Flyers GM Chuck Fletcher backs up his words with actions at the NHL draft
The Flyers did what they said they would in the draft. Will it pay off?
MONTREAL — With their final pick of the 2022 NHL draft, the Flyers veered from the theme of their selections.
When assistant general manager Brent Flahr went against scout Marty Gendron’s wishes and called out Gendron’s son, Alexis, with the team’s final pick late in the seventh round, the Flyers picked up their first prospect of the day that stands below six feet and weighs under 194 pounds.
Despite his 5-foot-9, 175-pound frame, Alexis has other qualities that fit the “harder to play against” theme of this year’s Flyers draft class with his competitive attitude and scoring touch.
Most of the Flyers’ moves in the past year have addressed management’s aspirations to make the team “harder to play against” as well as the need to get bigger and stronger. They signed Rasmus Ristolainen, the 6-4, 220-pound defenseman who leads the team in hits, to a five-year contract extension. They hired John Tortorella, a coach known for his toughness in the locker room and on the ice. And they went big with their first pick of the draft — and then the four picks that followed.
» READ MORE: NHL draft: Flyers continue to add size, headlined by 6-foot-2 Devin Kaplan and 6-foot-4 Hunter McDonald
Cutter Gauthier, their first-rounder, is a 6-2, 189-pound center. His friend and former United States National Team Development Program teammate Devin Kaplan, drafted in the third round, is a 6-2, 199-pound right winger. Alex Bump, a fifth-rounder, is a 6-foot, 194-pound left winger. If those three were put on a line together last season for the Flyers, they would be the largest line with the exception of when 6--6 Isaac Ratcliffe was called up and played on the fourth-line.
The Flyers then added 6-foot-4, 207-pound defenseman Hunter McDonald and 6-foot-4, 194-pound forward Santeri Sulku. McDonald told reporters he’s a player who likes to use his size to his advantage and play physical. Sulku is still lanky and raw, Flahr said, but the Flyers think he’ll fill out and be able to use his size more.
Flahr acknowledged that getting bigger was certainly a focus for the Flyers, who ranked 13th in the NHL in average height and 28th in average weight. However, a lot was also up to circumstance, who was left on the board. Whether it was luck or not, this year’s draft class is by far the largest in both height and weight that the Flyers have had under general manager Chuck Fletcher.
The Flyers also didn’t set out to draft players heading to college, but they ended up with four of them. Flahr isn’t upset about that result, either.
“I think college hockey for development is excellent,” Flahr said. “It’s a little more time for some of these guys, especially the later round guys. You’re playing against older players, against tougher competition and in a lot of tough environments. They get their practice time and get their weight room time. They get their game time. It’s exciting hockey. It’s intense and it’s a great learning area for these younger players.”
Development is key because no matter how good these players are now, there’s always a gamble that they won’t be able to make the transition to the NHL. And the Flyers chose to take bigger gambles for greatness this year.
Rather than go for the best, more consistent players now, the Flyers went for the players with the chance to become better later. Gauthier did not start out as an elite prospect, but he raised his stock rapidly as the draft drew closer. There were still players with better numbers than Gauthier left at five, but the Flyers see a greater chance for Gauthier to become a game changer.
Kaplan, who had eight goals and 10 assists in 22 games, had an inconsistent season after getting moved around the lineup. But after seeing his strong finish with the NTDP, the Flyers were taken back by Kaplan’s athleticism and believed he has a chance to develop into a good NHL player.
Bump also came onto the scene later. Due to “some turmoil in Omaha,” Bump left the USHL to go back to high school hockey. He only started to gain real attention this past year. In 31 games with Prior Lake High School in Minnesota, Bump dominated with 48 goals and 35 assists and was named Minnesota’s Associated Press player of the year. The Flyers scouts had the chance to see him in person and felt confident enough to bet he could have a quick impact on the organization.
Fletcher also took a gamble by trading away the team’s fourth-round pick, as well as future second-and third-round picks, to the Carolina Hurricanes for Tony DeAngelo. The defenseman has had a questionable career both on and off the ice, but the Flyers are betting that he’s learned some lessons and can help them win now.
The move fit in with Fletcher’s promise that he was going to try to find a way to both win now and build for the future. He addressed the team’s need for a defenseman and someone to run the power play by acquiring DeAngelo in an effort to help the team next year instead of drafting defensemen for the future. McDonald is the only rookie blueliner to join the organization this year.
Fletcher’s moves in Montreal put action behind his words. Now, only time will tell if his risks will reap rewards or if he should have held onto the picks he’d been stockpiling and commit to a full rebuild.