With the 2017 off-season underway for the Philadelphia Flyers, much is to be speculated about the team from now until free agency hits on July 1st. However, This off-season adds a different twist into the way NHL general managers must prepare for the upcoming season.
With the incoming Las Vegas Knights entering the league for the 2017-18 season, next Wednesday's expansion draft is a major date circled on the NHL calendar in which every NHL franchise will lose one unprotected player from their roster.
With the incoming Las Vegas Knights entering the league for the 2017-18 season, next Wednesday's expansion draft is a major date circled on the NHL calendar in which every NHL franchise will lose one unprotected player from their roster.
EXPANSION DRAFT OPTIONS
The Flyers have a few routes they can go with to determine what players they want to keep and expose when it comes to next weeks draft. In all likelihood the Flyers will chose the option of protecting seven forwards, three defensemen, and one goaltender. With the way the roster is shaping, on defense the Flyers only need to protect Gudas and Gostisbehere because all players on entry-level deals are automatically protected.
Flyers will use 7-3-1 protection format, per Hexy.
— Sam Carchidi (@BroadStBull) June 16, 2017
This will leave the Flyers with using the third and final defensive slot to protect either Brandon Manning or Andy MacDonald. Given that Manning enters 2017-18 with one year left on his deal at a cap hit under 1 million, logically the Flyers will let MacDonald be exposed to the Knights along with his contract of 3 more years at a cap hit of 5 million dollars.
NHL ENTRY DRAFT
Right after the expansion draft comes the NHL Entry Draft just a mere two days later that starts on June 23rd with the first round. It also just so happens that the Flyers, through some kind of divine intervention, landed the 2nd overall pick in the draft lottery, jumping miraculously from 13 to 2.
Now with this divine selection the Flyers will have the pick of either of the consensus top two selections in Nico Hischier or Nolan Patrick.
Disappointingly, the New Jersey Devils are directly in front of the Flyers selecting at one because of their own miraculous leap from the five to one. Whoever the Devils don't take, the Flyers will have zero problems in snatching up whoever is left on the board. Both Patrick and Hischier are both considered the only players in the draft with franchise potential, with both players being neck in neck in the prospect rankings for top prospect.
Now with this divine selection the Flyers will have the pick of either of the consensus top two selections in Nico Hischier or Nolan Patrick.
Disappointingly, the New Jersey Devils are directly in front of the Flyers selecting at one because of their own miraculous leap from the five to one. Whoever the Devils don't take, the Flyers will have zero problems in snatching up whoever is left on the board. Both Patrick and Hischier are both considered the only players in the draft with franchise potential, with both players being neck in neck in the prospect rankings for top prospect.
Craig Button on TSN 1040: "I think that there's very little difference between Cody Glass, Nico Hischier and Nolan Patrick."#Canucks
— Canucks Mobile (@CanucksMobile) June 15, 2017
No matter where the chips fall, the Flyers are going to be walking away with a player that dramatically adds to their pool of prospects they have been developing since Ron Hextall has taken over. National pundits are reporting that Patrick is the more NHL-ready prospect who can step right in next season and be penciled in as the second-line center on this team. Whereas, Hischier, who just came over to North America last season to dominate the QMJHL circuit, might need another year to fill out his body in order take the rigorous of a full NHL season.
With the Flyers being on the upswing in terms of young talent finally knocking on the NHL roster's doorstep, this off-season gives fans a lot to look forward to. Finally, after years of having nothing to look forward to in the terms of young talent while always having to supplement the roster through trades, the Flyers should have a slew of rookies on their opening day roster to add to their dynamic young guns in Shayne Gostisbehere, Ivan Provorov, & Travis Konecny.
With the Flyers being on the upswing in terms of young talent finally knocking on the NHL roster's doorstep, this off-season gives fans a lot to look forward to. Finally, after years of having nothing to look forward to in the terms of young talent while always having to supplement the roster through trades, the Flyers should have a slew of rookies on their opening day roster to add to their dynamic young guns in Shayne Gostisbehere, Ivan Provorov, & Travis Konecny.