The NHL Draft begins tomorrow with the first round, but there will be more work to be done beside Friday night's first round.
Day 2 on Saturday will offer several chances for each team, especially the Flyers, to continue adding to their pool of prospects.
For the past few weeks, we've looked at potential first-round targets for the Flyers. Now we move to some Day 2 prospects who could be on the radar as well. These are the other guys, prospects with late first-round or early second-round potential, and a few third-round or later prospects that could be available on Saturday for the Flyers.
Late First-Round, Early Second-Round Prospects
Tyler Benson – If you're looking for a player with a lot of competitive energy in him, then Benson is the guy. He plays hard and can play all roles on the ice in all three zones. He has a very good shot and offensive instincts. The big question is can he stay healthy? An injury limited Benson to just 30 games for Vancouver last season in the WHL. He has the talent to be a top pick in the second round, but if the injury history scares off other teams, the Flyers could be in prime position to select Benson at 48 or 52.
Mitch Mattson – Mattson would be a perfect selection for the Flyers either as early as 52 or even in the third round. He was still playing at the high school level last season, so there will be time for him to develop, but he possesses the offensive tools necessary to grow into a larger role on offense. What makes him so intriguing already is a great sense of playing a 200-foot game. He seems like Dave Hakstol's prototypical forward with great size and hockey sense for creating offense from defense. For a team that needs depth scoring and offensive talent, this would be a great selection in the second or third round.
Brett Howson – A near point-per-game player for Moose Jaw this season, Howson is a smart player with great size — 6'2" and 193 pounds — and all the offensive tools with a power forward's makeup. He won't be the best player available when the Flyers pick at 18, but if he slips outside of the first round — he does have late first-round projections — then this could be a prospect the Flyers want to move up to get.
Adam Mascherin – He has all the qualities of a sniper with one of the better shots in the draft class. That said, a lot of his other aspects of the game need work. Most importantly, Mascherin needs to be better at playing away from the puck. His compete level is sometimes in question and he doesn't come without risk. He's got the scoring talent to be a solid NHL player, but based on where he is now, the projections are more for a likely depth forward unless the team that drafts him can whip him into shape.
Cliff Pu – He really emerged in the Memorial Cup alongside established prospects like Mitch Marner and Christian Dvorak and higher-ranked prospects in this draft like Matt Tkachuk and Max Jones. Still, Pu made a name for himself in his own right, showing scoring touch with excellent hockey smarts, skating ability and defensive play.
Vitali Abramov – Abramov is just 5'9" but plays bigger than his size. He isn't the most physical player, but he plays with a lot of heart, displaying excellent puck control and playmaking ability to be a scoring threat.
Alex DeBrincat – At just 5'7", his size makes him a concern, but with excellent hands and a high level of skill, speed and shooting, DeBrincat is a dangerous player that could be had late in the first round. If he somehow slips into the second round, it wouldn't be shocking if the Flyers tried to find a way to move up and get him.
Lucas Johansen – A fluid skater with the ability to play in all situations, Johansen still needs work to become a polished player, but has the potential to fall right into the top four on any team as a smart, puck-moving defenseman with a solid two-way game.
Jordan Kyrou – An energy player who pairs speed and compete level with point production. He's a hard worker who can step up and play big, but needs to be more consistent. He has good offensive savvy, but is a strong two-way player as well.
Mid-Round Prospects
Vladimir Kuznetsov – The third and fourth round is a perfect spot to take a flyer on this kid. The goal scoring ability is there and he has the size, strength and smarts to be a solid player. Consistency and compete level need work, as well as his play in the defensive zone, which is where the development will come in, but there is potential to get a top-six forward talent as late as the third or fourth round with Kuznetsov.
Adam Fox – An offensive-minded defenseman who can carry the play, Fox has all the offensive talent that will intrigue teams. His defensive play and physicality require a lot of work and he isn't the biggest player, but his offensive abilities and his smarts and ability to be a power-play quarterback will intrigue teams. Some scouts believe he could be a second-round prospect, but with so much development needed, the Flyers would be wise to take him if he's still there when the third round hits.
Tyler Parsons – The winning goalie for the Memorial Cup champions, he comes with some solid tools and some areas of his game that need some work. An active goalie with a good skill set, he can sometimes get out of position and struggles at handling the puck, but can step up in key situations to make clutch saves. The Flyers took three goalies last season, so at most, they would take one in this draft, probably in the fourth round or later. With a few goalies in better position developmentally over Parsons, the Flyers could find a way to nab him with a fourth, fifth or even sixth-round pick.
William Lockwood – Again, with more of these picks begin about taking a flyer rather than getting a sure bet, Lockwood comes with speed and skill but needs to add to his size. At 5'11" and 172 pounds, he's a hard-working player who has a chance to be a third-line player and a good character piece to a lineup, but needs to grow a lot before that full potential will be realized.
Travis Barron – Once regarded as a potential top scorer, his production tapered off in his second year in the OHL. That said, he embraced playing in all three zones and doing a little bit of everything, and that has helped him become a modestly well-rounded prospect. You won't hear his name for some time on Day 2, probably the fourth round, but the potential is there.
Sean Day – At 6'2" and 244 pounds, the Flyers could go a different route on the blue line with a player like Day. He lacks the offensive talent of some of the other prospects in the system, but his skating is excellent and he projects to play a shutdown role. His decision-making skills need work and he's going to require a lot of maturity and consistency before he's ready. More of a project than a blue-chip prospect at the moment.
Kevin Durso is managing editor for Flyerdelphia. Follow him on Twitter @Kevin_Durso.
