With their first pick of Day 2 of the 2022 NHL Draft, at the 69th pick in the draft, the Flyers have selected winger Devin Kaplan from the US National Team Development Program.
🔶 WELCOME TO PHILLY! 🔶
With the 69th overall pick in the 2022 #NHLDraft, we have selected forward Devin Kaplan. pic.twitter.com/jwdNQtmtWM
— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) July 8, 2022
Kaplan, much like first-round pick Cutter Gauthier, is a big (6-foot-3, 198 pounds) winger. He’s from Bridgewater, New Jersey, and posted 13 goals and 25 assists in 53 games with the team in a depth role.
Courtesy of this scouting report from Flames Nation, this was around the range the experts expected him to go:
Daily Faceoff: 59th
Elite Prospects: 61st
FC Hockey: 60th
TSN (Bob McKenzie): 67th
The Athletic (Scott Wheeler): 74th
The Athletic (Corey Pronman): 70th
Dobber Prospects: 63rd
Smaht Scouting: 36th
Based on the reports available (such as this one from Dobber Prospects), Kaplan’s an offensively-talented winger whose major flaw appears to be his skating and pace of play. We’ve got another if-he-can-just-figure-out-the-skating project on our hands here, folks.
Kaplan will be heading to Boston University in the fall.
