Quick Hits: June 20, 2023
1) The Flyers notified the media yesterday that, tomorrow morning, general manager Danny Briere and assistant general manager Brent Flahr will meet with the media to discuss the 2023 NHL Draft. Unfortunately, I will not be able to attend, as I will simultaneously be in transit from Texas to Philadelphia for a brief offseason work trip. After I review the session audio and read the transcript, I'll post a recap.
Today, the Flyers unveiled their new uniforms for next season.
The new age of Orange & Black.
— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) June 20, 2023
2) Two more NHL Draft prospect profiles are in the can for the series of pre-Draft articles on PhiladelphiaFlyers.com: Gabe Perreault and Tom Willander. They should go live later today or tomorrow. The next three thereafter will look at Colby Barlow, Axel Sandin-Pellikka and a trio of Russian prospects (other than Matvei Michkov, whom Brian Smith just wrote about) whom NHL clubs are figuring out where to place, if anywhere, in their drafting priority lists.
3) Today in Flyers History: June 20, 1972
Back in the days when the NHL was a much smaller league, it was a little easier for teams with stellar scouting departments to produce bumper crops of prospects in their NHL Draft classes. In 1969, the Flyers' transformation from a defensively disciplined but somewhat undersized and non-threatening team began with the Draft day selections of Flin Flon Bombers center Bobby Clarke (17th overall), Estevan Bruins defenseman Willie Brossart (28th overall), Drummondville Rangers goalie Michel Belhumeur (40th overall), Sorel Black Hawks left winger Dave Schultz (52nd overall) and Regina Pats right winger Don Saleski (64th overall).
Three years later, the Flyers had one of the best Draft crops in franchise history. With the seventh overall pick of the first round, they took Kitchener Rangers center (later moved to left wing) Bill Barber. In the second round, Keith Allen selected Edmonton Oil Kings defenseman Tom Bladon with the 23rd overall pick. In round three, the Flyers selected Joe Watson's younger brother, Calgary Centennials defenseman Jimmy Watson, with the 39th overall pick. Round four saw the Flyers select Charlottetown Islanders center/winger Al MacAdam (later traded to the Seals in the Reggie Leach deal, and a future 40-goal scorer for the Minnesota North Stars) with the 55th overall selection.
On this day in 1972 -- June 20, 1972 -- the Flyers held a press conference to announce the signings of Barber, Bladon, Watson and MacAdam.
When you look back at the picks, keep in mind how fast the turnaround between rounds was in that era compared to today. Clarke was a second-round pick in his draft year; today, 17th overall is a mid-first pick. Schultz was a 5th round pick in 1969; In 2021, the 52nd overall pick will be the final pick of the second round. On the flip side, the talent pool nowadays is much deeper than back then, because of the widespread selection of U.S, native players and European players rather than a virtually all-Canadian draft.
2) Today in Flyers History Part 2: June 20, 1992
The 1992 National Hockey League Draft was held 29 years ago today but was overshadowed by major news involving the first overall pick of the previous year's Draft. Drafted by the Quebec Nordiques with the first overall pick of the 1991 NHL Draft, Eric Lindros declined to play for the team. A fierce bidding war ensued, with numerous NHL teams offering massive returns to the Nordiques for the rights to the highly touted teenagers. For the next year, the Nordiques declined all offers, as the prices escalated higher and higher.
Finally, in one of the biggest blockbuster deals in NHL history, the Nordiques verbally agreed to a June 20, 1992 trade with the Flyers that sent Lindros' rights to Philadelphia in exchange for NHL roster center Mike Ricci, goaltender Ron Hextall, defensemen Steve Duchesne and Kerry Huffman, Swedish prospect Peter Forsberg (the Flyers' 1991 first-round pick), $15 million (USD) in cash, the earlier of the Flyers' two first-round picks in the 1992 NHL Draft and the Flyers first-round picks in the 1993 (Jocelyn Thibault) and 1994 drafts (Nolan Baumgartner).
After verbally agreeing and shaking hands with the Flyers on the deal, the Nordiques turned around and decided instead to trade Lindros' rights to the Rangers. Although not revealed publicly, the New York trade offer included forward Alexei Kovalev, goaltender John Vanbiesbrouck and future star forwards Doug Weight and Tony Amonte along with similar cash compensation and draft pick assets.
With the disputed trade held up by the NHL, the Flyers selected Ryan Sittler with the seventh overall pick of the 1992 NHL Draft. On June 30, 1992, following emotionally charged arbitration hearings in Toronto, arbitrator Larry Bertuzzi ruled that the Flyers had made an enforceable trade and the Rangers deal was nullified.