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Flyers Prospect Owen McLaughlin Learning, Growing at North Dakota

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Owen McLaughlin, UND, Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers have to like the early results of Owen McLaughlin, a seventh-round draft pick in 2021.

Owen McLaughlin is a talented winger/center who was selected by the Philadelphia Flyers in the seventh round of the 2021 NHL draft.

He was born in Phoenixville, where Mike Piazza grew up. And much like the Hall of Fame catcher early in his career, McLaughlin needs some muscle and strength. He was a project, but one with potential offensive upside.

Having seen him at the Philadelphia Flyers’ development camp and in the USHL, he has excellent hands, good vision, and is a quality skater.

After a short stint playing for the U.S. National U18 team with players like Jack Hughes and Luke Hughes, McLaughlin put up 28 goals and 72 points in 2021-22 for the Sioux City Musketeers, helping the team capture the Clark Cup.

Winning a championship at any level helps greatly with development.

At 19, he’s going through his freshman season with the University of North Dakota, where he has eight points — all assists — in 17 games.

At 16, he committed to Penn State University, but changed his mind. Instead, he and another former NTDP player, Dylan James, both ended up at UND, and they sometimes play on a line together.

Seems like McLaughlin made the correct decision.

This season, he’s not one of the team’s top players, and has a different role to play. McLaughlin hasn’t scored a goal yet, but he’s getting chances. He’s taken 30 shots, but just hasn’t had much luck in that area. A center by trade, his face-off percentage is 50%, and considering he’s still listed at 6-foot and 156 pounds and is going up against stronger players, that’s a big positive.

The offense is there. McLaughlin does get power-play time, and will get a bit more scoring chances with his teammate Jackson Blake playing in the World Juniors. McLaughlin has to work in his own end. That’s been on display more than a few times this season.

McLaughlin will probably spend three or four years in college, and then at least a year in the AHL. He could be a second-line AHL center. Then the Flyers could see what they have. He has the chops, but this player can’t skip any development steps.

As a seventh-rounder, if he plays in the NHL, that’s a heck of a draft pick.

Russ Cohen is a draft expert for SiriusXM NHL radio and Sportsology.com.

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