1) If the Philadelphia Flyers select TPS Turku right winger Mikko Rantanen with the seventh overall pick of the 2015 NHL Draft, it will be because of his combination of size (6-foot-4, 210 pounds), puck skills, demonstrated hockey sense, versatility in being able to play any forward position if needed and overall upside. It will not be because former Flyers goaltender and European scout Antero Niittymäki is TPS' general manager.
A year, the Flyers elected to bypass KalPa Kuopio forward Kasperi Kapanen with the 17th pick of the first round despite the fact that he is the son of former Flyers fan favorite Sami Kapanen and spent part of his childhood in the Delaware Valley. Ultimately, the Flyers believed that Calgary Hitmen defenseman Travis Sanheim was the best available prospect and selected accordingly.
Nevertheless, if Rantanen is still on the board for the seventh pick and the Flyers take him, they will do so with a high degree of comfort. His profile matches most of the traits the organization typically looks for, and the Flyers scouts have had many viewing opportunities this season including an excellent performance at the World Junior Championship tournament and games in Finland's top pro Liiga.
"He’s predominately a right wing but he’s a versatile guy," said Flyers scouting director Chris Pryor. "In Europe some guys like to play their off wing. This guy, he can play both. Our guys have seen him mostly on the right side, but they have seen him play on the left side. He’s a big body and he’s got a really good stick. He’s got a nose around the net and he’s good on the wall.
" If you look at his stats and the way he’s handled himself with the men at that level tells you a lot about the player, because there’s not a lot of young guys that play as big a role as he has this year. He’s an interesting guy. The group we’re talking about, there’s a lot of interesting names there and they all bring something different to the table that’s attractive."
If the Flyers draft Rantanen, they no doubt will have received some input from Niittymäki. Although still listed as a scout on the Flyers' official website, Niitty became TPS' general manager midway through the 2014-15 season. That precludes him from traveling and doing scouting duties in Europe for Philly but there is still a relationship between him and the Flyers organization. As such, the Flyers have as complete of information as is possible for a player his age.
The Flyers have a similar information pipeline with QMJHL team Blainville-Boisbriand. Flyers assistant coach Ian Laperriere is part owner of the team. Laperriere's close friend, Joel Bouchard, is the Armada's team president, general manager, head coach and part owner.
In past years, before Flyers general manager Ron Hextall curtailed the number of non-affilated players invited to Development Camp in July and Rookie Camp in September (in the interest of providing more individual and small-group attention to players already under the organizational umbrella), it was common for the Flyers to have a few Blainville-Boisbriand players in camp. Back in 2012, at camp director Laperriere's invitation, Bouchard served as a Flyers development camp instructor.
Most recently, the Flyers signed Armada overage standout Danick Martel to an entry-level contract. The Flyers' internal connections to the team's leadership did not directly figure in the signing but it was a nice bonus to have comprehensive resources at their disposal. The same thing would be the case with Rantanen.
2) According to the Philadelphia Daily News, new head coach Dave Hakstolsigned a five-year, $10 million contract with the Flyers. If accurate, that is one heck of a vote of confidence from Hextall and also an indication of just how much coaxing it took to convince Hakstol to leave the almost iron-clad job security and comfortable six-figure salary he enjoyed at the University of North Dakota for the what-have-you-done-for-us-lately world of the National Hockey League.
3) According to a report by an Ottawa radio station, longtime Flyers forward Danny Briere is likely to retire this summer. Broadcaster Alain Sanscartier of 94.5 FM said that the 37-year-old player, an unrestricted free agent this summer, is set to retire after playing sparingly the last two seasons for the Montreal Canadiens and Colorado Avalanche. Briere, who makes his permanent home in the Delaware Valley, also wants to be closer to his family.
4) Lacroix turns 70: A fan favorite in the early years of the Flyers franchise, Andre Lacroix was born in Lauzon, Quebec on June 5, 1945. Lacroix scored 20 to 24 goals in each of his three full seasons as a Flyer, placed fifth in the Calder Trophy balloting his rookie season (1968-69) and led the team in points in back-to-back seasons (1968-69 and 1969-70).
Lacroix was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks in 1971 for defenseman Rick Foley. He later went on to be the top scoring player in World Hockey Association history (798 points), including a 124-point season with the Philadelphia Blazers in 1972-73.
A longtime rink manager and youth hockey director after his retirement as a player, Lacroix has long been one of the hockey world's most affable and humble people. Most people in the game make at least one or two enemies along the way but you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone who doesn't like "Andy" Lacroix. He was kind of the Danny Briere of his day.
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