PHILADELPHIA, PA. – The Philadelphia Flyers finally got back to work after missing the NHL playoffs for the third time in the past five seasons. The good news is the team had some help from the “hockey godz” and moved up from the 13th spot in the NHL Entry Draft to the second overall pick in the draft. Thankfully, two players stood head and 
shoulders in a forward heavy draft.
It was billed as Nico Vs Nolan, Nico Hischier vs Nolan Patrick, the New Jersey Devils (who had the first overall pick) took Hischier while the Flyers selected Patrick. In typical Philadelphia fashion the local media, especially certain members from one of the local sports talk shows, went into bitch-and-moan mode hearing the list of injuries that Patrick had to endure this season.
Once the whining and crying temporally ended for all of five minutes, fans and the true hockey media, you know the kind that actually follow the game saw the pick as nothing but a positive in a negative town. The rest of the Flyers draft class turned out to be solid as well.
Once the Flyers took Patrick, General Manager Ron Hextall went to work on the rest of the draft moving up twice, once back into first round by trading away Braydon Schenn to the St. Louis Blues, and selecting yet another center Morgan Frost (27th overall) from the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (OHL). The pick was a curious move considering most people felt Frost could possibly been taken in the second round but the Flyers have had a history of seeing a player they like then doing whatever it takes to get him.
The second move seemed like something they would have done in the first round by moving multiple picks to where the Arizona Coyotes had the 35th overall pick to select Isaac Ratcliffe, a beast on skates and a true left winger, something the Flyers sorely needed. In fact, the Flyers normally go for best-player-available and pick whomever falls to them but this draft saw the Flyers attack their biggest need, which is for scoring wingers. Overall the Flyers selected five wingers, two centers, one defenseman, and one goalie.
Of the rest of the picks besides their top three picks, Russian goalie Kirill Ustimenko, selected in the third round just might have been the steal of the draft. Most scouts feel the Flyers already have a solid and stable crop of young goaltenders, especially with back-to-back WHL Goaltender of the Year winner Carter Hart already looking like the odds on favorite to take over the goaltending duties for the Flyers in two years.
Ustimenko is 6’ 3”, 189 pounds and had a 1.74 GAA and .938 save percentage in 27 games in the MHL last season and he also played in two games for Team Russia at the World Junior Championships and posted a 0.50 GAA, and a .984 save percentage.
Some more good luck fell into the Flyers lap with Matthew Strome falling to them in the fourth round, but if he can get his skating in order the Flyers could find themselves another gem who’d help fill the scoring winger need 3-4 years from now. Noah Cates is a name the Flyers fans would also keep an eye on as well.
Nine picks taken, nine more players for fans and media alike to keep their collective eyes on. Free Agency came and went with the Flyers signing goaltender Brian Elliott to replace Steve Mason. Between now and the start of training camp in September all the talk will sadly focus around Patrick and his health, but if they focus on his hockey skills certain media types just might have something positive to talk about for a change.
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