By Kevin Durso, Sports Talk Philly editor 
Later this week, the Flyers will add an important piece to their future with the second overall pick.
We’ve looked at the consensus top two already in Nolan Patrick and Nico Hischier, but as GM Ron Hextall said, all options are on the table and they are doing diligence with the prospects available.
With that, we continue our look at 2017 NHL Draft prospects with Portland Winterhawks center Cody Glass.
As with most top 10 projected draft prospects, Glass has impressed most with his hockey IQ and ability to use awareness on the ice. It also helps when you put up tremendous numbers.
One season ago in 2015-16, Glass had just 27 points — 10 goals and 17 assists. His totals in 2016-17 were 32 goals, 62 assists and 94 points, a great example of his growth in the WHL. His playmaking abilities are very good. This is a skilled forward with the right kind of size, right sped and the work ethic and compete level to make it at the NHL level.
Glass is not going to be on the level of the top two prospects in the draft, but has some great potential with his offensive awareness. He’s also fairly responsible in the defensive zone and sets himself up for quick transitions. Glass is also a power-play specialist of sorts.
Related: Nolan Patrick Prospect Profile
While all of the tools are there, the 6’1”, 180-pound center could use some added strength and speed to truly excel at the NHL level, but the foundation is there.
When the Flyers were perceived to hold the 13th pick, a player like Glass was really the best case scenario. Glass has been projected to go in the top 10 throughout the weeks leading up to the draft, but with defensemen who could go before him and a few other players making things very difficult, he could just as easily make it to the middle of the first round. That could be a steal for a team there.
Right now, Glass isn’t in the same class as Patrick and Hischier, but he has the potential to be a playmaking forward that could easily rise through the ranks and become a fixture of any offense.
“Intelligent at both ends of the ice,” ISS scout Brent Parker said in the ISS Hockey Draft Guide. “Makes himself available as an outlet in the defensive zone and knows how to find spots in the offensive zone. Skating is good but will get better with leg strength. Like this player, there is tremendous upside in his game.”
“Not the sexiest skater, he has puck skills and the hockey sense to manage the offensive pace with a good balance between his shooting and passing abilities,” a scout said in Future Considerations Draft Guide. “Bit of a blue-collar guy and someone who I honestly didn’t see putting together a year like this, but this kind of development makes me excited about just how much more he will improve.”
Related: Nico Hischier Prospect Profile
Glass has the strong combination of being defensively responsible while having good playmaking skills. He compares to Patrice Bergeron and has projected anywhere from a middle-6 playmaker to a top-6 two-way forward.
While it would certainly be unexpected for the Flyers to add Glass as the second overall pick, you could see why a team would be intrigued by a great season in the WHL. The improvement was so great that Glass instantly went from being an average prospect to one who could be the focal point of a team’s pipeline.
You can watch highlights of Cody Glass below.
