The Flyers made nine picks on the second day of the 2016 NHL Entry Draft. Here's a rundown of their second-day selections:
2ND ROUND
36th overall –
Pascal Laberge, Victoriaville Tigres (QMJHL, Center/Wing)
6-1, 175 lbs
Born: April 9, 1998, Chateauguay, Quebec (age 18)
Published Rankings
The Hockey News: 27th
International Scouting Services: 30th
Craig Button: 35th
TSN/Bob McKenzie: 32nd
McKeen's: 30th
Central Scouting: 28th North American skater
I discussed Laberge as a sleeper prospect in
Friday's predraft blog. The player has endured a hellish personal situation -- the cancer-related passing of his stepmother, with whom he was very close, his father's diagnosis and successful battle with prostate cancer and his mother's struggles with multiple sclerosis -- and somehow managed to have a strong -- if streaky -- QMJHL season that saw him significantly raise his stock in the draft.
Laberge led Victoriaville in scoring (68 points in 58 games) this season, scoring 23 goals and recording a club-high 45 assists before contributing five points in five playoff games (three goals, two assists. He enjoyed a standout performance at the Top Prospects Game, earning first-star honors after a two-goal, one assist performance, and was a member of Team Canada at the Under-18 World Championships in Grand Forks (two goals, one assist).
Laberge, who has the ability either to center or play wing, has good quickness and an above-average shot. He competes hard and is unafraid to get his nose dirty. The Hockey News noted that he plays with a bit of chippy streak.
The main thing that Laberge needs is added strength on his 6-foot-1 frame and to significantly refine his defensive play: both very normal issues for an 18-year-old player. As he fills out over the next few years, there is potential for his game to hit the next level.
By virtue of trading down from the 18th overall pick of the first round to the 22nd selection, the Flyers were able to swap out the 76th overall selection to move up 30 spots. In other words, for the cost of bypassing the 18th pick, the Flyers got two first-round caliber prospects in German Rubtsov (who was their main target, anyway, after the clear-cut top names were off the board)and Laberge.
There is no guarantee, of course, that either player will emerge as NHL impact players. However, it was tremendous asset management by Hextall.
48th overall –
Carter Hart, Everett Silvertips (WHL, goaltender)
6’1", 177 lbs
Born August 13, 1998, Sherwood Park, Alberta
Published ratings
The Hockey News: 31st overall
International Scouting Services: 5th-ranked goalie
Craig Button: 24th overall
TSN/Bob McKenzie: 57th overall
McKeen's: 43rd overall (2nd-ranked goalie)
Central Scouting: 2nd-ranked North American goalie
Regarded by many as the top goaltending prospect in the 2016 draft pool, Hart became the first goaltender to be taken in the Draft when the Flyers selected him 48th overall. The extra, and earlier, second-round pick the Flyers acquired in moving down in the firsr round had the ripple effect of the team in position to roll the dice by taking the first goalie off the board.
Hart plays a very fundamentally sound game with good angle coverage and an economy of motion. He is strictly average-sized for a current day goalie, perhaps even a little bit "undersized", but it is a non-issue. There are few weaknesses in his game -- Hart is already arguably the best goalie in the Western Hockey League -- but he will need work on his puck handling.
Goaltenders are the hardest prospects to project. Within the course of a year, the Flyers have significantly bolstered their development system depth at the position -- the signing of Alex Lyon, the drafting of Felix Sandström, Matej Tomek, Ivan Fedotov and now Hart -- to add to Anthony Stolarz and Harvard goaltender Merrick Madsen. In terms of sheer upside, Hart may already be at the top of the list. That can change from year to year, but Hart is a high value pick for where he was selected.
This past season, Hart won CHL Goaltender of the Year honors, topping Devils prospect Mackenzie Blackwood (Barrie Colts, OHL) and undrafted Chase Marchand (Rouyn-Noranda Huskies, QMJHL). Hart played in 63 of the Silvertips' 72 games. He posted a 35-23-4 record to go with a 2.14 GAA (second in the WHL), .918 save percentage and six shutouts (also second in the WHL).
52nd overall –
Wade Allison, Tri-City Storm (USHL, right wing)
6’2", 205 lbs
Born Oct 14, 1997, Roland, Manitoba
Published ratings
The Hockey News: 73rd
International Scouting Services: 178th
Craig Button: 61st
TSN/Bob McKenzie: 52nd
McKeen's: 36th
Central Scouting: 62nd North American skater
I raised Allison's name in Saturday's
pre-day 2 blog. Scarcely mentioned before the season, Allison was a hot name for the draft by the end of this USHL season. He started a little slowly while dealing with injuries and then came on very strong in the second half.
Allison is a big power forward with good skating ability and a heavy righthanded shot. He is committed to Western Michigan University for next season, where former Flyers assistant coach Andy Murray is behind the bench as head coach.
3RD ROUND
82nd overall -
Carsen Twarynski, Calgary Hitmen (WHL, left winger)
6'2", 198 lbs
Born Nov 24, 1997, Calgary, Alberta
Published ratings
The Hockey News: 83rd
International Scouting Services: 125th
Craig Button: Unrated
TSN/Bob McKenzie: Unrated
McKeen's: 76th overall
Central Scouting: 64th North American skater
A Calgary Hitmen teammate of Flyers prospects Travis Sanheim and Radel Fazleev, Twarynsky is a big-framed energy forward who battles in the "greasy" areas and managed a 20-goal, 45-point (fifth on the team) season for the Hitmen after posting five goals and 20 points his rookie season. The Flyers were looking to add some size to their forward corps in the prospect pipeline and this pick falls along this lines. He's good in the corners and, while not a natural goal scorer, he hustles up contributing offense at the WHL level. A highly competitive and hard-working player.
Veteran Red Line Report editor/scout Kyle Woodlief wrote a bang-on synopsis on Twarynsky for USA today, calling him "a well-proportioned winger who constantly does the dirty work and brings pucks out of the corner for his line by using his strength and leverage to win battles."
4TH ROUND
109th overall –
Connor Bunnaman, Kitchener Rangers (OHL, center/wing)
6'1", 207 lbs.
Born April 16, 1998, Guelph, Ontario
Published ratings
The Hockey News: Unrated
International Scouting Services: 110th
Craig Button: Unrated
TSN/Bob McKenzie: Unrated
McKeen's: 87th overall
Central Scouting: 87th North American skater
Bunnaman plays a "heavy" game in the trenches and works hard without the puck on his stick. Two years ago, he was listed at 6-foot, 183 pounds but had a growth spurt and continued to fill out. The OHL site lists him even bigger (6-foot-3, 211 pounds) than the Flyers' post-draft report (cited above). He's not especially creative with the puck but is good at going north-south and winning battles for loose pucks without taking many penalties.
He posted 16 goals and 22 assists for 38 points in 68 regular season games, with a plus-minus rating of +18, which ranked fifth overall on the team. He chipped in four points (two goals, two assists) in nine playoff game. In 2014-15, Bunnaman played on Team White at Hockey Canada’s Under-17 Development Camp, being evaluated as a checking forward.
120th overall -- Acquired from the Arizona Coyotes to complete the Nicklas Grossmann/ Chris Pronger cap hit trade of last year, the Flyers traded the selection the New York Islanders in exchange for a fourth-round pick in 2017. Unless the Islanders make a deep run in the playoffs next year, the pick the Flyers get will be earlier in the fourth round.
5TH ROUND
139th overall –
Linus Högberg, Växjö Lakers (J20 SuperElit/ SEL, defenseman)
6'1", 183 lbs
Born September 4, 1998, Stockholm, Sweden
Unranked
One of the youngest players in this year's draft class, the smooth skating Högberg flew under the radar as a member of the Växjö J20 team, for whom he posted 25 points (7g-18a) in 39 games. He also appeared in two regular season games and one playoff match for the senior team in the Swedish Hockey League.
The Swedish junior leagues tend to be considerably higher scoring than the SEL level. Joining the rush successfully from the back end at the SuperElit level is not the same thing as translating it to the professional level in Sweden -- much less the NHL. However, it is worth noting that Högberg was the one of the most productive defensemen in his J20 junior league despite being one of the youngest players in the circuit and not playing for one of the better teams. He averaged almost a point-per-game for the Växjö J18 squad.
The next steps for Högberg are to continue to work on his overall game, add some strength and compete for a regular SHL job. For the Flyers, it's a no-risk pick at this stage of the Draft that could yield something down the line.
6TH ROUND
169th overall –
Tanner Laczynski, Lincoln Stars (USHL, center)
6'1", 190 lbs
Born June 1, 1997, Shorewood, IL
Published Ratings
The Hockey News: 91st
International Scouting Services: Unrated
Craig Button: Unrated
TSN/Bob McKenzie: Unrated
McKeen's: Unrated
Central Scouting: 99th North American skater
The 19-year-old, who will attend and play for Ohio State University this coming fall, is strong with the puck on his stick. He averaged over a point per game in the USHL this season with Lincoln and Chicago. Combined, Laczynski posted 63 points (24 goals, 39 assists) in 52 games, including 23 points (11 goals, 12 assists) in 19 games for the Stars. Has been a good offensive player at every level but there are still a variety of things that need to refined and improved in his total game.
172nd overall-
Anthony Salinitri, Sarnia Sting (OHL, center)
Center – 5'10", 168 lbs
Born March 5, 1998, Windsor, Ontario
Published rating
Central Scouting: 84th North American skater
A favorite of Sarnia head coach Derian Hatcher, Salintri is an undersized player who plays big; excellent wheels and a very competitive player who contributed on the penalty kill. He may see expanded offensive duties next season. Flyers 2015 first-round pick Travis Konecny is a teammate. Salintri posted 17 goals and 30 points in 62 regular season games for Sarnia this season plus two goals in seven playoff games.
7TH ROUND
199th overall -
David Bernhardt, Djurgårdens IF (J20 SuperElit, defenseman)
6'3", 191 lbs
Born Dec 1, 1997, Stockholm, SWE
Published ratings
International Scouting Services: 106th overall
Central Scouting: 39th European skater
An offensive-oriented defenseman, the 6-foot-3 Swede ranked second in points among blueliners in his J20 circuit. Needs refinement in his footwork, defensive play and decision making but the size and tools are there. He has a heavy shot and is a good passer. His brother, Daniel, who was a fourth-round pick of the NY Rangers in 2015.
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