We need defensemen - and defensive-minded ones at that.
Taking a look back at our last seven years worth of drafting blueliners, with their selection round in parentheses. Bolded players have played in the NHL.
Picard, Pitkanen, Seidenberg and Woywitka - none of which are still with the team.
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To me, this shows how bad we are at drafting defensemen, and how equally terrible we are at developing them in our system. We also rarely choose defensemen high in the draft.
In the league today, it's defensemen that are hard to come by. How amazing would it be to draft one or two quality defensive prospects in the next few years - and develop them well?
Amongst all of those drafts 2007 must have been the worst. I don't even recognize the names of the defensemen we drafted - they must stink really bad.
With the 2005 draft I thought we drafted 2 pretty good d-men in Bodrov and Lehtivuori, just didn't pan out even for hem in North America even though they both could play NHL hockey.
Lehtivuori looked really good in the 3-4 phantoms games I saw in 09-10 and the few I listened to on online radio he sounded good too. Guess a combination of Idiot Stick, Glen Falls being **** , and Joonas himself seeming to have the wrong attitude completely ****ed his chances of playing for the flyers. He regressed so quickly within 3-4 months it was absurd.
Bodrov...I have no idea what even happened there, heard something about him staying in Russia due to having a kid even though the Flyers actively pursued signing him at the start of last year. Apart from some concerns on the physicality side (and maybe also a bit mentally weak like Joonas, and likes his drink), I thought he could have made the NHL quite easily.
Both of them seemed to be talent wise and physically able to be 4th D-men in the NHL, apart from circumstances and being not all their in the head.
Just my opinion, maybe I'm exagerrating how good a prospects they were, but I always thought both were better than Bourdon (who has been damn good with the flyers imo), and Marshall. I know the excuses don't mean anything, as it doesn't change the fact they did not pan out, but believe with these two we drafted ok, just that their heads are not in the right place.
I would love the Flyers to get Florida's pick this year in the 2nd round. That would mean we get three picks in the top 60.
1st Round- Defenseman-Cody Ceci (Maybe Olli Maatta falls to us!)
2nd Round- Goalie- Andrei Vasilevski
2nd Round- Defenseman- Ville Pokka or Dalton Thrower
3rd Round- Tomas Hyka
I think that would be the perfect first 3 rounds but thats just me
I would love the Flyers to get Florida's pick this year in the 2nd round. That would mean we get three picks in the top 60.
1st Round- Defenseman-Cody Ceci (Maybe Olli Maatta falls to us!)
2nd Round- Goalie- Andrei Vasilevski
2nd Round- Defenseman- Ville Pokka or Dalton Thrower
3rd Round- Tomas Hyka
I think that would be the perfect first 3 rounds but thats just me
I have a feeling that Ceci and Maatta might go well before even 20, and us getting either of them would be a miracle. I would probably like Ceci over Maatta for the fact he's bigger and he shoots right, which is what we should really gun for. I know Vasilevski was stellar against Canada, but how has he been outside of the WJC?
From the latest draft thing in the prospect area, how would Reinhart be? He's big.
Last edited by SolidSnakeUS: 01-04-2012 at 10:21 AM.
Flyers are not very good at drafting d-men or goalies. So I would draft best players forwards. We can try to swing a deal for already accomplished NHL d-men if we move a roster forward. What Clarke and Homer always did for the past 20 years.
In no time Homer was able to trade for Coburn, Carle, Mesz if we get Weber or Suter we may as well be done for next 5-6 years.
Eh, I'd take a chance on a defender or two in this draft. Some of these guys who are going in the late 1st and second this year would go earlier in other drafts. Guys like Maata and Ceci can be potential franchise guys.
Yea, it hasnt worked in the past, but I feel like if these guys are available who HAVE to choose them. They fit a big need.
we need to draft defenseman. You think teams are going to give away their top young dmen? This team needs to draft defenseman. They have enough young forwards right now. Drafting a goalie or 2 wouldnt hurt as well.
we need to draft defenseman. You think teams are going to give away their top young dmen? This team needs to draft defenseman. They have enough young forwards right now. Drafting a goalie or 2 wouldnt hurt as well.
Give? No. Trade? Yes!
If we draft forwards we can always trade one for d-men. Trading our 1st or two 2nds for established d-men would not be a mistake as long as we re-sign him.
We’ll draft Sbisa like player, we’ll love him and overvalue him. In the end he may end up playing on 2nd paring 5 years from now and maybe he will do well, maybe not. Knowing our track record when it commes to d-men, probably not. Big if.
Equally gifted defender prospects have more trade value than forwards.
I am not sure how else to say it.. We NEVER (with very few exceptions) draft gifted defender prospects. I mean if we were any good at drafting D we would do it long time ago but we NEVER do it. Best guy in 20 years was Joni Pitkanen. He is decent but you won't win championship with him as number one.
Tradiotionally we trade for d-men or get them through UFA. Howe, Coffey, Rico, Timonen many others. I mean maybe Watson brothers.
I would love the Flyers to get Florida's pick this year in the 2nd round. That would mean we get three picks in the top 60.
1st Round- Defenseman-Cody Ceci (Maybe Olli Maatta falls to us!)
2nd Round- Goalie- Andrei Vasilevski
2nd Round- Defenseman- Ville Pokka or Dalton Thrower
3rd Round- Tomas Hyka
I think that would be the perfect first 3 rounds but thats just me
I would have no problem with this. And then we can take Nathan Walker for the sheer awesomeness of it in later rounds.
Also, is Hyka really going to be up to a 2nd rounder?
1) He's not a fighter. Sure, he can drop the mitts and throw 'em, but he's not a fighter. In fact, Soumakis looks like he could be a very useful NHL player on a number of levels. He's an excellent skater with a thick, compact build, fearlessly hits everything on the ice (including much bigger players), and possesses soft hands and legitimate offensive skill. Trust me, he'd be a fan favorite here the second he steps on the ice. Soumakis is one of those agitator types who has a well-rounded game and will piss you off even more because he can score (think Brad Marchand).
2) If Hyka continues at his current pace, I don't think it's a stretch to say he could be a second round pick. His skill level is dynamic. The Flyers ****ed up big time by not nabbing him at the end of the seventh round.
Eh, I'd take a chance on a defender or two in this draft. Some of these guys who are going in the late 1st and second this year would go earlier in other drafts. Guys like Maata and Ceci can be potential franchise guys.
Yea, it hasnt worked in the past, but I feel like if these guys are available who HAVE to choose them. They fit a big need.
Their 1st round pick should be a defenseman. BPA is the right strategy, but we desperately need a top-pair defenseman out of the draft.
I say go D-man unless somebody is still available that you just can't pass-up.
Phantoms lose 4-3 to the Senators. Akeson had 2 assists, bringing his pt total to 26, and Tyler Brown had a goal, his second of the year, and an assist. They were the only Phantoms w/ multiple points in the game.
If the Flyers stay where they will be (early to mid 20's), they should take the best possible player regardless of position. The defensive depth is weak but so is goaltending and 1st line right wing. The only position they do not need is center, unless of course he can play wing. I would like to see them package Voracek and the 1st and try and get in the top 15. That way one of the better defensemen will be available, say Ceci or the pipe dream of a falling Trouba.
If the Flyers stay where they will be (early to mid 20's), they should take the best possible player regardless of position. The defensive depth is weak but so is goaltending and 1st line right wing. The only position they do not need is center, unless of course he can play wing. I would like to see them package Voracek and the 1st and try and get in the top 15. That way one of the better defensemen will be available, say Ceci or the pipe dream of a falling Trouba.
Voracek and a 20s 1st just to get into the top 15?!?
The idea of this draft is that there's good depth on the defensive side, therefore you don't need to get into the top 15.
Not to mention that's just terrible value / asset management for the flyers.
Flyers trade a 2nd line RW w/ 1st line potential who has been nothing short of dominant on the puck for moving up 10 picks in the draft?
Jeezus HFboards is nuts when it comes to draft picks.
If the Flyers stay where they will be (early to mid 20's), they should take the best possible player regardless of position. The defensive depth is weak but so is goaltending and 1st line right wing. The only position they do not need is center, unless of course he can play wing. I would like to see them package Voracek and the 1st and try and get in the top 15. That way one of the better defensemen will be available, say Ceci or the pipe dream of a falling Trouba.
What?
Please no. Deep draft at a position of need and we're just wasting assets for no reason?
What about some guys who are expected to be around our pick like Koekkoek? Hell, Craig Button has Maata ranked down in the mid-2nd round in his last list. Subban and Dansk also fall in our draft area for the 1st round, and Vaselivski in the mid-2nd. We could make it out of the 2nd round with two very good defense prospects, and a good goalie prospect, and have Hyka waiting for us in the 3rd.
Btw, apparently Johan Backlund left the team after tonights Phantoms game. Potential new place to play? Perhaps a family emergency?
This years Couturier situation (BPA) would most likely be a defenseman falling.
Actually this years situation COULD be Galchenyuk. Galchenyuk was supposed to be top 10 but he's gonna be out until the playoffs so many scouts have him falling as far as 20th. If he's there and we don't take him...
, and Joonas himself seeming to have the wrong attitude completely ****ed his chances of playing for the flyers. He regressed so quickly within 3-4 months it was absurd.
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