Except for trades, the 2023 NHL Entry Draft order is official. The Philadelphia Flyers will select seventh overall following the NHL Draft Lottery.
The Chicago Blackhawks won the ‘Connor Bedard Sweepstakes.’
Daniel Briere and John Tortorella switch focus to which prospect from this draft class will most likely help the team rebuild. Executing this draft is critical. It feels as vital as hiring the right candidate to be the President of Hockey Operations.
With the seventh selection in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, numerous prospects are available, all brimming with talent. The consensus agreement shows that a forward will be the pick. Will Smith or Dalibor Dvorsky make sense if the Flyers want to improve center depth. Along the wing, why not welcome Zach Benson to Philadelphia?
“We’re really strong on the right side; everybody knows that. With Cam Atkinson coming back and the emergence of many of our right wingers, it’s a really strong side. Couts coming back in the middle, [and] how Cates has played helps us down the middle. Looking quickly at it, on the left side, we might need some help there.”
Daniel Briere; 4/17/2023
The Flyers had the best probability of staying seventh overall (44.4%) and the second-best chance of falling to eighth (36.5%). The likelihood of obtaining the top overall pick was 6.5%, and 6.7% chance at the second selection.
Flyers 7th Overall History
Ivan Provorov was the only seventh-overall lottery selection in Flyers history.
At the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, Provorov was the first of two players, including Travis Konecny, selected in the first round. They’re still critical parts of the Flyers lineup that could see impending changes ahead of the 2023-2024 season.
This draft class is deep with talent. The Flyers won’t reach the top talent in the draft class, but they’re not striking out ultimately. Whoever is selected will develop into a budding nucleus with Cutter Gauthier, Tyson Foerster, Morgan Frost, and Noah Cates.
2023 NHL Entry Draft
The 2023 NHL Entry Draft begins on Wednesday, June 28th, and through Thursday, June 29th. Chicago will make the first selection in Nashville, TN.
All the coverage will take place on ESPN.
(Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP, File)
