Flyers Choice with 2nd Overall Pick Creates Logjam at Center

By Jesse Larch, Sports Talk Philly staff writer 

The Flyers are set to jump into the next era of the franchise next season with more rookie debuts expected and the recent draft lottery luck that will give the Flyers the cornerstone forward that they have been looking for.

However, for there to be any new talent on the roster, old talent must exit to make room. 

With the departures of Michael Del Zotto and Nick Schultz, it is likely that we see one or two of the Flyers prized defensive prospects like Robert Hagg, Sam Morin or Travis Sanheim make the jump to the NHL after having strong seasons in the AHL with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms and in their brief stints with the Flyers. 

Steve Mason's assumed departure also opens the door for Anthony Stolarz to get more playing time in goal at the NHL level after impressing in his NHL appearances a season ago. 

With the Flyers now holding the second overall pick in this June's draft, they will get one of Nolan Patrick or Nico Hischier. While both players are expected to become stars in the NHL, both players are also centers, which creates an issue for the Flyers. 

The Flyers organization is filled with centermen, especially with former first-round picks such as Scott Laughton, German Rubtsov, Sean Couturier and Claude Giroux.

Whether the Flyers select Patrick or Hischier in the draft, it is widely believed that player will be ready for the NHL immediately, even if Ron Hextall isn't going to promise anything. If Patrick or Hischier comes right from juniors to the NHL, the players on the current roster will not be as lucky when it comes to roster spots. 

On the active roster, Giroux, Couturier, and Valtteri Filppula occupy the first lines down the middle. If Hischier and Patrick are as good as advertised, it is hard to imagine that Hextall and Dave Hakstol would opt to return the player to juniors, meaning someone will have to vacate their spot to the rookie. 

Patrick and Hischier are already being talked about as the heir to Giroux as the offensive leader for the team in the future. Does this mean that Giroux's days are numbered in Philadelphia?

Giroux's play has declined over the past couple of seasons, but he does remain the team's captain. Although his cap hit is steep for his current output, some of his decline can be chalked up to health issues and a decline in ability. It would also be premature for the Flyers to dismiss Giroux before they have seen their new prospect at the NHL level. 

While the consensus is that both Patrick and Hischier are special players, nothing is guaranteed, and Giroux should be safe until the Flyers know that they have a player that can replace his production. 

In the case of Couturier, it gets a little more complicated. Couturier's defensive prowess has been well-documented, but so has his lack of offensive production. 

Couturier is one of few true shutdown forwards in the NHL. There are plenty of good defensive forwards in the league, but a player who can halt the production of an offensive star like Evgeni Malkin at will is extremely valuable. 

As impressive as Couturier has been defensively in his career, he has failed to impress offensively. Until Couturier's point output increases, he will be criticized and labeled a disappointment due to his high draft position and the expectations that he entered the league with. 

If the Flyers part ways with Couturier, they may be handicapping the team in the future, however. Couturier is only 24 years old, considerably younger than Giroux (29) and Filppula (33). If Couturier departs the team, then the Flyers may enter their next era with an aging Giroux and an inexperienced Hischier or Patrick. 

Couturier is still an extremely young player, and if the team keeps him, he will enter his prime right as the team is back to being a prominent contender. 

Filppula was acquired at last season's trade deadline, bringing depth to the forward group and some cap relief from Mark Streit's contract. 

Filppula seemed to be a good fit in Hakstol's system, offering a sound defensive game to go with an ability to create scoring chances and set up his teammates. 

Filppula has one year remaining on his contract and he is protected by a no movement clause, making it difficult to expel him from the roster in the event that the team has their new draft pick on the roster on opening night. 

The Flyers would have to find a trade partner who is willing to take on Filppula's contract, and that Filppula is willing to join. That is a tough task, considering that a team with the cap space to add Filppula probably would not be contending, and at this point in Filppula's career he would most likely only waive his no movement clause to join a playoff contender.

In addition to the NHL roster, the Flyers will have to examine their other prospects to see how they fit in the long-term picture. 

2016 first round pick German Rubtsov is coming off of an impressive, but brief stint in the QMJHL, while 2012 first round pick Scott Laughton was a valued member of the resurgent Phantoms last season. 

The Flyers also signed Hobey Baker contender Mike Vecchione at the end of last season. The organizational depth at center is impressive, but it is bound to leave the Flyers with multiple players that they will be forced to move or release. 

In any case, this is a good problem to have and one that has to have Hextall feeling good about his rebuild.