From Chicago, Illinois to Dallas, Texas, we see a draft highlighted by Swedish defenseman Rasmus Dahlin, who would go first to Buffalo, followed by Andrei Svechnikov going to Carolina and Jesperi Kotkaniemi to Montreal. This would be Ron Hextall’s last draft for the Flyers.
First Pick: Round 1 Pick 14 (14)
Original Pick: Joel Farabee (LW)
New Pick: Joel Farabee
This pick was acquired in a June 23, 2017, Draft Day trade that sent Brayden Schenn to the Blues for their 2017 1st (27-Morgan Frost), Jori Lehterä, and this pick.
Joel Farabee started off with a promising career in his first couple of seasons but has taken a step back, albeit with injury problems surrounding his neck and getting a similar procedure as Jack Eichel did. Farabee is looking to get back to where he was before his neck surgery and be the reliable top 6 left-winger we’ve seen him be. In 252 games with the Flyers, Farabee has 60 goals and 72 assists for 132 points. Farabee is seen as a core player on the team as long as he can get back to his play from the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons.
Others in contention: Grigori Denisenko (15), Ty Smith (17), Liam Foudy (18)
Second Pick: Round 1 Pick 19 (19)
Original Pick: Jay O’Brien (C)
New Pick: K’Andre Miller (D) (22)
A pick that was head-scratching at the time has not gotten any better five years later. In his draft+1 year, he played for Providence College tallying only five points, two goals and three assists, in 25 games. He also played in the World Juniors that year with Joel Farabee for the Americans but was pointless in seven games. He then played for Penticton Vees in the BCHL where he put up 25 goals and 41 assists for 66 points in 46 games. The BCHL is in Junior “A”, which is a step below the major junior leagues of the CHL. O’Brien went back to the NCAA in his draft+3 year and just finished his NCAA career in his draft+5 year. He would finish his second stint in the NCAA with Boston University where he would put up 70 points, 26 goals and 44 assists, in 79 games. That is decent production in the NCAA, but he and the Flyers decided not to have him sign with the Flyers so he will become a free agent.
K’Andre Miller is quite on a different trend. Miller also went to college, the University of Wisconsin, where he put up 12 goals and 28 assists for 40 points in 62 games. He would make his debut for the Rangers during the 2020-21 season and has been a mainstay on their defense since then. In 214 games, he has 21 goals and 54 assists for 75 points, but he is more known for his defense than his offensive production. He made the NHL All-Rookie Team for the 2020-21 season and finished 12th in Calder voting.
Others in contention: Rasmus Kupari (20), Isaac Lundestrom (23), Nils Lundkvist (28), Rasmus Sandin (29), Joe Veleno (30), Alex Alexeyev (31), Alexander Romanov (38), Scott Perunovich (45)
Third Pick: Round 2 Pick 19 (50)
Original Pick: Adam Ginning (D)
New Pick: Sean Durzi (D) (52)
Adam Ginning is a left-handed defenseman who has played in one NHL game, on April 11, 2023, where he had 2 hits, 2 blocks, and 2 penalty minutes. Ginning played most of his career in Sweden, including the SHL before coming over to North America this year and getting into 68 AHL games where he got 3 goals and 16 assists for 19 points, in addition to that one NHL game.
This new pick was really a two-horse race between Calen Addison and Sean Durzi, but Durzi’s NHL numbers are better than Addison’s. In 136 NHL games with the Kings, Durzi has 12 goals and 53 assists for 65 points.
Others in contention: Akil Thomas (51), Calen Addison (53), Filip Hallander (58), Tyler Madden (68),
Fourth Pick: Round 4 Pick 19 (112)
Original Pick: Jack St. Ivany (D)
New Pick: Philipp Kurashev (C) (120)
St. Ivany started his college career at Yale where he played 62 games over two years tallying 7 goals and 23 assists for 30 points before transferring to Boston College where he played in 53 games tallying 5 goals and 25 assists for 30 points before turning pro. But he didn’t sign with the Flyers, he would become a free agent and sign with the Pittsburgh Penguins during the summer of 2022 and played in 65 games this past season with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins where he had 8 assists.
Just eight picks later, the Blackhawks picked Philipp Kurashev. Kurashev isn’t a star by any means but is a solid depth forward. The 23-year-old has already played in 191 games for Chicago and has 23 goals and 39 assists for 62 points. Last year, Kurashev had a career year on an abysmal Blackhawks team when he got a career-high in goals with 9 and assists with 16 to get 25 points.
Others in contention: Ivan Prosvetov (114),
Fifth Pick: Round 5 Pick 3 (127)
Original Pick: Wyatte Wylie (D)
New Pick: Yegor Sharangovich (C) (141)
This pick was acquired in a June 16, 2017 trade that sent Nick Cousins and Merrick Madsen to the Coyotes for Brendan Warren and this pick.
Wyatte Wylie has yet to play an NHL game but has an AHL career of 131 games with 9 goals and 26 assists for 35 points. With the numbers he’s had, the Flyers decided not to extend him a qualifying offer this offseason and his future with the Flyers seems to be done.
Yegor Sharangovich has found more success at the pro level. Sharangovich has played in 205 NHL games and has 53 goals and 53 assists totaling 106 points for the New Jersey Devils. He was 10th in Calder voting for the 2020-21 season and built on that for the 2021-22 season, improving on both his goals and assist numbers but had a pretty disappointing third season this past year. He is seen as a piece of the Devils’ young core and a hopeful top-6 winger for the club if he can get back on track.
Others in contention: none
Sixth Pick: Round 5 Pick 19 (143)
Original Pick: Samuel Ersson (G)
New Pick: Samuel Ersson
Samuel Ersson had quite the journey to get to where he is now. He excelled on the European stage before coming over to North America during the 2021 offseason. He would only play in 5 AHL games for the Phantoms in 2021-22 going winless and having some disparaging numbers and would be injured for most of the year. Ersson would have a phenomenal AHL season playing in 42 games, having a record of 24-7-1, and having a 2.84 GAA, .900 sv%, and a shutout. During this past season, he also played well in his opportunity to play in the NHL. He would play in 12 games for the Flyers going 6-3-0 with a 3.07 GAA, a .899 sv%, and a shutout. Those numbers don’t tell the whole story as he would win his first six starts before losing his last three and is seen as a possible goalie of the future for the Flyers.
Others in contention: Alexis Gravel (162)
Seventh Pick: Round 6 Pick 19 (174)
Original Pick: Gavin Hain (C)
New Pick: John Leonard (LW) (182)
Gavin Hain finished his fifth year at the University of North Dakota. In his five years there, he played in 141 games and tallied 31 goals and 26 assists for 57 points. He has not been signed by the Flyers since his final season at North Dakota ended.
John Leonard is the choice for this pick since he’s played the most NHL games of the players taken after Hain with 64, between San Jose and Nashville. In those 64 games, he has 5 goals and 11 assists for 16 points.
Others in contention: Cole Koepke (183), Liam Kirk (189)
Eighth Pick: Round 7 Pick 19 (205)
Original Pick: Markus Westfält (C)
New Pick: Sam Hentges (C) (210)
Westfält has yet to come over to North America and has played in 50 games in the SHL where he has scored 1 goal and 4 assists for 5 points.
Hentges played 114 games at St. Cloud State where he put up 38 goals and 46 assists for 84 points. He played in 19 games for the Iowa Wild of the AHL where he had 1 goal and 2 assists for 3 points this past season.
Others in contention: none
Draft Picks Traded Away
Conditional 3rd (81-Seth Barton condition (DET would receive 2018 3rd if Flyers qualified for 2018 playoffs and Mrazek wins 5 regular season games otherwise a 4th))+conditional 2019 3rd (condition not met) to DET for Petr Mrazek
Flyers Real 2018 Draft
Joel Farabee
Jay O’Brien
Adam Ginning
Jack St. Ivany
Wyatte Wylie
Samuel Ersson
Gavin Hain
Markus Westfalt
Flyers New 2018 Draft
Joel Farabee
K’Andre Miller
Sean Durzi
Philipp Kurashev
Yegor Sharangovich
Samuel Ersson
John Leonard
Sam Hentges
By Noah Caplan (@Phlyers24)
Photo creds: Wikipedia
brotherlypuck.com 