After Newark, New Jersey we’ve arrived to our own home rink and we would host a decent draft. The 1st overall pick, Aaron Ekblad, was a decent pick, but nothing compared to the previous and next 1st overall picks, Nathan MacKinnon and Connor McDavid respectively. Sam Reinhart would go 2nd to Buffalo and Leon Draisaitl would tie for highest German drafted when taken 3rd by the Oilers. But this is the actually the redraft that got me thinking about looking back at the Flyers’ drafts. We had an ok draft, but could’ve had a great host draft. This is also the first of Hextall’s 5 drafts.
First Pick: Round 1 Pick 17 (17)
Original Pick: Travis Sanheim (D)
New Pick: David Pastrňák (RW) (25)
Travis Sanheim was an ok pick. He’s made his somewhat short career as a top 4 D. In 255 NHL games with the Flyers, he has 22 goals and 63 assists for 85 points. He has been a pretty polarizing part of the Flyers. He is a part of the 4 that were supposed to be the future of the Flyers’ blue line along with Robert Hägg, Shayne Gostisbehere, and Samuel Morin. Pasta was a major oversight. He has turned into one of the top players in the league. In 438 NHL games with the Bruins, he has 200 goals and 227 assists for 427 points. He went to the 2019 and 2020 All Star Games, and won the Accuracy in 2019 and was the All Star MVP in 2020. He was the co-winner of the Rocket Richard in 2020 with Ovechkin. He was on the 2020 NHL First All Star Team. He got votes for the Byng in 2018 and 2019. He was 4th in Hart voting in 2020.
Others in contention: Nick Schmaltz (20), Robby Fabbri (21), Kasperi Kapanen. (22), Adrain Kempe (29), Thatcher Demko (36), Alex Nedeljkovic (37), Vitek Vanecek (39)
Second Pick: Round 2 Pick 18 (48)
Original Pick: Nic Aubé-Kubel (RW)
New Pick: Brayden Point (C) (79)
NAK was a decent choice. He’s been a good 4th liner for us. In 95 games with the Flyers, he has 10 goals and 17 assists for 27 points. Brayden Point has also emerged as one. of the best in the league today. In 351 games with the Lightning, he has 139 goals and 171 assists for 310 points. He has been crucial in Tampa Bay’s 2020 Cup run, even scoring the Cup winning goal, and has been amazing in their 2021 playoff run being up in the Stanley Cup Finals over Montréal. He went to the 2018 NHL All Star Game. He was 10th in Calder voting in 2017. He has gotten Selke and Byng votes from 2018-2020. He also. was 21st in Hart voting in 2019.
Others in contention: Brandon Montour (55), Warren Foegele (67), Elvis Merzlikins (76), Ilya Sorokin (78)
Third Pick: Round 3 Pick 26 (86)
Original Pick: Mark Friedman (D)
New Pick: Igor Shesterkin (G) (118)
This pick was acquired in a March 5, 2014 trade that sent Andrej Mezaros to Boston for this pick. The pick was conditional and the condition was that if Mezaros signed with Boston before 2014 draft it would be a 3rd, otherwise it’d be a 4th.
Mark Friedman was a relatively forgotten prospect. He was always behind Ghost, Sanheim, Morin, and Hägg. Didn’t really do much for the Flyers, and his most notable moments came against the Flyers when Hextall picked him up off waivers. In 16 games with the Flyers and Penguins, he has 2 goals and 2 assists. Igor Shesterkin is part of the young goalie squad happening in the Metro division. Along with his fellow I.S. initialed Russian goalies, Ilya Sorokin and Ilya Samsonov, Carter Hart, Alex Nedeljkovic, Elvis Merzlikins, and MacKenzie Blackwood. In 47 games with the Rangers, he has a 26-16-3 record with. a 2.59 GAA, a .921 sv%, and 2 shutouts.
Others in contention: Nathan Walker (89), Ville Husso (94), Devon Toews (108), Kaapo Kahkonen (109), Viktor Arvidsson (112)
Fourth Pick: Round 5 Pick 18 (138)
Original Pick: Oskar Lindblom (LW)
New Pick: Oskar Lindblom
Oskar Lindblom is really Hextall’s first good pick and might be his best pick. Oskar not only brings a lot to the team in terms of offense, but is also the fighter and someone who can motivate his teammates, sometimes, with his courageous fight against cancer. In 184 games with the Flyers, he has 38 goals and 33 assists for 71 points. Oskar won this past Masterton for his perseverance. Oskar has become a symbol of hope, and is one of the few players that exemplifies what it means to be a Flyer: not backing down to any challenge.
Others in contention: none
Fifth Pick: Round 6 Pick 18 (168)
Original Pick: Ravel Fazleev (C)
New Pick: Kevin Labanc (RW) (171)
Fazleev had only gotten up to the AHL level in North America, but returned to Russia in 2018. There he still has trouble staying in the KHL. Victor Olofsson is one of the few bright sports on a dreadful Buffalo Sabres team. In 116 games with the Sabres, he has 35 goals and 43 assists for 78 points. He was on the 2020 All Rookie Team and finished 7th in Calder voting and 29th in Byng voting.
Others in contention: Kevin Labanc (171), Sammy Blais (176), Dylan Sikura (178), Victor Olofsson (181),
Sixth Pick: Round 7 Pick 18 (198)
Original Pick: Jesper Pettersson (D)
New Pick: Ondřej Kaše (RW) (205)
Pettersson spenthis time in North America playing for the Phantoms and Royals before returning back to Sweden. Kaše has been a suitable bottom 6 guy. In 207 games with the Ducks and Bruins, he has 43 goals and 54 assists for 97 points.
Others in contention: Jake Evans (207)
Draft Picks Traded Away
3rd (78-Ilya Sorokin)+2015 2nd+Matt Mangene to NYI for Andrew MacDonald
4th (108-Devon Toews)+Shane Harper to NYI for Mark Streit
Flyers Real 2014 Draft
Travis Sanheim
Nicolas Aubé-Kubel
Mark Friedman
Oskar Lindblom
Ravel Fazleyev
Jesper Pettersson
Flyers New 2014 Draft
David Pastrňák
Brayden Point
Viktor Arvidsson
Oskar Lindblom
Kevin Labanc
Ondřej Kaše
By Noah Caplan (@Phlyers24 and @NoahlyPod)
Photo creds: Wikipedia
brotherlypuck.com 