Bill Meltzer: Quick Hits: Scouts Week, Draft, LeClair

So another year of Jones as a backup?

What a joy it was to be a Flyers fan back in the John LeClair days. No they didn’t win a Stanley Cup but they entertained the fans with some great hockey. I miss those days.

Bill Meltzer: Quick Hits: Scouts Week, Draft, LeClair
- bmeltzer

Bill do you see the FLyers having 2 1st picks come Friday? Yes or no

Bill do you see the FLyers having 2 1st picks come Friday? Yes or no
- hello it's me 2050

No

No
- bmeltzer

boo....be even funnier they end up with no pick

Bill Meltzer: Quick Hits: Scouts Week, Draft, LeClair
- bmeltzer

Hard for me to choose between Lindros and LeClair for top spot as my number 1 favorite player. Eric Lindros is Eric Lindros. John LeClair channels a style of play I’ve always enjoyed watching, which is why I might favor Wayne Simmonds, Scott Hartnell, JvR and Brayden Schenn when Schenn played wing. Strong along the wall. Going to the dirty areas. Tough to move. I love these types but of course the following I mentioned never lived up to John LeClair. He also seems like a real character guy away from the ice and in interviews. Live Bundy stories about LeClair.

Can't wait to see what Arizona does.

They have picks at 3, 27, 32, 34, 36, 43 and 45.

It is easy to forget how lethal a slap shot LeClair had coming down the wing. Routinely beat goalies. It was a pleasure to watch him play hockey.

What a joy it was to be a Flyers fan back in the John LeClair days. No they didn’t win a Stanley Cup but they entertained the fans with some great hockey. I miss those days.
- Dave21Brown

Anyone remember when Lindros held out. Didn’t LeClair hurt his back that same season? Pretty amazing that we stayed good but if I remember right, I think we were a one line team of Primeau, Recchi and Gagne. With Lindros wanting out though, something about LeClair sticking around was the reason I stayed hopeful about this team when LeClair returned healthy.

Can't wait to see what Arizona does.

They have picks at 3, 27, 32, 34, 36, 43 and 45.
- Feanor

Will most likely be a Bruins situation when they whiffed on 12-15 or whatever it was and missed out on a ton of good players

Bill,

play GM, what would you do over the next 36 months

Bill with an interesting theory. I potential gap between Nemec and Jiricek on the draft board.

It’s believed that Philadelphia is in the mix, with the No. 5 pick in the draft the centerpiece of any potential package. The Flyers — who are always in win-now mode — also have Florida’s 2024 first-round pick (top-10 protected; it would become a 2025 first-rounder if it falls in the top 10 in 2024) from the Claude Giroux trade. Would those two picks, plus a good-but-not-great prospect be enough? Davidson is hoping that as draft day approaches, the pressure will ratchet up and he can get more for DeBrincat, a bona fide star who is among the league’s best goal scorers and has become a very good two-way player who even kills penalties. But if no one else steps up to the plate with a better offer, the Flyers are a very real possibility.

I do think Philly and Chicago are engaged on Alex DeBrincat. Definitely. What I'd heard was that things being talked about there included the 5th overall pick, the one the Flyers have in Thursday's draft.

Elliotte Friedman

^Friedman this morning said Flyers have talked to Blackhawks for a potential trade that does not include #5OA.

Can't wait to see what Arizona does.

They have picks at 3, 27, 32, 34, 36, 43 and 45.
- Feanor

Neither can their 17 fans!

It’s believed that Philadelphia is in the mix, with the No. 5 pick in the draft the centerpiece of any potential package. The Flyers — who are always in win-now mode — also have Florida’s 2024 first-round pick (top-10 protected; it would become a 2025 first-rounder if it falls in the top 10 in 2024) from the Claude Giroux trade. Would those two picks, plus a good-but-not-great prospect be enough? Davidson is hoping that as draft day approaches, the pressure will ratchet up and he can get more for DeBrincat, a bona fide star who is among the league’s best goal scorers and has become a very good two-way player who even kills penalties. But if no one else steps up to the plate with a better offer, the Flyers are a very real possibility.

I do think Philly and Chicago are engaged on Alex DeBrincat. Definitely. What I'd heard was that things being talked about there included the 5th overall pick, the one the Flyers have in Thursday's draft.



Elliotte Friedman
- SuperSchennBros

Add DeBrincat and lose no real roster players? While that improves the on ice team, I don't see how they pay him, doesn't he have to be qualified over 9? He is a really good player, he is young but time will tell how he plays away from Kane. I don't see how they give him that kind of money and build a team. They are not 1 player away, he is a younger mans JG?

^Friedman this morning said Flyers have talked to Blackhawks for a potential trade that does not include #5OA.
- arichardson22

I’m good with any player going not named Provorov or Hart. Just don’t trade the 5th overall pick.

The Flyers top picks in franchise history were all "off the board" selections:

- Clarke w/ his Type 1 Diabetes, nobody thought he could even have a career,
- Foppa was considered a huge reach at #6 at the time,
- G was less of a reach, but also not ranked highly pre-draft.

And the best guy that Fletcher/Flahr ever picked was a an extremely undersized 5th-round pick out of small town in Russia that they knew they would struggle to get signed.

Moral: being "NHL-ready", toolsy and topping the rankings are cool on draft day, but they often don't have as much to do with who's actually gonna to be the best player years down the road.

I’m good with any player going not named Provorov or Hart. Just don’t trade the 5th overall pick.
- SuperSchennBros

Apparently Flyers said #5 is “off the table”. Which I’m happy about.

Apparently Flyers said #5 is “off the table”. Which I’m happy about.
- arichardson22

That’s what Friedman reported this morning.

This draft could be weird. I know Wright has been the consensus number one and I still think he goes to Montreal but after that I have seen so many different orders for players.

I would not be surprised to see Gauthier sneak into the top 4. I saw one order that had Nemec and Jiricek going 3 and 4 and Cooley dropping to 5.

I wonder with it being a weaker draft do we see more picks moved this year and trying to get 2023 picks.

This draft could be weird. I know Wright has been the consensus number one and I still think he goes to Montreal but after that I have seen so many different orders for players.

I would not be surprised to see Gauthier sneak into the top 4. I saw one order that had Nemec and Jiricek going 3 and 4 and Cooley dropping to 5.

I wonder with it being a weaker draft do we see more picks moved this year and trying to get 2023 picks.
- J35Bacher

Great spot to be at 5 it seems, other teams essentially making the decision for us. If one of the kids outside the “consensus” top 5 goes before we do, even better.

Bill, in what ballpark do you see Ivan Miroshnichenko going? Seems to have top 10 talent and is supposedly on his way to recovery from his illness - if you can believe anything out of Russia these days.

The Flyers top picks in franchise history were all "off the board" selections:

- Clarke w/ his Type 1 Diabetes, nobody thought he could even have a career,
- Foppa was considered a huge reach at #6 at the time,
- G was less of a reach, but also not ranked highly pre-draft.

And the best guy that Fletcher/Flahr ever picked was a an extremely undersized 5th-round pick out of small town in Russia that they knew they would struggle to get signed.

Moral: being "NHL-ready", toolsy and topping the rankings are cool on draft day, but they often don't have as much to do with who's actually gonna to be the best player years down the road.
- Tomahawk

Rick Tocchet was a 6th round pick, one of the best Flyers players ever. 400+ career goals and tough as nails. Even Brian Propp at 14th overall was a great pick.