After the fireworks from the first night of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, all of Philadelphia was ready to join Daniel Briere and the front office on day two.
Briere chose Matvei Michkov and Oliver Bonk in the first round. He struck gold without having to sacrifice anything.
Without a single trade across the league during round one, many speculated the Philadelphia Flyers would make one on day two. Travis Sanheim is a name that circulated the rumor mill, but those fizzled out. Briere did answer the phone to begin the second day of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, but not in the way anyone expected:
51) Carson Bjarnason
In a twist, the Flyers traded their 2024 second (LAK) and 2023 sixth-round picks to move up in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft to select Bjarnason.
Is this due to consideration of a roster lacking Carter Hart? Does this decision provide commentary on the future of Ivan Fedotov with the franchise? It’s all open to interpretation, but the critical context is that Briere decided to trade up for a goaltender.
Bjarnason is the top-ranked G, according to NHL Central Scouting. He carved out a winning record (21-19-5) behind an unsteady defense with the Brandon Wheat Kings in the WHL. In 2022-2023, he held a 90%SV with a 3.08GAA in 47GP. Bjarnason was the fourth G off the board, following Trey Augustine, which might’ve been the catalyst behind the urgency to trade up.
87) Egor Zavragin (+)
Unexpectedly, the Flyers selected a G with back-to-back picks.
Echo all the same sentiments as before. Zavragin had a stellar 2022-2023 season in his appearances for Mamonty Yugry in the MHL as a backup to Evgeni Volokhin. In 21GP, Zavragin held a 92%SV and a 2.49GAA.
Zavragin is an athletic, hybrid G that attacks shot angles, resulting in solid puck tracking. Doubling down at this position in back-to-back picks could mean the Flyers wanted to become deeper at G, which Zavragin is arguably as good as Bjarnason.
95) Denver Barkey (+)
Bonk texted Barkey, his teammate on the London Knights in 2022-2023, about how he felt the Flyers might take him on day two of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft.
Barkey became more impressive as last season kept moving. He nearly scored at a point-per-game pace during the regular season, finishing third in scoring on the Knights. After posting 59 points (22G, 37A) with a +18 rating in 61GP, Barkey followed with 24 points (11G, 13A) with a +12 rating in 20GP during the postseason.
He is an elusive skater, creating space for his teammates in the offensive zone. Barkey is a playmaker, but what brought him to the next level in the OHL postseason was the emergence of his defensive game, especially in transition.
103) Cole Knuble (+)
Another legacy selection for the Flyers, Knuble is a name Philadelphia is familiar with; the new front office included.
Cole is a University of Notre Dame commit who spent 2022-2023 with the Fargo Force in the USHL. He totaled 66 points (30G, 36A) with a +31 rating in 57GP. In addition, he won the 2023 Curt Hammer Award.
He takes a balanced offensive approach, showing the capability to be a playmaker and scorer. If he can improve his skating, he’ll translate at the NHL level, but Cole presents an effective net-front presence that’ll be tough on opposing goaltenders.
120) Alex Ciernik (+)
Briere found a steady LW in the fourth round. Ciernik is one of the better skaters in class. Additionally, Ciernik displays quality hockey IQ, usually making the right decision with the puck on his stick. Without the puck, Ciernik does tend to disappear from the game.
Ciernik spent most of last season with Sodertalje SK in HockeyAllsvenskan, while on loan to Vasterviks IK. He appeared in 25GP during the HockeyAllsvenskan regular season, totaling 12 points (3G, 9A) after being absent from the ice for nearly three months. It was an absolute value selection by Briere, securing one of the best Slovakian skaters.
135) Carter Sotheran (+)
You could almost picture Keith Jones, Dan Hilferty, and John Tortorella simultaneously pointing out Sotheran while talking about restoring the Flyers. Doubling down on efficient, puck-moving defensemen who prioritize defense first is a spectacular sight. Briere hit on about every pick he had in his first NHL Entry Draft.
In an earlier mock, I projected Sotheran as a fourth-round target. He offers value in the fifth round. A project prospect, he excels in the transition to offense and defense, unafraid to get very physical at the boards. Don’t expect Sotheran to produce a ton of points, however.
Sotheran spent 2022-2023 in the WHL with the Portland Winterhawks. In his first WHL season, he totaled 23 points (4G, 19A) in 68GP with a +14 rating.
172) Ryan MacPherson
Committed to the University of New Hampshire in 2024-2025, MacPherson was the alternate captain of the Leamington Flyers in the GOJHL.
MacPherson helped the Flyers win the Sutherland Cup in seven games. He totaled 38 points (14G, 24A) in 24GP during the postseason, keeping the over-a-point-per-game pace from the regular season.
199) Matteo Mann (-)
Everything about this selection screams ‘Broad Street Bullies.’ Hilferty mentioned that the Flyers need to be on board with the game evolving away from that era. Mann is an imposing 6’6″ and weighs in at 229lbs.
Last season, in 45GP with the Chicoutimi Sagueneens in the QMJHL, Mann contributed five assists with a -23 rating. He is a raw talent but a surprisingly better skater than he gets credit for.
Better options were available in the seventh round, such as Yegor Rimashevskiy, Zaccharya Wisdom, or Emil Jarventie.
(AP Photo/George Walker IV)
