Bill Meltzer: Draft Lottery:Flyers Get 5th Overall Selection

NJD does it again. #1 overall in 2017 and 2019 and now jump ahead of us for #2. No more ping-pong balls for you NJD!

Flyers drop in the draft, Sixers lose a pivotal playoff game by 35, and the Phils are sleepless in Seattle. Big night!

If everything stays as is I think you have to go Savoie. I think Chuck will be trying to move up however. You just know he’s going to want Cooley.

Still, a future line of Savoie and Tippet would be pretty fun to watch.

Flyers drop in the draft, Sixers lose a pivotal playoff game by 35, and the Phils are sleepless in Seattle. Big night!
- PLindbergh31

Throw in a Leafs win. Anybody but Toronto, God I don't want them winning a Cuo or even a round!

Throw in a Leafs win. Anybody but Toronto, God I don't want them winning a Cuo or even a round!
- 3flyerkids

I want them to win the Cup. It's a better League when they are good. TB an expansion team has won 3 Cups. Screw them.

Bill, you can’t possibly think Cutter Gauither or or Snuggerud are even remotely on the Flyers radar at 5. Those would be massive reaches.

I don’t even like Kemell at 5.

Does 6'4 Connor Geekie play flyers "hockey"?

So it was a moderate porking of the ping-pong balls this year, the Flyers moving down but still staying the top 5, but the Devils getting yet another top 2 pick .. DUCK!!

I still hope that if there is a player the Flyers really want, they aggressively trade up to get him, otherwise the Flyer should get a player that could improve their overall top-end talent. Really important the Flyers get this pick right!

Does 6'4 Connor Geekie play flyers "hockey"?
- hello it's me 2050

His biggest question mark is his skating so I would say yes!

His biggest question mark is his skating so I would say yes!
- hereticpride

trade down with Buff for #9 and Florida's pick.

Or will Chuck even have the patience to make this pick? 2/3 players away screams trade for NHL player.....

This is where adding Kapanen to the organization can really help the Flyers if they are targeting a player from Finland for example.

trade down with Buff for #9 and Florida's pick.

Or will Chuck even have the patience to make this pick? 2/3 players away screams trade for NHL player.....
- hello it's me 2050

Even before the lotto he apparently said he’s not trading the pick. We will see.

I don’t like the idea of moving back. I say move up or hope someone gets panicked once Nemec is off the bored and trades with Arizona or Seattle to grab Jiricek, likely meaning Cooley falls to us.

trade down with Buff for #9 and Florida's pick.

Or will Chuck even have the patience to make this pick? 2/3 players away screams trade for NHL player.....
- hello it's me 2050

I can see a scenario where Fletcher trades down a few spots in exchange for an additional 2nd round pick either this year or next year, especially if there is a player they want that they feel they can get a few spots later. This is what Fletcher did when he drafted Cam York so there is precedence.

Bill,

Who is your pick at #5?

Even before the lotto he apparently said he’s not trading the pick. We will see.

I don’t like the idea of moving back. I say move up or hope someone gets panicked once Nemec is off the bored and trades with Arizona or Seattle to grab Jiricek, likely meaning Cooley falls to us.
- hereticpride

stand pat take savoie. Unless the cost is cheap to move up.

Even before the lotto he apparently said he’s not trading the pick. We will see.

I don’t like the idea of moving back. I say move up or hope someone gets panicked once Nemec is off the bored and trades with Arizona or Seattle to grab Jiricek, likely meaning Cooley falls to us.
- hereticpride

From all that I have seen so far, Cooley seems to be the consensus 2nd overall pick. I think its possible that if the Flyer stay at 5 they might have a chance for Nemic or Slafkovsky.

I'm not at all sold on Slafkovsky given the struggles of other recent highly regarded big Finnish wingers, so I'm actually glad the Flyers didn't move up. He should be gone by #5. I'd be happy (given my limited knowledge base) with any of:

Cooley
Nemec
Jiricek
Savoie

I’m not sure this draft year it makes a big deal. I mean there are some kids that have risen and some that have fallen all through out the top 10. Please enough of the consensus BS… this draft doe not have a sure thing. Much like 2017, the top consensus guys come with question marks. As far as picking 5th? … I wish we had the 5th over all pick in 2017, then someone else could of taken the consensus #2 because Bob Mackenzie or Corey Pronman said so. I also don’t think it’s the type of draft you trade up in even if I thought the Flyers were in position to do so….the superstar potential is not really there on the surface for any of the prospects.

Bill, you can’t possibly think Cutter Gauither or or Snuggerud are even remotely on the Flyers radar at 5. Those would be massive reaches.

I don’t even like Kemell at 5.
- hereticpride

I think they will take a D at the No. 5 slot unless someone falls to them. But A) the Flyers extensively scout the USNTDP, B) both Gauthier and Snuggerud are risers in scouting circles after the U18s and C) Central Scouting has Gauthier at no 3 on their final NA rankings (Snuggerud 11th) and Craig Button has them as his 7 & 8 overall. It's not remotely as far fetched as you suggest.

I think they will take a D at the No. 5 slot unless someone falls to them. But A) the Flyers extensively scout the USNTDP, B) both Gauthier and Snuggerud are risers in scouting circles after the U18s and C) Central Scouting has Gauthier at no 3 on their final NA rankings (Snuggerud 11th) and Craig Button has them as his 7 & 8 overall. It's not remotely as far fetched as you suggest.
- bmeltzer

After all the years it is funny they still need Dman. Oh the days of:

Ivan -ghost
Travis - Myers
Hagg - Morin.....Will be One of the best D cores in the league how many said at one point?

I like Isaac Howard. Not at #5 however. Rutger Mcgoarty another guy I like in the 20-30 range.

I'm not at all sold on Slafkovsky given the struggles of other recent highly regarded big Finnish wingers, so I'm actually glad the Flyers didn't move up. He should be gone by #5. I'd be happy (given my limited knowledge base) with any of:

Cooley
Nemec
Jiricek
Savoie
- Quetzalcoatl

Cooley likely won't be there at No. 5. He seems likely to go in the top 3 or 4. Slafkovksky is a Slovak although he plays in Finland.

Savoie is a dynamic offensive talent but is very small and has to improve significantly in his overall game unless his future is as a speedy playmaking winger rather than as a center.

Does 6'4 Connor Geekie play flyers "hockey"?
- hello it's me 2050

From kindergarten to high school he certainly have been called a geek 🤓 😆

I think they will take a D at the No. 5 slot unless someone falls to them. But A) the Flyers extensively scout the USNTDP, B) both Gauthier and Snuggerud are risers in scouting circles after the U18s and C) Central Scouting has Gauthier at no 3 on their final NA rankings (Snuggerud 11th) and Craig Button has them as his 7 & 8 overall. It's not remotely as far fetched as you suggest.
- bmeltzer

Same thing every year... people read the consensus rankings and take it as gospel. When we know all too well that consensus often doesn't hold up in retrospect. Yet people will still get all mad when the Flyers don't take the guy that Bob McKenzie says should have gone at #5.

🙄

The more I study up on all these players who will be available, the more I lean towards Nemec.