Welcome to Broad Street Hockey’s Summer 2024 Top Under 25! The series is back and with the Philadelphia Flyers focusing so much on the future, it’s more important than ever. Join us as we rank the 25 best players under the age of 25 for the next few weeks.
With the honor of being the guy who just snuck in on our esteemed list, 2024 second round pick Spencer Gill checks in at a tie for 24. Coming from the Rimouski Oceanic, the 6-foot-4, 185 pound defenseman has all the physical tools and puck-moving abilities needed to take the jump into real-prospect territory.
As for the Flyers belief in Gill, Brent Flahr and the Flyers scouting team were quite aggressive in trying to draft him. Using the extra 2025 3rd rounder that the Flyers acquired in the Jett Luchanko move-down trade with Minnesota, the Flyers sent two third rounders to the Wild to move up for Gill. That’s not insignificant capital, so let’s get into what the Flyers could see in Spencer Gill.
No. T-24: Spencer Gill
2023-24 Primary League/Team: Rimouski Oceanic (QMJHL)
2023-24 Statistics: 12 G, 34 A in 65 GP
Age as of 9/15/2024: 18 (8/17/2006)
Acquired Via: 2024 NHL Draft – Round 2, Pick 59
How did Gill’s 2023-24 season go? Is his stock trending up or down from where it was entering the year?
With 46 points in 65 games (.708 P/GP), Gill ranked 16th in QMJHL scoring for all defensemen, but second among all 17-year-old defensemen in the Q. In arguably the weakest junior league in Canada these days, Gill was a puck-moving catalyst for Rimouski – and it earned him the title of 2024’s highest drafted QMJHL player at pick 59.
Gill’s draft stock slowly rose throughout the year, eventually putting him at No. 29 in NHL Central Scouting’s final ranking of North American skaters. Here’s a quick rundown on Gill from Elite Prospects, who had Gill ranked at No. 68 in their Draft Guide.
“‘He’s awkward and shaky at times, and certainly not explosive,’ wrote Elite Prospects Dir. of North American Scouting Mitch Brown in a January game report. ‘But Gill clearly exploits momentum, anticipates activation opportunities well in advance, and even manipulates opponents to create lanes in all three zones. The mechanical instability means it doesn’t consistently appear – or work – on breakouts, but it could as he grows in coordination, strength, and confidence.’”
What are we expecting from Gill this season? What should we be looking for from him?
Gill is probably in one of the most advantageous developmental situations he could be in the QMJHL, as Rimouski is known to churn out development success stories, particularly on the defensive side. The Flyers are clearly quite comfortable with that situation, too, as former Flyer Samuel Morin will be aiding in Gill’s development with Rimouski. That’s not to say we should expect a game similar to Morin’s out of Gill, but the Flyers must see some value in Gill receiving advice from someone with similar physical tools as him.
Having said that, Gill is going to be a top-pair defenseman with the Oceanic, and in position to receive power play responsibilities. As an 18 year old, if all things are going according to plan, Gill should have a significant jump in points and production while improving the skating inconsistencies that plagued him in his draft year.
How does Gill fit in the Flyers’ rebuild? Is it likely he’s going to be a part of the next good Flyers team?
Well, if Gill is anywhere close to the game of Noah Dobson, who Gill mentioned he models his game after – there will definitely be a spot for him on the next great Flyers team. But, even if he doesn’t reach that level, there’s a lot of runway for Gill to carve out a spot on future Flyers teams. Who knows what the defense core is going to look like in the 3-5 years it’ll take for Gill to reach the big club. But, since Gill will be working with Samuel Morin in the Rimouski program, it’s clear the Flyers could envision a future with Gill on their blueline and are investing resources in his development accordingly.
What do we think Gill’s ultimate NHL upside is, and how likely is it that he gets to something approaching that?
I would say it’s extremely unlikely that Gill reaches that Noah Dobson level he aspires to be at, but the likely highest upside is that Gill could be a No. 3 quality defensemen if all his physical tools reach their fullest potential. Or, if he really takes the messaging from the Sam Morin school of defense to heart, maybe he profiles moreso as a solid bottom-pair defensemen who can actually move the puck. A player with a Sam Morin-taught defensive style with much better puck skills? That type of player can fit on an NHL roster anyday of the week. I would bet on the bottom-pair outcome as the most likely for Gill, if he were to make it to the NHL.
Previously in the Summer 2024 Top 25 Under 25:
