QUICK HITS: MAY 31, 2018
1) The 2018 NHL Draft pool is filled with potential 1st round/ 2nd round candidates from the US National Development Team program, including forwards Oliver Wahlstrom and Joel Farabee as well as defensemen Bode Wilde, K'Andre Miller and Mattias Samuelsson. The Flyers would likely have to trade up in the first round to be in position to draft Wahlstrom but the others could be in the mix for the 14th or 19th overall pick.
I discussed Mattias, who is the son of Flyers alum defenseman and current development coach Kjell Samuelsson, earlier this week. In upcoming blogs in the weeks leading up to the NHL Draft, I will discuss each of the others. Today, let's look at Miller.
A converted winger who has only played on the blueline for a couple years, K'Andre Miller is still learning the nuances of being a defenseman. There are leaps of faith to be taken by the team that drafts him in the first round but the University of Wisconsin recruit has huge two-way upside and is said to have the emotional maturity and drive to continue to refine what are some of the best raw tools in the draft class. Although his current game is not nearly as developed as Seth Jones' was in his draft year -- which is no slight of Miller, because Jones was and is a rare young talent -- the physical profile is similar.
The USA Hockey official site now lists Miller at 6-foot-5, 207 pounds (he is listed an inch shorter and a few pounds lighter elsewhere). He is a very good skater for a big-framed defenseman and you can see his background as a forward when he handles the puck. His defensive game -- reads without the puck, positional awareness, etc. -- is improving at a rapid clip. Offensively, he is adept at jumping into the play, and there is potential to further grow that side of his game even if he's no Seth Jones in that department.
In terms of the likelihood of the player becoming an NHL starter, Miller is a reasonably safe pick for the long haul although he's not a candidate for an immediate jump to the top level. The leap of faith is in terms of how close to ceiling an organization believes he can realistically rise in the next three to five years. If his drafting organization hits a home run with him, he's got first-pair upside. The more likely projections for the lefthanded shooting blueliner are closer to a second-pairing type or at least a top six as he continues to develop and polish his game.
2) Later today on the Flyers' official website, there will be the first article in a three-part series looking at the 2018 NHL Draft Combine from a Flyers perspective. Part one looks at the opportunities inherent in the Flyers holding three picks within the top 50 of the Draft -- picks 14, 19 and 50 -- and how the organization will go about assessing a large pool of potential draft candidates at the Combine.
3) Today in Flyers History -- May 31, 1987: The Flyers took a 1-0 lead in the first period of Game 7 of the 1987 Stanley Cup Final but run out of steam against the dynastic Edmonton Oilers. Conn Smythe Trophy winning rookie goaltender Ron Hextall kept the game close until near the end but the Oilers prevailed, 3-1.
4) Flyers Hall of Fame center Rick MacLeish passed away two years ago today. Below is a video of MacLeish, late in life, talking about his career and his love of horses.