It’s a lock. The Philadelphia Flyers will have the 12th overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft. During the NHL Draft Lottery, the Flyers and the other 15 teams who did not qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs, all stayed put at their draft position.
While the draft is still over six weeks away, the time to look into the potential best and most-likely options for the Flyers with the first of their two first-round picks is already here. The good news is that the Flyers will still have many quality players to pick from, but the question that remains is who should they draft?
It’s no secret what the Flyers most important needs are. They still need a top-line center, but staying at 12th overall makes it unlikely they will find that true talent. It’s more likely that Philadelphia selects the best player available rather than positional need. Here is a breakdown of the top prospects who may still be there by the time the Orange and Black are ready to draft.
Cole Eiserman
The top goal-scorer in the draft could potentially slip past the top 10, and it would only be due to the plethora of talented defensemen going in short order. There are fits for Eiserman before the Flyers – the New Jersey Devils at 10th overall are an example – while creates doubt that Eiserman could be available at 12th overall. Eiserman would be a great complement for Jack Hughes and the rest of the Devils forwards.
The Flyers need a goal-scorer. Eiserman is that goal-scorer. He recently broke Cole Caufield’s record of scoring 127 goals scoring in the US National Team Development Program history. On top of that, he led the team in even-strength goals with 33 and power-play goals with 25 in 57 games played this year. Eiserman is going to develop his game more with one of the best NCAA hockey programs with Boston University.
Tij Iginla
This one is a stretch. Iginla, whose stock is rapidly rising, should be off the board within the top 10. Iginla has plenty of speed, incredible hockey IQ, vision, and most importantly is a center. The six-foot, 180-pound son of Hall-of-Famer Jarome Iginla looks like he will be an impact player for whichever NHL franchise when they have the opportunity in Las Vegas on June 28. Iginla led Kelowna with 47 goals – including 11 power-play goals – and 37 assists in 64 games played. He’s a hard-driven player who will be very difficult to play against. Sound familiar?
Berkly Catton
Another talented center with plenty of offensive upside to his game, Catton had 54 goals and 116 points in 68 games with Spokane, which was fourth best in the WHL this year. Catton plays a persistent overall game with explosive speed and can play on both sides of special teams. He was impressive on the power play in particular, something the Flyers also desperately need, with 13 goals and 17 assists for 30 points.
Catton is the most likely pick for the Flyers here if they want to go for positional need at center. Imagine him centering Matvei Michkov on the top the line in a few years? That would be quite a scene in South Philadelphia.
Carter Yakemchuk
A 6-foot-3 offensive right-handed defenseman who scored 30 goals this year is always the kind of player NHL teams dream about. For Yakemchuk, it could be a reality for the Flyers to draft him. This would certainly fit the bill of taking the best player available if Eiserman, Iginla, and Catton are all drafted before the Flyers can take them.
He would certainly be a contender for a player to help run the power play who has plenty of poise and skill, but at the same time has some work to do on his defensive game. Regardless, it’s worth the risk to allow Yakemchuk to develop his game and potential become a fixture of the Flyers blue line.
