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Flyers’ Draft Day Trade Already Haunting Them

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Nikita Artamonov

The Philadelphia Flyers were slated to draft another player in the first round of the 2024 NHL Draft in June after selecting Jett Luchanko with the 13th overall pick.



Instead, the Flyers punted the pick, making a straight swap with the Edmonton Oilers. The trade sent Florida’s first-round pick (32nd overall, the last pick of the round) to Edmonton for a 2025 first-round pick, with nothing added. A pick for a pick.

So, rather than selecting a player they have scouted all year leading up to that point, the Flyers elected to punt the pick to 2025 hoping that the pick is slightly higher than 32nd.

Unfortunately, the value of a pick is decided by the player it’s used to select, not the number order it is assigned.

Some players left on the board were consensus second-rounders, while some were fringe first-rounders. A few more were first-round talents who carried a lot of risk but also a lot of upside. Those are the kinds of players the Flyers should be targeting with a pick as late as 32nd in this rebuild.

While winger Igor Chernyshov was generally considered to be the highest rated player still available at the time, another Russian winger, Nikita Artamonov, was also sitting there, ripe for the picking.

Artamonov fell all the way down to the 50th overall pick, where the Carolina Hurricanes snapped him up. If you recall some of my Flyers mock drafts, I was heavy on taking a swing on a player like him.

Fast forward to Oct. 9, 2024, and Artamonov suddenly has seven goals, six assists, and 13 points in 13 KHL games with Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod.

For the sake of comparison, the 18-year-old had seven goals, 16 assists, and 23 points in 54 games with Torpedo last season, and even spent some time in the MHL.

Although he played on a much worse team, Flyers rookie Matvei Michkov had 19 goals, 22 assists, and 41 points in 47 games with HC Sochi in his D+1 season last year.

This is all to say that Artamonov, who is on pace for 37 goals and 68 points, is producing at a historic rate, and the Flyers basically just said ‘Eh, we’ll pass’ on a player like that.

Of course, producing at the NHL is a different beast, but prospects aren’t good NHLers until they’re good NHLers. You have to see it to believe it in this league.

Unfortunately, the Flyers’ perplexing decision to punt a draft pick outright means that if they do see it with Artamonov, it will be with a division rival, the Hurricanes.

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GMan

The Flyers did the right move. They could have picked the 32nd pick and gotten a fringe first round player in the 2024 draft or get a comparable or more than likely higher pick in a much deeper draft in 2025. Any GM worth his salt would have done the same thing that DB did since the Flyers are playing the long game here. If they were in cup contention, then maybe rolling the dice in 24 might have been the better choice. But I think that DB did the right thing.

MattB

I agree 100 percent. The writer just acts like a late pick in 2024 is equivalent to a later pick in 2025. Nothing could be further from the truth as 2025 is considered to be a near generational draft… meaning one of the deepest in recent history. To do a rebuild properly you need multiple consecutive years with solid draft capitol. If you asked any NHL gm if he would prefer a #25 pick in 2024 or 2025 based only on talent, every single one would defer to 2025.

Mikey Likey

Seriously. I’m starting to think that just about every article is AI, with human tweaks here and there. Especially this gem:

“Unfortunately, the value of a pick is decided by the player it’s used to select, not the number order it is assigned.”

Wow, profound. How good a player turns out to be determines their value. Who knew?

John

Once again I view Bailey’s analysis to be flawed. His ridiculous advocacy of signing Pierre Engvall (a career 3rd liner with 7 years left on his contract) shows his ignorance. He further compounds it by this nonsense. As others have noted 2025 is considered a much deeper draft than this years, so even if the Oilers win the cup its still the 32nd overall pick. And there’s no guarantee that the Oilers win the cup this year so the pick could theoretically be much better.

jerry@delcolliano.com

So – Briere was supposed to draft TWO players with his first round pick?

Somehow the 18 year old kid who seemingly made the team (at least for the next 9 games) wasn’t good enough?

Or is this yet another example of a Neg-a-delphian outlook on the Flyers where nothing anybody does is ever good enough? Where the media prays on its audience by poisoning them with negativity?

It feels like that.

Jesus is Lord

Baloney! I was just saying this morning I think that was t good move! Don’t trust the Oilers further then I can throw them.

Mike N

Did you see how bad Edmonton looked last night?? That might turn into a top 10 pick! Lol

Joseph

I belive Edmonton keeps the pick if they fall that low.

Romus

By consensus 2025 draft is suppose to be better than the 2024 draft….depth-wise. I thought it was a good move…..incidentally…Blue Jax decided to punt their 2nd rounder from 2024 to 2025 to the Flyers also……IMO, not a good judgement call…but they are betting they will be better than last year.

Johnny cram

This is all in hindsight. Would have loved getting Artamonov or Chernyshov I had them both 1st round grades but the fact of the matter is, it was the smart move giving it will very likely be a pick a few spots better and in a deeper draft. Furthermore, if Flyers end up with pick 7,24,30 you potentially have a package to move to and get your 1C in Hagens, Misa or McQueen.. the one thing this team really needs most

Eugene

Haunting?…

Romus

This the season.

Steve Montemuro

Yea…. Your a regular hockey genius

Kevin

Absolutely digging for the negative with a lot of positive.

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