Assistant GM Brent Flahr plotting the Flyers’ course for the draft, which is ‘not the deepest’
In Part 2 of our conversation with Flahr, he reveals the inner workings of the NHL’s draft and which players the Flyers could be targeting.
The 2024 NHL draft is approaching and the Flyers’ amateur scouting department is beginning to key in on the next generation of talent.
Where the Flyers will draft come June in Las Vegas is still to be determined as playoff races and positioning are decided. But assistant general manager Brent Flahr is enjoying the here and now with the current crop of rising stars like Owen Tippett, Cam York, and Tyson Foerster while preparing to pick the next group of future Flyers.
In Part 1 of our chat, we asked Flahr about some of the team’s top young players and prospects. In Part 2, the man responsible for amateur scouting reveals the inner workings of the NHL’s draft and which players the Flyers could be targeting.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
Q: Is there anyone in the AHL who’s caught your eye ahead of next year?
A: I think we’ve had some guys that we had expectations for. A guy like Samu Tuomaala, we thought would come in and potentially struggle just because it’s a big jump for him, his first time over, and he had a terrific first half. He had a good camp, first of all, in the rookie camp, and then the main camp he opened eyes. He got a couple of [exhibition] games, which he wasn’t slotted for, but he earned that and then he just kind of hit the ground running. He’s hit a bit of a wall here, which is expected, with a lot of games, a lot of three games in three nights. It’s a grind. But he’s been a real pleasant surprise for the coaching staff down there.
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Q: But the Flyers are in a rebuild, which Danny Brière and Keith Jones have been very vocal about, and there haven’t been many call-ups.
A: Part of that is simply due to injury. We’ve finally had some injuries on the back end and Adam Ginning’s getting a chance. Ronnie Attard is obviously up right now, but for most of the season, we were healthy. We were playing well and we don’t just call up players to call them up. It’s when needed. And, obviously, they’re playing lots down there. Last year was a little different, we were out of the playoffs, and we’re giving people games — and sometimes guys are getting games that didn’t necessarily deserve games, but just more of an experience, and for the coaches to get familiar with these guys. So we’re right in the thick of things, it’s a battle every night, and this isn’t the time of year to just call guys up just for the sake of calling guys up.
Q: Is there anyone in the farm system, outside of the AHL, who has surprised you this year?
A: There’s been a couple, I think. One guy, Alex Bump, people don’t talk about a lot. He’s had a really strong second half. They do a really good job there at Western Michigan as far as developing young guys. Probably since December, he’s been moved up to the top line, power play, and he’s been scoring at a pretty good pace. So a prospect that we’re very high on and he is in a really good spot with a really good coaching staff that has helped his game.
(Editor’s note: Western Michigan was eliminated by Michigan State, 5-4 in overtime, in the NCAA Tournament on Saturday.)
Q: Massimo Rizzo, who was acquired in a trade and was a seventh-round pick, also started off having a great year of college hockey.
A: He’s been battling a high ankle sprain, unfortunately, in the second half, so in the games he’s played he hasn’t been nearly as effective. He’s out right now and I don’t know the time frame. But, yeah, he’s a skilled kid. He was a top young player coming into junior hockey and it took him a little while to get his game going. But he’s certainly, since his time at Denver, he’s taken off offensively and certainly has good offensive tools.
(Editor’s note: Denver will play in the Frozen Four on April 11 against Boston University.)
Q: Is it fair to say fans shouldn’t look at where a player was drafted and make an assumption about their future?
A: We tell the kids right away, like once just development camp starts, where you’re drafted doesn’t matter. It’s all what you do from here. Obviously, high first-round picks probably get more opportunities sometimes than others because they’re higher profile or whatever. But once you get to camp, once you get back to your junior team and your development, it’s all up to you. Some kids are high picks and flounder, and other kids are later-round picks and they work hard, and they dramatically improve and that’s all that matters. We’re drafting young, young kids, they are 17, 18 years old. They have a long road ahead of them to get to the NHL in most cases.
Q: And people forget it is a long road, that even a kid drafted in the first round shouldn’t always jump to the NHL immediately.
A: Yeah, that’s the challenge of my job as we’re evaluating players at 17 years old. Just think back to when you were 17 or when I was 17, not only does your physical maturity have a long way to go, but in a lot of cases, the mental maturity has a long way to go, too. They’re just kids. They’re just figuring life out, let alone hockey. So some kids mature quicker and we work hard trying to dig up not only their ability on the ice but the type of kids they are, their desire to play in the NHL and to really work hard to get there. Some kids are really talented and just will be good juniors, and some are willing to put in the work to get to the next level, and that’s the challenge for our job.
Q: So how do you look at the 2024 draft?
A: Obviously, the top end of it, the top couple guys are highly talented and good players. It’s not the deepest draft this year; it’s fairly well-documented. But we’re confident. Obviously, we have a couple of high picks. We should get quality players there. And then, throughout the draft, we work hard to arrange our list to make sure we’re getting guys or at least assets later in the draft and to give them a chance down the road.
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Q: What does that mean exactly, when everyone says it’s not a deep draft?
A: Some years you have highly rated guys or whatever guys you’ve rated top-six forwards or top-four defensemen. And sometimes it goes through a second round. This year, it drops off so guys who you are projecting in the second round have more holes in their game. Some kids may reach their potential and exceed expectations, but a lot of kids, whether it’s size, whether it’s skating, there are some deficiencies in their games that you can’t just put a stamp on saying that these guys are for sure going to play. So there’s a little more risk to some of the picks this year, but we will weed through it. A lot of these kids will still play and have good careers, but I would say not as many polished players this year.
Q: Last year when you spoke with The Inquirer ahead of the draft, you mentioned the team was looking for players who are big, skilled, fast, and hardworking guys who play a heavy game that a lot of teams play in the postseason. Is that the mindset going into this year’s draft again?
A: Obviously, if a player is exceptional, like Matvei Michkov’s not the biggest guy, but he’s an exceptional talent. So there are things you overlook. Obviously, if you draft all small players you become a small team eventually, so I do think size is important. But at the same time, it’s competitiveness and skill, and this year probably is one of those years where you just make sure you take the best player in every round and guys give you a chance. But our guys, they’ve been instructed that competitiveness is a key thing. Obviously, hockey sense and skill; we want all those things, but compete is a hard thing to be coached up. It’s one thing John Tortorella always asks, he wants competitive guys, as you know. It’s just a hard thing to coach every day, for guys to compete, work hard. It’s just something that needs to be kind of ingrained in them. That’s just a must.
Q: Does John Tortorella have any influence on the draft?
A: No, he doesn’t want any part of it. Some of the things, just some discussions, what he likes in players and whatnot. But no, he wants no part of it. He doesn’t even like going to the draft.
Q: Do the Flyers say, well, we need a defenseman here and a center here or is it just the best player available?
A: We put players kind of in layers. That’s kind of the way we build our list. So guys that are a certain level of players count whether it’s a top-line forward, top-line defenseman, No. 1 goalie. Then you kind of build on the way down. So we have different layers. Obviously, you want all being equal, if there’s a position of need that will target, but again, this is probably a draft year where you’re just going to take the best player.
Q: It sounds like this year will be the last centralized draft, but what is it like on the floor as action is going on?
A: Yeah, no, it’s exciting. That’s one thing that I worry about is just, when you’re on the draft floor you’ve got everybody. Before the draft even starts, you’re talking to guys. Teams are like, we’re looking to move back, we’re looking to trade up, whatever. You have all those conversations ongoing and it’s when you’re in the boardroom or whatever, it’s just harder. You can make all these calls, but it’s sometimes everything happens really quickly and you’ve got to react.
Q: How do you feel about where the Flyers system is now?
A: Well, I think we’re certainly in a decent spot. We’ve got a lot of work to do. We’re well aware that we got to increase the talent level and target high end, high-end talent. We’ve got a lot of guys that are good players, solid players, but try to upgrade the high-end talent of our organization is key and that’s what we’re trying to do.