PHILADELPHIA, Pa – There are certain certainties in life: Death, taxes, and the Philadelphia Flyers drafting a center. Although the team has drafted defensemen in the first round of the NHL Entry Draft from 2013-2015, The Flyers have taken a center with their first round pick in 2016, 2012 (Scott Laughton), 2011 (Sean Couturier), 2006 (Claude Giroux), and 2003 (Jeff Carter and Mike Richards). The Flyers did not have first or second round picks in 2009, 2010, and 2004. They did take a center with their first 
pick in the third round in 2010 (Michael Chaput).
The Flyers have always had a down-the-middle approach to building their team and made sure of it in 2016 when they selected five centers out of 10 draft picks including first round pick Russian native German Rubtsov.
With the last of our four-part look at the Flyers top prospects, today we turn our attention to the centers in the Flyers organization.
Travis Konecny – The Flyers second of two first round picks in 2015 (24th overall) behind his current teammate with the big club Ivan Provorov, Konecny has been a solid addition to the Flyers with his speed and play making ability. Don’t expect for him to be on this next season since he should become a member of the orange and black for years to come.
Mikhail Vorobyov – A fourth round pick in 2015, Vorobyov has Flyers brass drooling at his potential. The Russian native is currently playing in the World Junior Championship along with eight other Flyers prospects, the most of any NHL team in the tournament.
He is not a goal scorer but could find himself on the Flyers third line eventually but he has the potential to be on the second line with the right linemates.
Tanner Laczynski – Usually sixth round picks done get noticed in the Flyers organization but those days are gone in the Ron Hextall regime. The Ohio State Buckeyes also at the World Juniors playing for Team USA. He has six goals in 15 games for Ohio State and one goal and one assist in six games for the US.
Expect Laczynski to be at OSU for the next 3 years unless he decides to go pro a little sooner. When he does he will go straight to the AHL.
Connor Bunnaman – Like Laczynski, and many of the other players on our list, was drafted in 2016 in the fourth round. He is currently playing for the Kitchener Rangers and is a solid scorer. He has 16 goals in 33 games, third on the team and is fourth in points. This 16 goals already matches a personal best in which he set last season in 68 games.
This is his third year in juniors so expect Bunnaman to go pro next season and start in the AHL but could start his career at the ECHL level before being bumped up to the A.
German Rubtsov – The Flyers first round pick in 2016 has not off to a good start. He has no points in 16 games on his team in the KHL and does not have a point in five games at the WJC. He has 12 goals in 28 games last season so a tad baffled as to why he is off to such a slow start.
Rubtsov might be coming overseas next season if he can get out of his KHL contract but at this stage it might not be worth it but if he does leave he is slated to be in OHL next season.
In fairness to Rubtsov he is the youngest member of his Russia team and should be back on the next season at the WJC.
Pascal Leberge – The first of two second round picks in 2016, Leberge was out with a concussion. He is in his third season in major juniors. He has 23 goals last season for Victoriaville in 56 game. He has 4 goals in 16 this season so far and should play his last season in the Q for at least one more before going pro.
The Flyers are expecting big things from Leberge so be on the lookout for him in a Flyers sometime down the round, most likely in 2-3 years.
Honorable Mention: Cooper Marody – Marody is playing for the Michigan Wolverines but has played in only two games because of being academically ineligible last semester. Needless to say he is trying to make up for lost time. He already has three assists in two games he has scored 10 goals last season and 20 the season before in 70 game at MU.
Expect Marody to be back next season with the Wolverines unless his academics become an issue. A sixth round pick in 2015, Marody will most likely start his pro career in the ECHL before getting the call up to the A.
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