Now, five years later, what if the Flyers got Shea Weber and gave up the 4 1st round picks to get him? Let’s take a look at what they would have given up in draft picks. While they might not have picked in the exact same location in the draft if they had Weber, the Flyers still would not have who they have now if it wasn’t for Nashville matching the offer sheet.
If Nashville didn’t match the offer sheet they would have received the Flyers 4 1st round draft picks over the next 4 years. They would have received a 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 1st round selection from the Flyers.
2013 1st Round Pick – Pick 11 – Samuel Morin
2014 1st Round Pick – Pick 17 – Travis Sanheim
2015 1st Round Pick – Pick 7 – Ivan Provorov
2016 1st Round Pick – Pick 18 (Traded Down to 22) – German Rubstov
So, on potential alone, the Flyers would have missed out on a #1 D pairing in Provorov and Sanheim for the next 15 years, a solid top 4 defenseman to pair with Ghost in Morin, and a player being compared to Jonathon Toews in Rubstov.
Now when it comes to actual talent, that is a different story. Samuel Morin is a towering 6’7” defenseman who has size, speed, and grit, a rare combination in the league today. Morin is a great complement to Ghost who is a much smaller guy and offensively minded. With Morin being more of a defensively minded guy, Ghost can unleash his offense without the worry of having to get back. Morin will be a great roll play defenseman for this team in the future and should be a regular starting next season playing quality minutes with Ghost next to him.
Travis Sanheim probably has the biggest upside when it comes to actual star status in the NHL due basically to his size and speed combination. Sanheim is a guy you want on your team because he does too much right and not enough wrong. He is a guy that can do everything you ask him to. He has the potential to be the next great NHL defenseman in the league.
Ivan Provorov is already a star. In just one year he has become the Flyers best defenseman. Last season, he led all Flyers d-men in minutes. His play last year led to him winning the Barry Ashbee Award for being the best Flyers Defenseman, which will not be his last. Provorov’s rare ability to perform being only 6’0”, is something you don’t find in the league today. He will be a mainstay for many more years to come.
Lastly, German Rubstov is a guy unknown to many Flyers fans strictly because he played in Russia and was hurt most of last season. He has all the tools to be a great NHL player one day, but with the scandal of the doping case with the Russia U18 team and the injury history, he has to perform and show first before he can become a hit for the Flyers in the future.
In all, the Flyers would have missed out on a solid top 3 defense crew to pair with Ghost and Gudas, and a very solid forward who has the potential to be a great secondary line center in the future. That is a lot to give up for a guy who is already past his prime and would just be another aging contract on the Flyers, something Hexy has worked hard over the past 4 years to get rid of.
It was better off for Nashville to match it because the Flyers are now set for a longer time period of success with younger talent.
Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports
