Breaking down the Flyers’ picks on Day 2 of the 2024 NHL draft

LAS VEGAS — Day 2 of the NHL draft is always a roll of the dice.

Would the Flyers hit or miss with their draft picks? Entering the day, the Flyers were poised to select once each in the second, third, and seventh rounds. They had two picks in the fifth round and two in the sixth.

In the end, after a few trades, they made six picks on Day 2. The Inquirer breaks down each new member of the Flyers organization.

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With the No. 51 pick in the draft, the Flyers selected the two-way center from Sweden. He spent the majority of the past season playing for Färjestad BK’s under-20 team, totaling 34 points (15 goals, 19 assists) in 41 games. He skated in two playoff games, registering a goal, before joining the club’s under-18 team for one regular-season game. In that game, he scored a pair before adding 17 points (eight goals, nine assists) in nine playoff games.

“I’m a big forward and I can use my size both physically and to protect the puck,” the 6-foot-3, 209-pounder who compares his game to those of Joel Eriksson Ek and Mikko Rantanen. “I’m a smart player on the ice, and always compete, and always trying to help the team.”

The son of former NHLer Christian Berglund, the center played well at the U18 World Championship, like the Flyers’ first-round pick Jett Luchanko. He had two goals and five points in seven games for the bronze medal-winning Swedes and is projected by the Flyers to be a third-line center.

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“When I saw him play this year, the thing that stood out to me the most was just his two-way game. I know that can kind of be almost a little cliché at some points, but the thing about him is he’s so committed to both ends of the ice,” Daily Faceoff’s prospect analyst Steven Ellis told The Inquirer. “Very good on the faceoff dot and very tough to take the puck off of. I saw him up close a lot this year where he would just run through guys — he’s not the biggest guy, but he’s strong and he knows how to use that size and he likes to have the puck on his stick.”

Flyers general manager Danny Brière continued to wheel and deal. He sent the No. 77 pick along with the 2025 third-rounder acquired from the Wild on Friday to the Nashville Predators for the No. 59 pick.

With that move up, the Flyers selected defenseman Spencer Gill from Rimouski of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League. At just 17 — he doesn’t turn 18 until August — he notched 12 goals and 46 points in 65 games this past season, and compares his game to that of New York Islanders blueliner Noah Dobson.

“He’s got a little ways to go physically, but he’s another player that’s moved up our charts quickly,” Flyers assistant general manager Brent Flahr said. “Really moves the puck, retrieves pucks well, can skate, defends showed some offensive to his game and he’s going to have a huge role and in a really good environment there in Rimouski the next couple of years.”

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Gill was a No. 7 defenseman at U18s for Canada’s gold-medal squad. He had two assists in seven games and was a teammate of Luchanko’s. Known to be tough to play against, he’s not a big points guy, but he’s known to create offense and was the first player taken from the QMJHL at this draft.

The Flyers entered the day without a fourth-round pick, but swapped No. 150 (fifth round), acquired in the trade that sent Zack MacEwen to the Los Angeles Kings, and No. 177 (sixth round), to the Calgary Flames for the 107th overall pick. The 177th pick was acquired in the deal that sent Kevin Hayes to the St. Louis Blues; Hayes was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday.

With the pick, the Flyers selected Ruohonen, another two-way center. Wearing an “A” for Kiekko-Espoo’s junior team, he had 47 points (20 goals, 27 assists) in 37 games before adding another five points in five games at the U18 World Championship for Finland.

Labeled a “big, strong center” by Flahr, the Helsinki native will be playing for Dubuque of the United States Hockey League next season. The following year he will skate for Harvard under the tutelage of former NHLer Ted Donato.

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“He can shoot the puck but he’s a bull. He’s really strong, you’ll see this week — he’s coming over [for development camp] despite short notice, which is nice. But he’s another player that has a two-way game,” Flahr added.

The Flyers acquired this pick when they took on some of Noah Hanifin’s salary in a three-way swap that included the Flames at the trade deadline. They selected Powell, an overager at 19 who was passed over in last year’s draft.

Powell, who will attend Ohio State in the fall, had just eight goals and 19 points in 53 regular-season games with Dubuque two seasons ago. But this past season, he exploded for 43 goals and 74 points in 61 games — leading the league in goals.

“He’s obviously dedicated himself,” Flahr said. “His game took a huge step. I think skating is one area that improved but conditioning-wise and everything, his game just went to another level. He brings an element of toughness. He can really shoot the puck and, obviously, score goals, but he has a presence physically in every game he played. I went there not to watch him initially, and he’s just one of those players who forces you to watch, and there’s a real presence in him.”

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At 18, Pautov was a point-per-game player for Krasnaya Armiya Moskva in the MHL, Russia’s junior league, and is expected to skate there next season. Listed at 5-11 and 168 pounds, he is a left shot with creativity who central scouting listed as the 73rd-best international skater.

“That’s [amateur scout Ken Hoodikoff’s] guy, he’s banging his table,” Flahr said of the Flyers scout based in Russia. “He’s undersized, obviously, but he’s got dynamic skill, and a smart player.”

He might have been picked in the last round, but the Vegas native was more than stoked to be picked by the Flyers. Moline had a bunch of friends and family in attendance and the group let out a big roar when his name was announced.

Moline played in the legendary Shattuck St. Mary’s program, compiling eight goals and 35 points in 57 regular-season games. He is scheduled to play for the Alberta-based Brooks Bandits in the British Columbia Hockey League next season. The league is the second tier for Canadian juniors. The 6-4, 194-pound defenseman who likens his game to Golden Knights defenseman Alex Pietrangelo has committed to Northern Michigan University.

“He’s a very raw kid but he’s got good hockey sense and got an edge,” Flahr said. “His whole game took steps. So he’s a kid, obviously, it’s a flier late but it’s a guy that [senior adviser] Bob Murray spent time on. Shattuck was a highly seen team this year because of the number of players they had. And he was a guy that you always kind of kept alive and he’s a guy you’d like to take a chance on late and let him develop.”