The Philadelphia Flyers will take as many high-end talents as they can get in the 2025 NHL Draft, but if they want a defenseman, they’ll have to trade up to get him.
A lot of the focus has been on whether the Flyers will trade up from the No. 6 slot, but what if the Flyers got aggressive in another way? With the 22nd pick and either the 31st or 32nd pick, the Flyers have plenty of ammo to move up several spots for a player they covet.
The Flyers already alluded to the possibility of selecting a defenseman or a winger in the draft, though nobody is fully convinced that’ll happen at No. 6. That just adds further fuel to the idea.
Tri-City Americans defenseman Jackson Smith, who is regarded as one of the top two or three defenders in the 2025 draft class, could very well still be available at the end of or just outside the top 10.
In that event, the Flyers could make something happen to get a potential franchise defenseman that’s been compared to Thomas Harley and Travis Sanheim.
The 6-foot-4 blueliner, according to Russ Cohen of SiriusXM NHL and EliteProspects, is coveted by the Flyers, but there are no guarantees to be made there.
For instance, the Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Rangers pick 11th and 12th, respectively, so the Flyers can cross those two teams out as potential trade partners.
Teams like Seattle and Buffalo, eighth and ninth, might be more receptive to trading down, especially if Philadelphia is willing to offer up a roster player to help either team make immediate improvements.
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Danny Briere made one of his first trades as an NHL GM with the Anaheim Ducks, so the two sides have some familiarity and, presumably, and open line of communication there.
The Flyers have insisted that they want to start winning games, which means that, soon, they will no longer be able to rely on draft picks to improve the roster, or the cycle will just continue year over year.
If the organization deems Smith to be the defense prospect they need to eventually take the next step, that belief is enough to justify a big draft trade.
Looking at the Flyers’ organizational depth chart, the defense cupboard is rather thin. Prospects like Ty Murchison and Hunter McDonald play similar styles and don’t have very high ceilings, while time is ticking on players like Adam Ginning, Emil Andrae, and Egor Zamula.
Using a number of draft picks on the defense, whether it’s Smith or others, would do wonders for the Flyers going forward.
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