Prospect watching, as Flyers fans must be well aware, is not for the faint of heart. The Flyers have been doing well in their volume drafting approach of late, but that also means that there are just so many players spread out across the globe to keep track of, and it’s not an easy task. Players can get lost in the shuffle, and this is somewhat particularly true of Devin Kaplan, who’s been putting up sneaky quite solid seasons since he was drafted a couple years ago.
The Flyers’ 2022 third-round pick (69th overall), despite being somewhat shuffled down the lineup on a deeper Boston University team in his sophomore season, still managed to match his freshman year point total in three fewer games played, and while that might not read like a dominant year at the NCAA level, it’s a step that those who have watched him throughout the season would be pretty pleased with. On the whole, there were a lot of positives on the season, but it was also in some ways a curious one.
One of the benefits of BU coming back with a deeper team last season is that Kaplan had some stronger linemates who could finish on more of the chances he was setting up (and we saw this bear out in the numbers, as his assist total increased from 13 to 18 this past season). In turn, though, we saw him take a bit of a step back in the goal scoring department, and Kaplan came away with just five goals on the season.
In spite of this bump in the road, Kaplan still sees the season overall as a success. “I thought it went pretty well,” he told media during last week’s Development Camp. “Obviously it was good to make it back to the Frozen Four. I think personally I got a little better at my power forward game, kind of making my presence known on the ice, but other than that I feel like I got bigger, stronger, faster, [acclimated] to the game, so it was definitely better for me.”
And building that power forward game – both the scoring and the grittiness that comes along with it — is something that has been a real focus for Kaplan of late. It’s been a bit of a work in progress, but Kaplan is taking it all in stride, and absorbing all that he can while at camp, knowing that he has some of the best minds in the business to pick:
”I talked to John LeClair a little bit after practice about just kind of net front habits, and things I can take with me back to school. And just small little details that’ll help me become a better power forward.“
Kaplan will head back to Boston University for his junior year, and as one of the older players on a roster that’s had some turnover since the spring, he’s primed to be given at least a bit of an expanded role, and a real opportunity to take the next step forward in his game. And guided by legends of the game who the Flyers and their prospects have at their disposal – Kaplan mentioned LeClair and Patrick Sharp as both personnel who have made their way up to Boston to see him play and offer some notes and tips – he seems to be in a great position to pull it off. Kaplan remains excited about his position and future in the Flyers organization, but he isn’t rushing the process to get there.
