We’ve now had some time to process the first round of the NHL draft that took place at the end of June, and the Flyers’ (slightly) off-board selection of Jett Luchanko. For some of us, that distance has been a good thing and, upon reflection, tracks with how Brent Flahr–the Flyers’ “draft guru”–makes his selections.
Given how some of his other choices have panned out, perhaps him and the rest of the scouting department deserve some leeway to make draft choices that leave us amateurs scratching our heads. With that in mind, let’s look at how the Flyers’ first-round picks since Flahr joined the organization in 2019 are looking.
Two things to note before we begin: first and foremost, it is way too early to make judgements on some of these players, especially the ones who have yet to play meaningful NHL minutes, or even any NHL minutes at all. Second, drafting isn’t always about choosing the player who will have the most immediate impact; it’s about selecting the one with the most potential in the future. That means that some picks will look baffling in the moment, but savvy some years down the line.
2019 1st-Round Selection: Cam York, 14th overall
Ah, the first–and most infamous–choice of the Flahr era: Cam York over Cole Caulfield. If you look at just the box stats, it’s not great: in 205 career games, Caulfield has 81 goals and 149 points to York’s 15 goals and 60 points in 169 games. Under the surface though, things get a little more fuzzy.
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