Flyers’ Nesbitt out to prove he was worth the big trade

VOORHEES, N.J. – Swapping two first-round picks to move up in the NHL Draft means that team believes it’s getting a very special player.
And it also means that player could be feeling a little bit of extra pressure once he hits the ice.
If there’s anyone who might be able to handle that sort of high expectation, it could very well be Jack Nesbitt.
Last Friday, Flyers general manager Daniel Briere pulled the trigger on a deal which sent his No. 22 and No. 31 overall picks to Pittsburgh for the No. 12 slot.
Briere wasted no time securing Nesbitt, a 6-foot-4, 185-pound center from Sarnia, Ontario. After all, the Flyers do need centers, now and down the road.
Nesbitt acknowledges there might be more expected of him as a result of the noteworthy trade.
“It’s an honor,” he said during an interview at the Flyers Training Center. “Trading two first-round picks (to get him), it’s obviously a great feeling.
“I didn’t think they were going to pick me to be honest. But I am very happy about it. Me and my family celebrated after. It’s a great feeling and I’m proud of it.”
The Flyers think more highly of Nesbitt than several other national talent evaluators. The Hockey News had him pegged No. 20 and Central Scouting projected him at No. 15.
No matter. The Flyers believe he has the potential to be a top-end NHL performer and it’s just a matter of development.
“I know I was ranked either (No.) 10 to 20 or even lower,” Nesbitt said. “I just went into the draft knowing that I could be a first-rounder. I’m very happy about going 12th. I know a lot of people didn’t expect that. But I wanted to be in this position.”
Director of player development Riley Armstrong is a big believer in Nesbitt’s potential.
“His grit, his grit for a big guy,” said Armstrong when asked what he likes about Nesbitt. ” He’s definitely not a soft-skilled player. He likes dirty areas. You see him in those corner battles, he’s not shying away from anyone out there. Once he understands how to use his body, come out of the corner with the puck and gets stronger, I think he’s going to be a nice addition in a couple years.”
One stat which jumps off the page for Nesbitt was the difference in his stats from two season ago to last year. With Windsor (Ontario Hockey League) in 2023-24, he produced only nine goals in 58 games.
Last year? An eye-opening 25 goals in 65 games.
The whole draft experience didn’t come without its humorous moments.
The Nesbitt family was flying back from Los Angeles (where the NHL Draft was formally held) and landed in Philadelphia as Jack was preparing for development camp.
The group was waiting at the luggage retrieval conveyer belt when one of Jack’s sticks got stuck and jammed things up.
“It got stuck in the side,” Nesbitt said with a wry smile. “So like we were waiting there for an hour. We were trying to figure that out.
“But ever since then it’s been great. It (FTC) is a sweet facility here. It’s a great community, a lot of great guys. I’m excited to get going.”
One thing Nesbitt needs to work on is his skating. Like most teenagers, Nesbitt would like to get quicker, particularly those first couple steps.
“I’m a big guy, need to work on my skating a lot,” he said. “That’s one of the biggest things. Also, putting on weight, being where I want to be at (in the 200-pound range).
“Working out the legs, protein drinks, I feel like that will help a lot.”
A number of Nesbitt’s points last season came on the power play and that’s an aspect of the game the Flyers can certainly use some help with considering they’ve finished the last four seasons 32nd, 32nd, 32nd and 30th.
“In Windsor, I played a netfront role,” Nesbitt said. “I always work on that. Down-low positioning. Getting pucks over (goalies’) pads. Tipping shots out front. I work on all that and hopefully it translates to the next level. As I get bigger, that will help with that.”