Diehard Exclusive
Unlock Your Full Philadelphia Flyers Experience
This premium content is a Philadelphia Flyers Diehard exclusive.
Diehard Pro Level
$80
/year
Plus
You're on a higher plan. Contact us to switch down.
Become a Diehard
Cancel anytime. No questions asked.
Manage Membership
You're already a Diehard! Manage your subscription from your dashboard.
Already a Diehard?
Sign In
9 Comments (5 conversations)
jaybes
Thanks, Charlie.
There is a lot of risk reaching for one of these prospects. Probably too risky when you factor in the Flyers’ situation and rebuild timeline.
I actually really like O’Brien from the limited games I’ve seen. From the eye test he has star potential, and the fact that he’s young for this draft class is something the Flyers seem to target. Also his current coach is one of the top names I’ve seen in consideration for the Phantoms HC job.
> O’Brien was something of a power play merchant this season, with 50 of his 98 points coming on the man advantage, and there are real questions about his ability to drive offense at even strength.
I am curious, what percentage of PP vs Overall points would alleviate this concern for you? He still scored nearly half of his points in other situations.
guadzilla
Yeah- age is something that gets underplayed a lot here. Players are developing very rapidly at this age, and 17 vs 18 can be a pretty significant difference in where they are along the developmental curve.
I didnt realise McQueen was on the older size – yes, that is indeed a little worrying. That said, if he slips, I wouldnt mind the Flyers moving a bunch of packages and players, and moving their other draft picks to try to nab him in the 12-15 range.
Jose Mendez
why no mrtka on this list?
Charlie O'Connor
AuthorCan’t see him as the Flyers’ pick. Maybe there’s a little bias here — I’m not especially high on him. But I also feel like if the Flyers reach on a d-man, it’s gonna be for the mean, physical guy.
Jose Mendez
Fair enough. appreciate the reply.
mbtoole
Very informative read. Thanks, Charlie.
guadzilla
Jake O’Brien is one of the players that I wouldnt mind the Flyers taking a swing on.
Hagens has the talent but as this year’s playoffs have reinforced, regular season wizardry doesn’t always translate into playoff success when the games get a lot more physical (something that’s held true for a pretty long time, with occasional exceptions).
I never thought I’d say this, but the Flyers actually ARE a pretty small team in the top 6 – a bigger forward who has great vision to go with Michkov’s shooting? Sounds great. Skating can be improved – atleast the Flyers seem to believe so. The only question is – what is his shot like? Can he maximise the opportunities that come from playing next to Michkov or will he repeatedly flub chances?
“Morgan Frost”-like is a terrifying comparison, though.
guadzilla
PS: thanks, Charlie and the rest of the AllPhlly writers for the Flyers content. With such a potentially team-altering draft coming up, this is the most vested I have been in the Flyers in nearly a decade. And reading these detailed player breakdowns is super fun.
Mark M Engelhart
Hi Charlie,
Great review and balanced take on these potential picks. So, if you’re DB and Hagens is available at #6, do you take any of these players instead of him, and if so, why?
Thanks