11-1 for the Eagles last season.
The young Milota prospect looked composed in net from the beginning of the year in 2023-24, in his first season coming from the Czech Republic. Milota has some size at the net and has the ability to cut angles well. He can improve his rebound control and his skating. However, Milota has the ability to be a steal on draft day for the Orange and Black by stealing big games on consecutive nights. The Flyers have no need to rush their development with promising young netminders like Samuel Ersson, Ivan Fedotov and Alexei Kolosov waiting in the wings, but there is uncertainty in the net, thanks in large part to the Carter Hart situation from 2018. Hockey Canada Sexual assault.
Selecting a goalkeeper is never a bad thing, as it is the most unpredictable position the sport has to offer.
Round 5: (150), right-hand drive, Cooper Cleaves
Cleaves is a beast on the blue line, as he stands 6’4 and weighs 200 pounds. She is only 18 years old and will be playing for the Vernon Vipers in the BCHL next season.
He has a lot to offer, but Cleaves also needs some development. He will play for Dartmouth College in 2025-26.
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Round 6: (177) RW, Diego Johnson
Diego Johnson has a motor. He closes the gaps well and could be a steal at this point in the draft. For the season, he recorded four goals and six assists for a total of 10 points in 31 games played for the Madison Capitols in the USHL. Johnson needed a good draft season and provided it for the competition ahead. He has committed to the University of Wisconsin for the 2024-25 season.
At 17 years old, Johnson is 5’11 and weighs 165 pounds. He is a good, reliable penalty taker, who thrives on short goals. Johnson, believe it or not, is good at hitting his teammates with breakaway passes, and he usually puts himself in the right positions for a good, easy wrist shot on net. All in all, this would be a very valuable pick for the Flyers late in the draft.
Round 7: (205) C/RW, Alexander Shen
Shen fell in the draft for a good reason. He struggled to score at a point-per-game pace in the MHL. He scored 10 goals and 14 assists in 42 games played for Mamonty Yugry in the MHL last season.
He has good defensive awareness and is willing to sacrifice his body blocking shots and throwing his weight around, but he has to produce offensively. Shen is only 17 years old, so he has time to focus on his development and clear things up. There is no rush and he would be worth picking at this point in the draft.
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