The Flyers made the move from 29 to 24 to snag Travis Konecny, a forward from the Ottawa 67's in the OHL.
I profiled Konecny earlier in the offseason as part of our draft prospect profile series here, but here is a more extended scouting report.
Konecny was one of the more underrated forwards in the draft, ranking in behind the top centers. In fact, after the five top centers were taken in the first six picks, Konecny stayed on the board until the Flyers were able to trade up for him at 24.
Konecny was a point-per-game player with Ottawa, scoring 29 goals and adding 39 assists for 68 points in 60 games.
He is a versatile forward, listed as a center but getting playing time on the wing as well, and has already developed his game well.
This is a gritty forward that will do anything to help his team win. He's already a strong skater but could bear to get a little faster. He has the scoring ability that the Flyers have been coveting in a forward. Konecny also has a great shot, but can channel his offense into a strong two-way game.
As I wrote in the prospect profile, "It wouldn't be a surprise is Konecny went as high as 10th overall, but given the pool of talent that clearly ranks ahead of him – both on the scoresheet and popularity – he could still be on the board as the 20th pick approaches.
"If it goes that far, Konecny will be a steal for a team looking for a versatile forward with the potential to play on the top line. Even if he doesn't, Konecny will find a home as a second-line forward with ease."
So the Flyers may have managed a bit of a steal. It came at a price – two draft picks to Toronto – but it sure sounds worth it when you look at Konecny's credentials.
As a captain for Ottawa, he certainly could turn into a solid leader.
Here are a few other scouting reports on Konecny:
"There was a big discussion about Konecny at the midterm meetings. And not unlike other players, he got off to a slow start after an [undisclosed] injury impacted his overall play. We wanted to wait and see him in the second half and find out if the real Konecny was going to surface again and he did. There was always a belief in him, and he was one of the better under-18 players in the summer playing against the best in the world at the Ivan Hlinka. Usually the best players there end up being the best players in the NHL.” – Dan Marr, NHL Central Scouting Director
“It’s his engine, it’s incredible — the kid never stops. He has no mirrors in his house. He has no idea how small he is because he competes so hard against everybody, doesn’t matter the size. His shot, his character, obviously his leadership in the locker room, he’s going to be a pro, it’s that simple. He does the little things like a pro and trains like a pro.” – Jeff Brown, Ottawa 67's head coach
Ron Hextall needed to counter the selection of Ivan Provorov with a first-round forward. Somehow, he grabbed what could be the draft's best defensemen at seven and managed a Top-15 projection at 24. That's certainly impressive.
Kevin Durso is managing editor for Flyerdelphia. Follow him on Twitter @Kevin_Durso.
