Prospects are Coming

Winter is coming. Eventually. More immanently the draft is coming. With all teams in Philadelphia, and countless eyes watching, this is the time that every team has a chance to change their franchise. Picks can take a team to the next level or set them back for years. For every home run, such as Pavel Datsyuk or Joe Pavelski, there will be a Patrik Stefan or Alexandre Daigle.

Some players fall due to size, playing location, or poor showings. These can turn out to be a true weakness or a misconception. Limited exposure and the dreaded “Russian Factor” influenced Valeri Nichushkin in 2013. On the opposite end, over-exposure hurt Seth Jones, the consensus top pick. This year is considered a sandwich year. Last year was a deep draft, 2015 seems deeper and has wunderkind Connor McDavid, but this year seems average at best. The top players are considered less dynamic.

This does not mean that these players will have any less of an impact on their teams’ future. Weak at the wings and lacking in high-end scoring limits the Flyers system. Overall team speed throughout the organization is a major issue that Ron Hextall must address. The development of Shayne Gostisbehere was a pleasant surprise, however he projects to be an offensive specialist. He is the only prospect with great skating and NHL potential. On the wings, the best prospects are Jason Akeson and Tye McGinn, neither of with projects to be top six forwards.

With that respect, here is a quick look at some players that Flyers could target at 17. They are mostly high scoring winger and some prospects with local connections.

Sonny Milano

This is the player that could fill a lot of holes in the organization. A wizard with the puck from the USNTDP, Milano drew attention with his puck handling in the parking lot of the NHL combine. He combines that great stickhandling with a high speed, offensive game. He can be considered a boom or bust as he is not a large player at 5’11 and 185 lbs., nor does he play a big player game. He could be a top line player or he could be the next Rob Schremp.

Kevin Fiala

One of the wildcards of the draft, Fiala approached all kinds of Elitserien records. He scored 11 points in 17 games, and then improved in the playoffs, scoring 6 in 8 games. He has the second highest PPG behind only Peter Forsberg for a U18 player, topping Sasha Barkov, last year’s second overall pick. He is small, but sturdier at 5’10 185 lbs. He may be the fastest prospect in the draft, which would certainly improve team speed. As a European, he is eligible for the AHL immediately to ease the transition to the North American game. He may take two to three years to develop into an NHL regular, with the need to improve his defense and recklessness and to cut down on his penalties.

Anthony Deangelo

Anthony Deangelo is a local kid from nearby Sewell, New Jersey. Scouts agree that he is a first round talent, however he comes with major character concerns. He was suspended on two separate occasions, the last for verbally abusing a teammate. He is a fiery competitor that hates to lose, so maybe Sarnia was not the best place for instincts are better than Gostisbehere, but the character and maturity concerns will drop him out of the first round.

Joshua Ho-Sang

Ho-Sang is an interesting player as he is a dangler that plays a chippy game. He can skate though teams with the puck, entering the zone with the ability to set up plays on his own. He will throw his body around and yap at opposing players, but at 5’11 and 167 lbs., that will be risky in the NHL. Flyers top goaltending prospect Anthony Stolarz was suspended for 8 games for slashing at Ho-Sang’s head in a manner reminiscent of Ron Hextall’s vigilantism early in his career. He will take time in the OHL to develop and require seasoning in the AHL as well. He probably will not be ready for at the minimum 3 seasons, possibly as much as 5.

Jakub Vrana

The Czech was a dominant force in the U18s. He wants a goal on every shift, and will drive play to the net to get one. During his regular season in the Elitserien, he was less than impressive, getting just 2 goals and 3 points in 24 games. That is to be expected, playing in a men’s league, but still carries considerable risk as he is more of a boom or bust pick as he is so one-dimensional.

Kaspari Kapanen

This name should be familiar to Flyers fans. The son of Sami is the victim of over-exposure this season. He was ranked as the top European prospect at the beginning of the season and was talked about as a top pick last season. He did not stick out on KalPa, with his father and team owner Sami, but was a 17 year old playing in a men’s league. More worrying, he did not stick out in the U18s against his peers. He is a good offensive talent with holes in his defensive game, but has the pedigree to become improved that aspect.

Michael Dal Colle

To get Dal Colle the Flyers would have to move up to a top-5 picks, but it could pay off for the team. Dal Colle was on the Oshawa Generals with Flyers top prospect Scott Laughton. They made up 2/3s of a dominant line that dragged a one-line team deep into the playoffs. He is a natural center but certainly did not miss a beat shifting to Laughton’s wing. A dynamic playmaker, he has good size and a frame that he can grow into. Defensively, he is a bit of a wildcard as Laughton is such an instinctual defender that could potentially have covered Dal Colle’s weakness, but that line was solid at both ends of the rink. If they move up to take him, they should not trade Laughton as their chemistry could ease their transitions to the NHL level.

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