The Flyers slid back.
They'll pick No. 6 overall in the NHL Draft next month after the New York Islanders and the Utah Hockey Club both jumped ahead of them in the draft lottery on Monday night.
The Islanders claimed the No. 1 pick with the first drawing, and Utah leapfrogged the maximum 10 spots in the order from No. 14 up to No. 4 with the second drawing.
The Flyers entered Monday night holding the No. 4 pick in the order before the ping pong balls were drawn. They fell the last matching number short of winning the top pick in the first drawing.
The slide will likely keep them away from top-rated center prospects Michael Misa out of Saginaw and James Hagens out of Boston College.
However, general manager Danny Brière should still be able to find his team some near-NHL-ready center help in the back half of the top 10.
Sweden's Anton Frondell is the immediate name of interest down the middle who is expected to be available within the 5-7 range, and Moncton's Caleb Desnoyers, Brandon's Roger McQueen, and Brantford's Jake O'Brien are projected right behind him in this year's crop of centers.
The Flyers could also swing out from the position, even for as badly as they need help there, and elect to go for heralded Swedish winger Viktor Eklund or another young defenseman like Tri-City's Jackson Smith if they're available by the time they're on the clock.
The first 16 picks of the 2025 NHL Draft are set 👀
Who do you want your favourite team to draft? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/Qdh6ZRZWdU— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 5, 2025
The fall on the board is disappointing, sure, but it won't leave the Flyers without options. At this stage of the rebuild, they need them.
The Flyers' current roster is young, and lining up to get younger, but still very much a work in progress.
They have a couple of sure pieces in Matvei Michkov, Tyson Foerster, and already established veterans Travis Konecny and Travis Sanheim, but this pick will mark the next piece to the puzzle, along with the ones who are hopefully on the way in Jett Luchanko, Nikita Grebenkin, Oliver Bonk, Denver Barkey, and so on.
Additionally, the Flyers will have three first-round picks in the draft next month – their own, Colorado's from the Sean Walker trade, and Edmonton's from last June's pick swap – and 11 selections in total, which all come with a general belief since the season ended that Brière will use that capital to make some kind of significant move.
The Flyers just have to figure out what to make of this top-10 pick first.
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