In two weeks, the Flyers will select the next piece of the pipeline as they pick 18th overall in the NHL Draft.
So far, we've profiled four potential prospects, all with a common theme. Each prospect profiled so far has been a scoring winger that fits the mold of what the Flyers are looking for — the combination of size, speed and skill that leads to lots of scoring.
In our lead up to the NHL Draft, we will exclusively focus on 10 prospects with full profiles and add another 15 names in our final prospect profile post the day before the NHL Draft. As we reach the halfway point with our fifth prospect profile, the trend of scoring wingers continues.
Our series of 2016 NHL Draft prospect profiles continues with right winger Luke Kunin.
Kunin played in 34 games as a freshman for the Wisconsin Badgers in the Big Ten last season. The 18-year-old scored 19 goals and added 13 assists for 32 points and was named to the Big Ten All-Rookie team.
If you're looking for a prospect equipped with a shot that strikes fear in a goaltender, Luke Kunin is your guy. His shot is his best feature, equipped with a quick and lethal release that can beat a goalie from any spot on the ice. His shot is easily his best quality, but he is a competitive player that goes to the dirty areas, is strong at both ends of the ice with good skating and puck-moving skills.
Kunin also comes with great hockey sense and anticipates the play well. The smarts are there as well, as he knows how to take care of the puck and is a strong backchecker. His talents also extend to special teams, as he was used on both the power play and penalty kill for Wisconsin.
At 5'11" and 193 pounds, Kunin lacks the size of some of the other wingers in the draft but makes up for it with a strong compete level and determination.
Kunin's weak points are a level of consistency and his play in the defensive zone still needs refining. That said, the potential is there for a Top-6 winger with the makeup of a sniper. At worst, Kunin projects to be a third-liner.
"Goal scorer with quick shot and a nose for the net and is a constant threat in the offensive zone," writes ISS Director of Scouting Dennis MacInnis in the 2016 ISS NHL Draft Guide. "Like his passion and compete level."
"Sees the ice well and places himself in positions that give his teammates offensive and defensive support," writes ISS scout Peter Emery. "He is not afraid to drive to the net. Not afraid to shoot the puck. Tends to shoot more than pass."
You can watch highlights of Kunin from last season below.
Kevin Durso is managing editor for Flyerdelphia. Follow him on Twitter @Kevin_Durso.
