NHL draft: Two-way center Dalibor Dvorský could be worth the wait for the Flyers

After dealing with injuries to Sean Couturier and Kevin Hayes over the last two seasons, the Flyers know firsthand that you can never have too many centers on the roster or in the pipeline.

The Flyers added a piece down the middle through the draft last year, selecting Cutter Gauthier at No. 5 overall. (The organization confirmed last week that it still views Gauthier as a center even though he thrived on the wing for Team USA at the recently completed World Championships.) But could the Flyers stand to add another center at the top end of the draft this year, and could Slovak Dalibor Dvorský be in consideration?

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Dvorský, who turns 18 on June 15, is the third-ranked European skater by NHL Central Scouting. At 6-foot-1, 201 pounds, he competed against men this season in the Allsvenskan, Sweden’s second-tier professional league. Dvorský boasts a strong defensive game for an offensive-minded center and has shown to be a gifted goal scorer.

The Inquirer consulted with FloHockey NHL draft and prospects analyst Chris Peters to get his evaluation of Dvorský in the third installment of a six-part series discussing some of the prospects who may be in play for the Flyers at No. 7 overall on June 28.

Peters said that Dvorský had a “pretty good” season in the Allsvenskan, but it wasn’t “earth-shattering,” especially compared to current NHL players who competed in the same league in their draft years. He posted six goals and eight assists in 38 games (0.37 points per game, which ranked 10th among those NHL players in their draft years in the Allsvenskan).

But on the international stage, namely at the U18 World Championship in April, Dvorský has shown an ability to take over games. He was Slovakia’s leading scorer, racking up eight goals and five assists in seven games to earn all-tournament honors. Dvorský notably scored four goals and added an assist in a 6-4 win over Germany at the tournament.

“I’m very, very impressed with the way that he played there, because that’s what we needed to see from him,” Peters said. “That’s what I think we’ve been missing for a lot of this season was like, ‘Hey, where’s the kid that just absolutely dominated in his age group?’ And we saw it at that tournament against the best teams, too.”

Dvorský was especially dominant at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup last season. He went toe-to-toe in goal scoring with top prospect Matvei Michkov, ultimately finishing tied with Michkov with eight goals. Dvorský's 12 points helped Slovkia capture the silver medal.

Despite the public debate surrounding whether Dvorský projects as a center or wing at the NHL level, Peters views him as a center. He can drive play, score in different ways, and is dedicated at both ends of the ice

“He’s kind of proven, especially internationally, that he can be your go-to guy,” Peters said. “He can be the guy that you can depend on. Can he do that at the NHL level?”

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While Dvorský has shown dominance in flashes, Peters said that he hasn’t seen the consistency that is typically associated with a top-end pick. Peters found that Dvorský was hot and cold as an underage player at the World Juniors, collecting a goal and two assists in five games.

According to Peters, Dvorský's skating was the root cause of what held him back offensively in the Allsvenskan this season, but he acknowledged that Dvorský is still good on his edges and strong on his feet.

“There’s a lot there that I think you can work with,” Peters said. “We’ll see what happens with some formalized training with some better lower body strength. Does he add any burst, any additional speed? It’s hard to do that. But I think that he’s still a kid that’s developing. We don’t see a finished product there.”

Peters asserts that Dvorský has the ceiling of a No. 2 center at the NHL level who could provide secondary scoring. The Flyers are in flux up the middle, with Couturier attempting to return to action following two seasons sidelined due to a back injury, and with Morgan Frost and Noah Cates continuing to develop.

In due time, Dvorský could provide another option for the rebuilding Flyers at center, but Peters estimates that it could take at least a couple of years for him to reach the NHL.

“I think you’re probably looking at maybe keeping him in Europe for another year, bringing him to the American Hockey League at some point,” Peters said. “And then kind of working with him to adapt to the North American pro-style game. But I think patience will be very important. But if he hits on his projection, then you’ve got a goal scorer in the middle of your lineup, which is really good to have.”

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