By Kevin Durso, Sports Talk Philly editor
The Flyers entered Day 2 of the NHL Draft with six picks, but used just four, making a couple of trades packaging picks to move up for two selections.
The Flyers retained their second-round pick at 54th overall and selected defenseman Emil Andrae.
The team did not have a third-round pick and made their first move in the fourth round, dealing the 116th and 147th overall picks to the Tampa Bay Lightning for the 94th overall pick. They used that pick to select center Zayde Wisdom.
The Flyers were set to be off the clock until the sixth round from there, having dealt their fifth-round pick, but made another trade to move back into the fifth round, sending the 202nd and 209th overall picks to Nashville for the 135th pick. They used that pick to select left winger Elliot Desnoyers.
Finally, the Flyers had one pick remaining at 178th overall, and selected right winger Connor McClennon.
Andrae is a 5’9”, 183-pound defenseman who plays with physical presence for his size and has a good offensive mindset. He recently made the just to the SHL, where he has a total of 15 career games, but showed his skills in SuperElit league with 11 goals and 38 points in 40 games last season.
Wisdom is a 5’10”, 201-pound center that is all heart. He recently won the E.J. McGuire Award of Excellence, presented to the prospect with the most commitment to excellence through character, competitiveness and athleticism, and had a 49-point improvement in his second OHL season with Kingston, scoring 29 goals and 59 points in 62 games.
Desnoyers is a 5’11”, 172-pound winger who plays with a ton of energy and puts a strong emphasis on detail and commitment to playing in the defensive end. He had an 11-goal, 35-point season with Moncton in the QMJHL last season, but was traded this offseason to Halifax. He’s expected to play a more significant role and has a leadership role with the team this season, so this could be a potential breakout year for him.
McClennon is a 5’8”, 157-pound winger that is a shooter with a great wrist shot and one-timer and possesses strong net-front instincts. He scored 21 goals and had 49 points in 42 games with Winnipeg in the WHL last season.
A more extensive scouting report on each of the four new prospects will be posted later tonight.