GDT: 2023 NHL Draft - (1st Round - 6/28 at 7PM ET and Remainder of Draft - 6/29 at 11AM ET)

[the deaninator]

No trades league wide on dr

So my thoughts about the lack of trades makes me think the flyers are either not trading anyone, or keeping them until the deadline for better value. Meh. Ok then.

 

[DancingPanther]

The good: Michkov. Ciernik who has top tier speed and skill, looking like a steal at that point in the draft. The defensemen they picked seem to follow a mold of being above average skaters with good IQ and promising transition skills. Sotheran as a young CHLer is an improving and already smart defender to boot us a fine pick in the later rounds. The goalies appear to have high ceilings. The swing on a Junior B player in the 6th is fine. At least it's a swing.

The bad: trading up for a 2nd round goalie. Knuble's kid. Leaving some intriguing skill on the board and going with Bonk, labeling it publicly as a fit pick.

The ugly: an obvious Flahr pick in the 7th round.

Even though I don't agree with the Bonk selection or the mid round goalie run, Briere is at least visualizing a reasonable archetype with his skater selections. All I ask, especially after being Fletchered, is that there's reasonable defense of their decisions, and I think there pretty clearly is here. Flahr's pick sticking out like a sore thumb will never not be hilarious to me.

I think it's a step in the right direction, but not a decisive W.

 

[Beef Invictus]

The good: Michkov. Ciernik who has top tier speed and skill, looking like a steal at that point in the draft. The defensemen they picked seem to follow a mold of being above average skaters with good IQ and promising transition skills. Sotheran as a young CHLer is an improving and already smart defender to boot us a fine pick in the later rounds. The goalies appear to have high ceilings. The swing on a Junior B player in the 6th is fine. At least it's a swing.

The bad: trading up for a 2nd round goalie. Knuble's kid. Leaving some intriguing skill on the board and going with Bonk, labeling it publicly as a fit pick.

The ugly: an obvious Flahr pick in the 7th round.

Even though I don't agree with the Bonk selection or the mid round goalie run, Briere is at least visualizing a reasonable archetype with his skater selections. All I ask, especially after being Fletchered, is that there's reasonable defense of their decisions, and I think there pretty clearly is here. Flahr's pick sticking out like a sore thumb will never not be hilarious to me.

I think it's a step in the right direction, but not a decisive W.

I think we've confirmed that the near total scorn of transition ability was a Fletcher thing.

 

[Striiker]

This is very much not what the Flyers did.

Charlie is lying again.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

From a random, obscure, first-attempt at such a search summary:

2023 NHL Draft: Final grades for all 32 teams

The 2023 NHL Draft is officially in the books, with some franchises faring much better than others in their selections. Here's a letter grade for all 32 teams.

sports.yahoo.com

Winner: Philadelphia Flyers​

Sanjesh Singh​

Philadelphia had quite a special talent fall in its lap. Matvei Michkov was widely seen as a clear-cut top-five pick, with the potential of going at No. 3. However, he dropped to the Flyers at No. 7.​

​

There were a couple of reasons for his slide that involved his availability to play in the NHL since he's currently under contract with KHL's SKA St. Petersburg in Russia through the 2025-26 season.​

​

But the Flyers have a scout based in Russia, Ken Hoodikoff, who has watched prospects there in person, per NBC Sports Philadelphia. So landing a talent like Michkov, even though it's not transparent when and if he'll able to transition to the NHL, at No. 7 has the potential to be a crucial win in the long run.​

Philadelphia Flyers: A+​

Ian Kennedy​

The Flyers got everything they could have asked for and more. Michkov at seventh was brilliant, then taking Oliver Bonk and Connor Bjarnason added excellent players from the net out.​

​

Where Philadelphia truly continued its success was beginning at pick 95 with Denver Barkey, followed by Cole Knuble (103), and Alex Ciernik (120). Philadelphia walked away with excellent value top to bottom.​

 

[Hollywood Cannon]

Cringe.

 

[FLYguy3911]

Oh forgot Flahr mentioned drafting York and Andrae again as a reason for targeting bigger defensemen. York was drafted 4 years ago. He'll be headed toward UFA while some of these guys are on ELCs. Andrae is already a roster lock I guess.

 

[LegionOfDoom91]

Oh forgot Flahr mentioned drafting York and Andrae again as a reason for targeting bigger defensemen. York was drafted 4 years ago. He'll be headed toward UFA while some of these guys are on ELCs. Andrae is already a roster lock I guess.

Didn’t they do that the following drafts after those two guys too? The early returns haven’t exactly been great.

 

[FLYguy3911]

Didn’t they do that the following drafts after those two guys too? The early returns haven’t exactly been great.

At least three drafts now.

 

[BrindamoursNose]

Can't complain about a draft where you leave with Michkov, but boy I don't understand the heavy investment in goaltender like that in those rounds. Makes me feel they plan on Carter Hart being out the door soon.

 

[Curufinwe]

 

[BrindamoursNose]

I love that, as a Philly 4/4 fan, we somehow walked away with Jalen Carter and Michkov without moving up in either draft.

LET'S START SMASHING SOME HEADS BABAY

 

[Hollywood Cannon]

I love that, as a Philly 4/4 fan, we somehow walked away with Jalen Carter and Michkov without moving up in either draft.

LET'S START SMASHING SOME HEADS BABAY

Uh, the Eagles moved up.

 

[deadhead]

Bonk was the biggest upside pick by the Flyers, he's physically underdeveloped, if he adds speed and burst as he fills out, he could take a big jump.
Sotheran on the other hand, is physical mature even though he just turned 18, he may fill out more and be a monster physically, but I doubt he'll make a big jump in terms of skating.

The biggest question mark is Barkey, he's really small, 5'9 155, and isn't the next Caufield, he has to carry 20-25 more lbs to be effective at the NHL level (because his game will require more than offense, he's gonna have to mix it up to some extent) - can he do so and still skate effectively? We saw with Leier that speed and heart aren't enough when you can be pushed around with a D-man's pinkie.

 

[BrindamoursNose]

Uh, the Eagles moved up.

Hey hey hey shut up

Let me enjoy this without dealing with facts

 

[Appleyard]

Bonk was the biggest upside pick by the Flyers, he's physically underdeveloped, if he adds speed and burst as he fills out, he could take a big jump.
Sotheran on the other hand, is physical mature even though he just turned 18, he may fill out more and be a monster physically, but I doubt he'll make a big jump in terms of skating.

The biggest question mark is Barkey, he's really small, 5'9 155, and isn't the next Caufield, he has to carry 20-25 more lbs to be effective at the NHL level (because his game will require more than offense, he's gonna have to mix it up to some extent) - can he do so and still skate effectively? We saw with Leier that speed and heart aren't enough when you can be pushed around with a D-man's pinkie.

Bonk's upside is probably a #2 Dman at most if everything goes well... there were 2-3 Dmen sitting there with higher pure upside.

Heck, there was a defenseman sitting there who is a better player in all three zones than Bonk right now whose only real down-side is height...

 

[deadhead]

Didn’t they do that the following drafts after those two guys too? The early returns haven’t exactly been great.

What bigger D-men?
Zanetti is a good skating LHD #110
Murchison is a bigger LHD #154
Samson is average size, but ppg as a late birthday in his D+2 season #178
McDonald is a big LHD #165
Sotheran is a big RHD #135
Not a lot of assets spent adding depth to the Phantoms.
You do need a supply of cheap, #6/#7 types in the organization, you stash in the AHL and call up after they've been seasoned for roster depth.
If you're lucky one or two outperform their draft slot.

Bonk's a different issue, a gamble that he'll make a jump as he physically matures (you can add strength and teach skating, but brain transplants are probably a century away!).

 

[Magua]

Oh forgot Flahr mentioned drafting York and Andrae again as a reason for targeting bigger defensemen. York was drafted 4 years ago. He'll be headed toward UFA while some of these guys are on ELCs. Andrae is already a roster lock I guess.

They're very open about drafting for fit, let alone with a team with holes everywhere. My brain is brain soup reading shit like this. You'd think they have Quinn Hughes and Samuel Girard.

 

[IronMarshal]

Flyers picks and consolidated rankings and how the various draft people rated them

Rank	First	Last	Pos	Team	League	Ht	Wt	Smaht	McKeens	THN	BB	EP	FC	THW Barrachinni	Horn	Pronman	Wheeler	Button	McKenzie	Peters	Total	Ave
4	Matvei	Michkov	RW	SKA 1946 St Pete	MHL	5'10	160	3	5	4	4	4	3	5	4	3	2	4	5	4	50	3.846
33	Oliver	Bonk	RHD	London	OHL	6'1	185	86	35	25	16	56	43	29	47	26	43	37	28	26	497	38.23
64	Carson	Bjarnason	G	Brandon	WHL	6'3	186	57	42	45	67	109	49	58	46	74	89	38	59	66	799	61.46
72	Alex	Ciernik	RW	Sodertalje J20	J20 Nationell	5'10	172	36	87	93	105	65		55	36	69	33	59	75	83	796	66.33
79	Carter	Sotheran	D	Portland	WHL	6'3	195	77	72		78	55									282	70.5
82	Denver	Barkey	C	London	OHL	5'8	174	38	80	74	62	79		51	62	101	83		80	81	791	71.91
140	Ryan	MacPherson	RW	Leamington	GOHL	6	168				94										94	94
147	Mateo	Mann	RHD	Chicoutimi	QMJHL	6'5	222			79				116							195	97.5
156	Yegor	Zavragin	G	Mamonty Yugry	MHL	6'2	185	66	134												200	100
171	Cole	Knuble	C	Fargo	USHL	5'11	183	87	125			106		99							417	104.3

 

[sa cyred]

What bigger D-men?
Zanetti is a good skating LHD #110
Murchison is a bigger LHD #154
Samson is average size, but ppg as a late birthday in his D+2 season #178
McDonald is a big LHD #165
Sotheran is a big RHD #135
Not a lot of assets spent adding depth to the Phantoms.
You do need a supply of cheap, #6/#7 types in the organization, you stash in the AHL and call up after they've been seasoned for roster depth.
If you're lucky one or two outperform their draft slot.

Bonk's a different issue, a gamble that he'll make a jump as he physically matures (you can add strength and teach skating, but brain transplants are probably a century away!).

I’ll be honest, this is the first time I have EVER heard someone say you draft for #6/7 defenders

 

[renberg]

One thing in Bonk's favor is that the next two seasons will see him getting developed by the Hunter brothers. IMO, that's a real plus. They'll add the most that is possible to his career.

 

[freakydallas13]

Cringe.

More cringe.

 

[freakydallas13]

Bonk was the biggest upside pick by the Flyers

 

[deadhead]

One thing in Bonk's favor is that the next two seasons will see him getting developed by the Hunter brothers. IMO, that's a real plus. They'll add the most that is possible to his career.

Doesn't hurt they seem to go deep into the playoffs on a regular basis, he played 67g then 21 PO games, that will accelerate your development.

 

[FLYguy3911]

No Cutter.