On paper, it says the Flyers have 10 picks in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft but it’s unlikely the team is going to keep/use all those selections in the order in which they are listed.
Chances are general manager Daniel Briere will make some moves during the event, which kicks off with the first round on Wednesday night at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee.
For one thing, there’s a big gap between his second first-round pick (No. 22) and his next choice, which falls in the third round at No. 87.
One has to go all the way back to 2016 to find the last time the Flyers completed a draft with a full complement of 10 selected prospects.
Even Briere confirmed he’s looking to put something together to advance and fill in that void in the second round.
Or possibly acquire a third first-rounder.
Also, the GM emphasized he is not looking to draft a player based on a specific positional need because things could change over the next couple years and organizational requirements might be different.
“I still want to take the best player available at that moment,” Briere said. “We take the player that’s going to be the best player for us, depending where we’re at in the organization.
“You’ve got to be careful to take the best player available for us. That’s probably going to be the goal. You have to be careful because that player is probably not going to be here for another few years. Things can change by that time in your lineup and your roster, so I want to be careful with trying to push for just strictly one position at the top of the draft.”
This year’s draft will mark the eighth time in franchise history the Flyers have owned multiple picks in the first round and the fourth time in the last nine drafts the Flyers have owned a pick in the top 10.
The first round on Wednesday will be televised starting at 7 p.m. on ESPN followed by rounds 2-7 on Thursday at 11 a.m. on the NHL Network.
The Flyers’ 2023 NHL Draft picks:
>Round 1 – 7th overall.
>Round 1 – 22nd overall (from Columbus Blue Jackets in Ivan Provorov trade).
>Round 3 – 87th overall (from New York Rangers).
>Round 3 – 95th overall (from Florida Panthers).
>Round 4 – 103rd overall.
>Round 4 – 120th overall (from Edmonton Oilers).
>Round 5 – 135th overall.
>Round 6 – 167th overall.
>Round 6 – 172nd overall (from Ottawa).
>Round 7 – 199th overall.
The 2023 Flyers Draft Guide is now available at philadelphiaflyers.com/pressbox.
