PHILADELPHIA – There use to be are certain realities in life: Death, taxes, and the Philadelphia Flyers drafting a center. Well scratch one of those items off your list. For the first time since the 2013, the Flyers did not draft a center in any round of the NHL Entry Draft. Is this the sign of the apocalypse? Probably not, but consider that this was General Manager Chuck Fletcher’s first time making the final call at the draft for the Flyers.
For years, the Flyers have had a down-the-middle approach to building their team. Heading into this year’s draft the biggest needs going in were right wing and defense. So what did Fletcher do with his picks? He selected three right-wingers, three defensemen, and one goalie. For once, the Flyers drafted for need instead of the usual best player available.
Today we turn our attention to the top center prospects in the Flyers organization. There are quite a few to choose from but as usual, we have narrowed it down to the top five centers and one honorable mention,
Morgan Frost – Frost is easily the Flyers best prospect in their entire system regardless of positon. Frost had another ho-hum 100 plus point season playing for the Soo Greyhounds in the OHL. In 2017-18, Frost had 42 goals and 70 assists. This season Frost had 37 goals and 72 assists. That is the good news. The bad news for Frost is, unless something dramatic happens between now and Flyers training camp in October, Frost will begin the season in the AHL.
Overall, that is not a bad thing for his development, but consider this. Kevin Hayes was signed as a free agent initially to be the team’s second line center. Hayes can also play on right wing but he probably will not be moved to wing until Frost plays for the big club next season.
Some hockey “experts” think that Frost could be moved to wing permanently instead of Hayes but considering that Frost is probably the faster skater in the Flyers system, and Hayes is a hulking 6’ 5” 216 pounds, look for Frost to be a center for the Flyers for years to come, not Hayes. The bottom line on Frost is this. It is not a question of if Frost will be called-up this season to the big club but when. He is too talented to stay in the AHL the full season.
German Rubtsov – Another season, another trip to the disabled list for Rubtsov. The Flyers first round pick in 2016 was having a good start to his season but he ended up playing in only 14 games for Lehigh Valley (AHL) before his season ended with six goals and four assists. Rubtsov’s future with the team might be as a winger, which he did play in juniors.
Too many center prospects are clogging his way onto the Flyers roster. If Rubtsov is going to make it to the big club, it is going to have to be as a winger. Once he makes the big club it might be tough to get him out of the lineup based on his skill set.
Jay O’Brien – The Flyers second of two first round picks in 2018 (19th overall), O’Brien has already had a rough start in his quest to the NHL. A gifted goal scorer at Thayer Academy (Massachusetts) with speed and skill. Last season O’Brien played at Providence College but unfortunately, he had an unpleasant experience despite making it to the Frozen Four this year.
Injuries and a lack of playing time was a huge issue why he only played in 25 games with only two goals and three assists. O’Brien also played for Team USA at the World Junior Championships but played in seven games without a point.
O’Brien left Providence at season’s end and is seeking a transfer to Boston University, but if he is not granted a transfer, he will be playing in the BCHL this season for Penticton Vees. O’Brien has too much talent to be considered a bust so patience will be a virtue in his case.
Mikhail Vorobyov – A fourth round pick in 2015, Vorobyov initially impressed Flyers brass at his potential but the Russian native has found out the hard way that staying on an NHL roster is more difficult than making an NHL roster. Vorobyov is not a goal scorer, never has been, never will be. Vorobyov played in 15 games for the Flyers and scored only had one goal, but in 42 games at Lehigh Valley, Vorobyov scored 7 goals and 19 assists, only 3 points less than a season before.
His future will be either as a third or fourth line center. He needs to have another strong training camp if he wants Flyers brass to take notice of him again. The Flyers have too many quality prospects to get lost in the shuffle.
Tanner Laczynski – Usually sixth round picks are not usually noticed in the Flyers organization but in the Ron Hextall regime they did. Laczynski, who was drafted in 2016, has played very well for the Ohio State Buckeyes, as well as in his previous stint in the USHL. Laczynski has consistently scored 10 or more goals and 20 or more assists every season at Ohio State.
Laczynski will play at OSU for his senior season, and like most of the Flyers top prospects Laczynski will most likely play at wing for the Flyers one day. He has too much skill or be ignored despite being drafted in the later rounds.
Honorable Mention: Connor Bunnaman – Like Laczynski, Bunnaman was drafted in 2016 (fourth round). Bunnaman played four seasons for the Kitchener Rangers and was a solid consistent scorer. Bunnaman had a career best 37-goal outburst in 2016-17. This season he played for Lehigh Valley scoring 19 goals and 13 assists in 62 games.
The only thing that concerns Flyers brass was the fact that he was a -10 in plus/minus. If he has a better season, overall he could make it back into the Flyers plans going forward.
Brian Jennings covers the Philadelphia Flyers for prohockeynews.com and can be found on twitter at @Flyersfan22.
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