Philadelphia Flyers: 2024 NHL Draft Preview

Just days after the Stanley Cup was awarded to the Florida Panthers, the NHL offseason kicks into full gear. The NHL Draft is set to take place starting on Friday night.

The Flyers will hold the 12th overall pick from their final lottery position, as well as the 32nd overall pick acquired from Florida in the Claude Giroux trade in March 2022.

5 Targets at 12th Overall

• C Berkly Catton – The Flyers need to add to the center prospect pool. If you’re looking for some high-end talent at the position, a player who scored 54 goals and 116 points in 68 games with Spokane in the WHL could be the answer. Catton has all of the tools to be a great offensive player. It remains to be seen if he can stick at center, but if he can, he could be an important piece to the Flyers forward group.
• D Carter Yakemchuk – If Catton could be a key piece to the forward group, Yakemchuk could be a key part of the future of the Flyers blue line. An offensive threat that offers plenty of size, the 6’3″ right-handed defenseman possesses many tools that teams covet.
• LW Cole Eiserman – It’s been an interesting year for Eiserman. At one point, he was regarded among the Top 5 options in this draft, but has slipped in most mock drafts to be a potential option for the Flyers. Widely regarded as having the best shot in the draft, the Flyers could look to add another winger with scoring touch to the fold.
• C Konsta Helenius – A well-rounded forward that can both provide the offensive skill set and play effective defense, Helenius could be the centerman the Flyers desperately need in the system. The main question is if he lasts long enough for the Flyers to have a chance. With Jukurit in Liiga in Finland, Helenius scored 14 goals and 36 points in 51 games.
• RW Beckett Sennecke – A playmaker that can use both power and deception and offers confident puck-handling ability, Sennecke similarly became a late riser in this draft class. He scored 27 goals and had 68 points in 63 games with Oshawa in the OHL.

5 Targets at 32nd Overall

• D EJ Emery – Emery is a strong defensive presence, using his size to position himself for using both his body and stick. In addition, he had 16 assists in 61 games for the US National Team Development Program, offering a glimpse at some offensive ability, though it is not his calling card.
• D Cole Hutson – The brother of Lane Hutson, an emerging talent from the 2022 NHL Draft, Cole could bring a similar offensive upside. He scored 15 goals and 51 points in 51 games with the US National Development Team Program in 2023-24 and had an outstanding showing at the U-18 World Juniors with four goals and nine points in seven games.
• C Sacha Boisvert – A goal-scoring center with a strong shot and creativity, Boisvert scored 36 goals and 68 points in 61 games with Muskegon in the USHL in 2023-24.
• C Cole Beaudoin – When looking for a center, the Flyers will certainly be keen on 200-foot players. Beaudoin fits the bill, experiencing success in all three zones and using his size to win battles. He scored 28 goals and 62 points in 67 games with Barrie in the OHL.
• C Sam O’Reilly – The Flyers tapped into the London Knights talent pool in the 2023 NHL Draft with first-round pick Oliver Bonk and third-round pick Denver Barkey. With familiarity with the London organization, could another Knight be in the Flyers future? O’Reilly scored 20 goals and 56 points in 68 games with London this season.

Recent Picks at 12th Overall

The Flyers have never had the 12th overall pick in franchise history. Despite that, there are some recent examples of success from the 12th overall selection.

Recent 12th overall picks include Cole Sillinger (CBJ, 2021), Anton Lundell (FLA, 2020), Matthew Boldy (MIN, 2019), Noah Dobson (NYI, 2018), and Martin Necas (CAR, 2017).

Other notable selections with the 12th overall pick include Marian Hossa (OTT, 1997), Gary Roberts (CGY, 1984), Dan Hamhuis (NSH, 2001), Marc Staal (NYR, 2005), Alex Tanguay (COL, 1998), Dave Gagner (NYR, 1983), Tyler Myers (BUF, 2008), Cam Fowler (ANA, 2010), Ryan McDonagh (MTL, 2007), and Mario Tremblay (MTL, 1974).

Recent Picks at 32nd Overall

The Flyers have held the 32nd overall selection in the NHL Draft only once in franchise history. The 32nd pick in 1970 was in the third round, and the Flyers used it to select a franchise legend.

With the 32nd overall pick in the 1970 NHL Draft, the Flyers selected Bob “The Hound” Kelly.

Other recent 32nd overall selections include Shane Pinto (OTT, 2019), Mattias Samuelson (BUF, 2018), Conor Timmins (COL, 2017), Christian Fischer (ARI, 2015). Other notable selections at 32nd overall include Eric Weinrich (NJ, 1985), Jay Pandolfo (NJ, 1993), Derek Roy (BUF, 2001), and Ron Greschner (NYR, 1974).

Will the Flyers Trade Up?

After falling just short of making the playoffs, the Flyers instead found themselves in a familiar position, the middle of the first round of the NHL Draft. At 12th overall, it is hardly a sure thing to acquire high-end talent.

So, does that make a trade into the Top 10 a possibility? Certainly, GM Danny Briere will be doing what he can to find a trade partner and potentially move up to acquire a talent. That was only fueled on Thursday by rumors that Briere was active and aggressive in trying to trade with Columbus for the fourth overall pick. It may depend on how the board plays out, and the cost of moving up will be lofty, but could it help the Flyers take the swing they need to continue to improve the roster?

Will the Flyers Trade Down?

At 12th overall, the Flyers are already far enough down the board that it would be surprising to see them move further away from the Top 10. That said, their second pick at 32nd overall could be much more of an opportunity to move down in the draft.

By the end of the first round, there will be a chance to observe the board and prepare for Day 2 in the hopes of finding a player that could become a steal in the draft. It is also no certainly that the Flyers get the Columbus second-round pick this season acquired for Ivan Provorov last season, and instead see that pushed back one more year.

If a team comes calling for the final pick on Day 1, could the Flyers turn that into a handful of picks to use on Day 2? It may be worth it if there are enough players of interest still on the board.

Mock Draft

1. San Jose Sharks – Macklin Celebrini (C)
2. Chicago Blackhawks – Artyom Levshunov (D)
3. Anaheim Ducks – Zeev Buium (D)
4. Columbus Blue Jackets – Ivan Demidov (LW)
5. Montreal Canadiens – Cayden Lindstrom (C)
6. Utah – Anton Silayev (D)
7. Ottawa Senators – Beckett Sennecke (RW)
8. Seattle Kraken – Sam Dickinson (D)
9. Calgary Flames – Tij Iginla (C/LW)
10. New Jersey Devils – Konsta Helenius (C)
11. San Jose Sharks – Zayne Parekh (D)
12. Philadelphia Flyers – Berkly Catton (C)
13. Minnesota Wild – Carter Yakemchuk (D)
14. Buffalo Sabres (via San Jose via Pittsburgh) – Stian Solberg (D)
15. Detroit Red Wings – Michael Brandsegg-Nygard (LW)
16. St. Louis Blues – Adam Jiricek (D)
17. Washington Capitals – Michael Hage (C)
18. Chicago Blackhawks (via Tampa Bay) – Igor Chernyshov (LW)
19. Vegas Golden Knights – Cole Eiserman (LW)
20. New York Islanders – Jett Luchanko (C)
21. Los Angeles Kings –Liam Greentree (RW)
22. Nashville Predators – EJ Emery (D)
23. Toronto Maple Leafs – Jesse Pulkkinen (D)
24. Colorado Avalanche –Sacha Boisvert (C)
25. Ottawa Senators (via Boston) – Cole Beaudoin (C)
26. Montreal Canadiens (via Winnipeg) – Trevor Connelly (LW)
27. Carolina Hurricanes – Teddy Stiga (LW)
28. Calgary Flames (via Vancouver) – Maxim Masse (RW)
29. Dallas Stars – Dean Letourneau (C)
30. New York Rangers – Charlie Elick (D)
31. Anaheim Ducks (via Edmonton) – Andrew Basha (LW)
32. Philadelphia Flyers (via Florida) – Cole Hutson (D)

The 2024 NHL Draft begins on Friday night at 7 p.m. with the first round. Rounds 2 through 7 to complete the NHL Draft will be on Saturday starting at 11:30 a.m.