The San Jose Sharks have made a trade with the Buffalo Sabres that sees them move up to 11th in the draft order, putting them one spot ahead of the Philadelphia Flyers.
The San Jose Sharks have made a trade with the Buffalo Sabres that sees them move up to 11th in the draft order, putting them one spot ahead of the Philadelphia Flyers.
The San Jose Sharks have made a trade with the Buffalo Sabres that sees them move up to 11th in the draft order, putting them one spot ahead of the Philadelphia Flyers.
The Flyers are still slated to pick at No. 12, although there have been rumblings that they would attempt to move up in the draft order, most notably through rumors that there was "trade framework" in place with the Ottawa Senators, who currently hold the No. 7 pick.
Flyers GM Danny Briere didn't rule out trying to move up or down in the order, but did specify that any moves would have to "make sense" for the team's existing strategy.
"If we have the chance to acquire more picks, it has to make sense at the same time. We're looking to possibly move up with certain picks; we're looking to move back," he explained. "If we move up, we might have to give up a pick or two, but if the value is worth it to move up and give up a pick to acquire a player that we really love, we'll jump on it.
"On the flip side, if there's a clump of players we feel comfortable with, we'll move back to try and acquire more assets either later in the draft or next year. Everything is on the table for us. We're looking at all kinds of options. We're not stuck in one mode of trying to move up or trying to move back. We have the picks, which gives us more possibilities to do either/or."
It's speculated that the Sharks jumped up in the order to better their chances of acquiring a defensive player, possibly Zeev Buium or Carter Yakemchuk—who reportedly was forging a very good connection with the Flyers after the NHL Combine.
This could throw a wrench in the potential direction the Flyers were planning on going in, as they were starting to look poised to add another young defenseman to their talent pool. Now, however, reports are coming out that suggest they could be pivoting to more offensive-minded players, such as Cole Eiserman, who has long been a name in the conversation for who the Flyers could take once their No. 12 spot was confirmed.
While, in typical Briere fashion, the public don't know exactly what the front office is planning, he did stress in a press conference last week that this year's and next year's drafts are considered crucial parts of the organization's ongoing rebuild.
"We're still looking to acquire assets that are going to help us in the future. We know where we're at as a team," he said. "We still have lots of work, and the future is still what we're targeting...That was the plan. We acquired assets to help us for the future."
Make sure to bookmark THN's Philadelphia Flyers site for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more.
Who Could The Flyers Take At No. 32?
Former Flyers Forward Elected To Hockey Hall Of Fame
Matvei Michkov Terminates KHL Contract, Officially Set To Join Flyers
Who Is The Flyers' Best Active Homegrown Player? Brought To You By Upper Deck