The Flyers add a skilled center with the No. 22 pick of The Hockey News' 2023 mock draft.
With the No. 22 overall pick, the Philadelphia Flyers select ... Nate Danielson, Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL)
Why pick him? The Flyers have an abundance of young, talented wingers in the system. Owen Tippett is appearing to be a legitimate scoring weapon, Tyson Foerster is likely to compete for a full-time roster spot in training camp, and players like Bobby Brink, Elliot Desnoyers, and Olle Lycksell are all hoping to make the leap to the NHL in due time. But at center, the Flyers could use a little extra depth, and Nate Danielson would make for a strong selection at No. 22. Danielson is one of the top centers available in this year's draft, and he brings some intriguing size to the table. At 6-foot-1 and 187 pounds, already has a body built for pro hockey. As one of the oldest prospects in this year's draft, he should be better conditioned for the pro game. Danielson is coming off an impressive season with a bad Wheat Kings team. He logged 33 goals and 78 points in 68 games and showed off some enticing versatility in the process. His skating could use some work, but the Flyers have taken some gambles on players with skating issues in the past (like Brink or Oskar Linblom).
Who are the other options? Danielson is one of the better centers in this year's draft class, but the Flyers will have a lot of interesting names to choose from with their No. 22 selection. One of those names is none other than Andrew Cristall, who is coming off a sensational campaign with the WHL's Kelowna Rockets. He posted 39 goals and 95 points in just 54 games, which ranked sixth in the entire league. As good as Cristall's 2022-23 season was, though, many question if his production will translate to the NHL due to his size. He's only 5-foot-10 and 165 pounds, and he'll need to beef up in order to succeed as a pro. But that's not something that can't be worked out.
What else is on the agenda? The Flyers have been busy over the last several days. They're now working on a pair of trades that could potentially earn them even more draft capital prior to the start of the first round. General manager Danny Briere has made it clear that the Flyers are going through a rebuild, and that he wants to build through the draft. It won't be shocking if he adds more picks to his stockpile of selections before the start of the first round, and if so, he'll likely be looking to take some swings.