Flyers to pick at No. 7 overall after standing pat in NHL draft lottery

On Monday night at the NHL draft lottery drawing, the window all but slammed shut on the Flyers’ hopes of selecting future superstar Connor Bedard.

The Flyers, who finished the season with the seventh-worst record in the league (31-38-13), stayed put and got the No. 7 overall pick in the draft. The Chicago Blackhawks (11.5%) jumped up from No. 3 to land the No. 1 overall selection.

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Going into the lottery, the Flyers had the best odds at staying at No. 7 (44.4%), followed by a 36.5% chance of dropping to No. 8, a 6.7% shot at rising to No. 2, a 6.5% chance of jumping to No. 1, and a 5.6% chance of falling two spots to No. 9.

Following the Blackhawks, the Anaheim Ducks have the No. 2 overall pick in the draft. The Columbus Blue Jackets have selection No. 3, followed by the San Jose Sharks at No. 4, the Montreal Canadiens at No. 5, and the Arizona Coyotes at No. 6.

The Flyers last drafted at No. 7 overall in 2015 when they selected defenseman Ivan Provorov from the Western Hockey League’s Brandon Wheat Kings. Another generational talent was also available at the top of that draft – center Connor McDavid, whom the Edmonton Oilers selected with the No. 1 pick.

Heading into the upcoming draft, which will take place in Nashville from June 28-29, the Flyers have nine picks, including one in the first round, two in the third, two in the fourth, one in the fifth, two in the sixth, and one in the seventh. Former general manager Chuck Fletcher included their second-round pick in a 2021 trade with the Buffalo Sabres for defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen. The Nashville Predators possess the greatest quantity of picks going into the draft with 13, including two first-rounders.

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As of the night of the draft lottery, Danny Brière remains the Flyers’ interim general manager. The Flyers promoted him to the role from his previous position of assistant to the GM after firing Fletcher on March 10.

If Brière is named the permanent general manager, this upcoming draft will mark his first experience at the helm of the Flyers’ hockey operations department. Brière was involved in the draft process last year, which culminated with the Flyers selecting U.S. National Team Development Program (NTDP) forward Cutter Gauthier with the No. 5 overall pick.

Before heading to Nashville for the draft, NHL front offices will converge on Buffalo for the scouting combine from June 4-10 to interview and evaluate prospects.

Bedard is the No. 1-ranked North American skater by NHL’s Central Scouting. Adam Fantilli, the University of Michigan freshman center and Hobey Baker Award winner who is expected to go second overall, is the No. 2-ranked North American skater. Fantilli is followed by center Will Smith (U.S. NTDP), right winger Matthew Wood (University of Connecticut), right winger Ryan Leonard (U.S. NTDP), and left winger Zach Benson (Winnipeg Ice, WHL).

Center Leo Carlsson (Örebro HK, Swedish Hockey League) ranks atop Central Scouting’s list of international skaters, ahead of right winger Matvei Michkov (SKA St. Petersburg, Kontinental Hockey League), center Dalibor Dvorský (AIK, Sweden’s HockeyAllsvenskan), and left winger Eduard Šalé (HC Kometa Brno, Czech Extraliga).

Bedard, Fantilli, Michkov, Carlsson, and Smith are expected to be off the board by the time the Flyers draft at No. 7. They could be picking from the next tier of Benson, Leonard, Dvorský, Šalé, U.S. NTDP center Oliver Moore, Moose Jaw Warriors center Brayden Yager, and more. But regardless of who the Flyers take at that spot, assuming they don’t trade the pick, that prospect is likely at least a year or two away from making the jump to the NHL.

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