With the 23rd pick in the NHL Draft, the Flyers have selected forward Tyson Foerster from the Barrie Colts of the Ontario Hockey League.
In 62 games for Barrie, Foerster compiled 36 goals and 80 points in 62 games. The initial read on him seems to be that he has impressive offensive talents and a high-end shot, but has some flaws in his skating that are going to have to be sorted out if he’s going to make an impact at the NHL level.
Some scouting reports from our network, including from All About The Jersey:
Foerster’s claim to fame as a prospect is an excellent and versatile shot that allows him to score from all over the ice. Based on pretty much every profile out there on him, he has a blistering one-timer as well as an arsenal of other good shots that allow him to reliably score in a number of positions. Foerster performed pretty well all-around this season, but he stood out most on the power play, where he scored 18 of his 36 goals on the season. He can rip it from the dot like few players even at the NHL can, and it makes him a potentially lethal scoring threat at the next level. Most of the rest of Foerster’s game ranges from fine to pretty good, though, which is why he seems destined for the second round of the draft this year. He’s a solid playmaker and his work away from the puck seems decent, if not necessarily standout, as well. He is generally regarded as a very smart player overall. The main knock on his game is his skating which is somewhere between adequate and a liability depending on who you’re asking. It’s clear that the shot will be the thing to get him drafted where he does but it seems like there is some potential for more than just a sniper/power play threat.
He scored a lot of his goals this season from the top of the left circle – a la Alexander Ovechkin. His shot from that spot is one of the best in all of junior hockey. It’s heavy, quick and one that will definitely translate to the NHL.
While his shot is the biggest strength, Foerster’s playmaking shouldn’t be overlooked. He is great at anticipating the play and is able to create scoring chances for both himself and his teammates. Foerster is a very smart player with high-end “hockey instincts”. He is a very good positional forward in all three zones that has a big impact on his team’s defense thanks to an elite ability to read the play as it unfolds.
While many will rate his skating as a “weakness”, that comes from a lack of explosive acceleration. Foerster’s actually has an above average top speed and is very strong on his skates. Two attributes that allow him to be an effective forechecker.
Foerster — whose position is unclear; he is labeled as a center and a winger in various places — appears to be a project, particularly when it comes to his skating, but with the depth the Flyers have, this seems like the kind of swing they can afford to take. With his offensive tools, he immediately becomes one of the highest-upside players in the team’s prospect ranks.
Barring a trade, the Flyers will pick again at 54th overall tomorrow afternoon.
