‘The complete package’ Connelly has an interesting draft for Flyers originally appeared in NBC Sports Philadelphia
Despite making it through most of the 2023-24 season, the Flyers still have a rebuilding mentality. The club’s decision-makers know there is a need for more talent and that the early draft remains the best way to acquire it.
“The majority of it still needs to be done through our young guys, especially through the draft,” general manager Danny Briere said in April.
The Flyers will have a good opportunity to boost their future when the 2024 NHL Draft arrives June 28-29 at the Sphere in Las Vegas. The first round is Friday at 7pm ET, while rounds 2 through 7 take place on Saturday starting at 11:30am ET.
Like last summer, the Flyers have 10 picks, including two first-round picks. Barring a negotiation, they will make their best overall selection at 12th position. Briere believes the Flyers “can get a very talented player” at that position.
In the first round of the 2023 draft, the Flyers attacked Matvei Michkov in the 7th position It is grabbed Oliver Bonk in 22nd place. They should also have two 2025 first-round picks.
Ahead of the 2024 draft, we’re breaking down the targets for the Flyers at No. 12.
Next:
Trevor Connelly
Position: Extreme
Height: 6-foot-1
Weight: 160
Photos: Left
Team: Tri-City Storm
Scouting Report
Behind excellent length and skill, Connelly is a dazzling offensive player.
He scored a USHL-best 1.50 points per game this season with 31 goals and 47 assists in 52 games with Tri-City. He had 23 multi-point games, while his 240 shots led the league and his 78 points ranked second.
Providence’s commit is difficult to contain in transition as his speed and evasion take over.
“Highly skilled and talented player,” Dan Marr, vice president of NHL Central Scouting, said just under three weeks ago in a phone interview with NBC Sports Philadelphia. “He has that get-up-and-go way, that motivation and energy in his game. He’s one of those players who will be really good playing alongside professionals. He plays at such a high pace that he’s making plays where some of his teammates I haven’t caught up with him yet in the play.”
At the 2024 IIHF U18 World Junior Championship a month and a half ago, Connelly had nine points (four goals, five assists) and a plus-7 rating in seven games on a U.S. team that took home medals from silver.
But teams may be hesitant to take Connelly because of some off-ice concerns, which he discussed last summer in a story by Jordan McAlpine of The Rink Live. Connelly may also face skepticism about his framework. How will his game translate to the next level? Will he have more strength to fend off adult defenders and score with less time and space?
NHL Central Scouting has Connelly as the sixth ranked North American skater. He is considered the 14th best prospect in the draft by EliteProspects. with and nº 15 by TSN’s Bob McKenziewhile TSN Craig Button has Connelly in 27th.
“He already has that NHL speed and quickness; he just needs to get stronger,” Marr said. “He’s headed to Providence, where Nate Leaman runs a solid program. Players go there, they become better players. complete package.”
Adjustment with leaflets
Connelly would certainly give the Flyers a leg up in the talent department. There are a lot of upsides to a smooth 6-foot-2 skater who can facilitate and finish.
If the Flyers drafted Connelly, they would have a promising picture for the future. He would join Michkov, who is 19 and the Flyers’ top prospect, and 22-year-old Tyson Foerster, who is coming off a 20-goal rookie NHL season.
But will the Flyers view Connelly as the best player available? It’s possible he’s deeper on the list and considered to have greater range at No. 12. A center or defenseman may be a better, lower-risk option.
More targets
• Flyers should like Helenius, ‘one of the draft’s biggest talents’
• Flyer draft target Catton has ‘ingredients’ to be top-tier center
• Flyers could have shot Yakemchuk, a defender with ‘rare combination’
• Flyers draft target Iginla has impressive NHL pedigree and ‘very high ceiling’
• Eiserman, ‘the best scorer in this draft’, an option for the Flyers?
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