Draft Prospect Profile: Nicolas Meloche

In just under three weeks, the NHL Draft will begin with the first round on June 26. 

The Flyers will have two picks on the opening night in the first round.

There is a wealth of talent at the top of the draft board, but the Flyers could also swipe a solid prospect late in the first round as well.

Here is a draft profile on Baie-Comeau Drakkar defenseman Nicolas Meloche.

Meloche has all the makings of a physical and edgy defenseman. Standing at 6'2" and weighing in at 198 pounds, don't let his physical edge fool you. He knows how to play in the defensive zone.

He also has a scoring touch every now and then. Meloche scored 10 goals and added 24 assists for 34 points in 44 games with Baie-Comeau Drakkar this past season.

Meloche has a great hockey sense for all situations. He possesses a strong two-way game, displays good footwork and is a solid skater.

His game isn't as finely tuned as some of the other defenseman in the draft and his ceiling isn't as high, but he's got solid potential that makes him a good prospect to have.

He needs to work on his speed and acceleration but ultimately, he's one of the few prospects that comes into the draft with a size issue.

He'll need a few years of development to reach the NHL, but if you're looking for a serviceable defenseman willing to go the extra mile to make the right play or increase the physicality, this may be the guy. 

For the Flyers, this could be a way to add a well-rounded defenseman – with abilities on special teams – late in the first round.

Kevin Durso is managing editor for Flyerdelphia. Follow him on Twitter @Kevin_Durso.