June 29, 2024
The Flyers came into the NHL Draft with not-so-subtle rumors going around that they were looking to move up.
And they were, general manager Danny Brière admitted as much after the first round concluded Friday night in Las Vegas, but nothing came of it.
Instead, the Flyers stood pat and even moved back a spot after trading with Minnesota from 12th to 13th overall, with their sights set on speedy center Jett Luchanko as one of the next pieces to their future. As for the other pick at 32? They traded that to Edmonton for a conditional future first that could be going toward a potentially big 2025 offseason.
That was all on Friday night. Here's how the rest of their draft turned out going through Day 2 on Saturday...
A fast, playmaking center who has the vision, skating, reflexes, and hands to get to the net quickly. The 17-year old produced a 74-point campaign (20 goals, 54 assists) in 68 games for the Storm this past OHL season, and while his selection at 13th overall can seem like a reach after the Flyers traded one spot back with Minnesota, Brière believes that there is a lot more there.
"The way he plays, the way he works, he's a complete player first of all," Brière said after the first round Friday night. "Very young still, played on an OHL team and what he did and how he got better and better as the season went on, we feel that, yes, he's a center, absolutely, and we feel he's just starting to tap his potential."
The Flyers traded the pick to the Edmonton Oilers for a conditional first-rounder that will be in either 2025 or 2026. "We can still keeping talking about the Giroux trade for a little longer," Brière quipped.
The Columbus Blue Jackets elected to keep the pick on the conditions set by last summer's Ivan Provorov trade, per The Athletic's Aaron Portzline. The Flyers will be getting a second-round pick from Columbus in 2025 instead.
Weighing in at 6'4" and 210 pounds, Berglund is a big center who can control and protect the puck well.
The 28th-ranked international skater by NHL Central Scouting, Berglund posted a 34-point campaign (15 goals, 19 assists) in Swedish juniors last season and put a five-point performance (two goals, three assists) in seven international games for his country at U18 Worlds.
The 18-year old is slated to continue skating in Swedish juniors for the 2024-25 season.
This was also the comp pick granted to the Flyers after losing the draft rights to Jay O'Brien, the 19th overall pick from 2018 who went unsigned.
The Flyers sent their 77th overall pick in the third and the 2025 third-rounder they got from Minnesota on Friday night – in the swap back from 12 to 13 – and used the move up to take Gill, a right-handed defenseman billed at a towering 6'4" and 186 pounds.
He'll definitely need to grow into his frame as he climbs the ranks, especially for a defenseman who likes to get physical, but he'll jump in on the rush and give your team some offense, too.
In 65 games this past season in the QMJHL, Gill recorded 12 goals and 34 assists for 46 points and a plus-8 rating. He's the 29th-ranked North American skater by NHL Central Scouting and will bring size to a Flyers defensive pipeline that does lean bit more toward the smaller, puck-moving oriented side as Brière noted after the first round on Friday.
The Flyers traded picks 150 (fifth) and 177 (sixth) to the Calgary Flames for 107 in the fourth and used it on Finnish center Heikki Ruohonen.
Ruohonen scored 20 goals and 27 assists (47 points) in 47 Finnish junior games this past season and netted three goals skating for Finland at U18 Worlds.
The 6'1", left-handed shooting center is expected to head over to North America to play for Harvard in the NCAA.
A big power forward at 6'0", 201 pounds, the Flyers continued to favor size on Day 2 of the draft with the selection of Powell.
In 61 games in the USHL this past season, Powell scored 43 goals and 74 points with a plus-18 rating, and is lined up to go play college hockey at Ohio State this coming year.
The Flyers delved into the Russian prospect pool with pick No. 173, going for shifty winger Ilya Pautov out of the MHL.
The 18-year old Pautov is undersized at 5'10" and 165 pounds, but put up 15 goals and 30 assists (45 points) in 46 Russian junior games this past season, and will return to his junior club for 2024-25.
The Flyers' final pick in the draft was put toward 6'4", right-handed shooting defenseman Austin Moline.
The 18-year old had a 35-point season on the blueline (eight goals, 27 assists) skating in 57 games for Shattuck St. Mary's Prep in Minnesota, and is committed to playing college hockey at Northern Michigan.
Moline still has a lot more developing to do, but his frame at his position is an obvious plus.
He's also a Las Vegas native, so he got drafted in his hometown in what is apparently a first for the Flyers.
Austin Moline.
— Alexander Appleyard (@avappleyard) June 29, 2024
Vegas boy. First ever player from Vegas drafted into @NHL by @NHLFlyers.
Drafted in hometown. #Flyers
And with that last pick, that'll be the Flyers' 2024 draft.
MORE: Flyers future draft picks
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