Carchidi: Flyers Ousted, so What’s Next? Drafting a Hotshot Forward?

What now?

So where do the Flyers go from here?

Well, the franchise has had its share of late-season agony and has rebounded in the past. In 1972, for instance, a goal by Buffalo’s Gerry Meehan with four seconds left in their season finale cost the Philadelphia Flyers a playoff berth. They used the memory of that loss as a motivator and reached the post-season the next year, winning the franchise’s first playoff series (vs. Minnesota) and then playing very competitively against the powerful Canadiens in Round 2.

The next year, they won the Stanley Cup. So that 1972 tragedy turned into a 1974 triumph that brought two million of Bernie Parent’s closest friends to a parade down Broad Street.

No one is saying the current Flyers are close to winning a Cup in two years, but there are signs they are on the upswing.

To continue on that path, they must get the next two drafts right. They have eight picks in the first two rounds in 2024 and 2025. They need to hit home runs, or at least stand-up doubles, especially since they traded unhappy Cutter Gauthier, a forward who is just the type of sniper the Flyers need to take the next step.

The Flyers will likely select around 12th in this year’s draft, and they need to upgrade their offense. The player(s) they pick in Round 1 could be ready by the time dynamic forward Matvei Michkov arrives from Russia’s KHL for the 2026-27 season.

That’s when the Flyers hope to be legitimate contenders, though the Carter Hart situation has muddled things.

So who are the forwards who could be available and might attract the Flyers in this year’s draft?

Good bloodlines

Tij Iginla is an interesting name. A lot of draft boards have him being chosen in the 10-16 area of the fist round, so there’s a decent chance he will be around for the Flyers. The 6-foot, 185-pound center is the son of Hall of Famer Jarome Iginla. Tij has a great shot, soft hands, and an off-the-chart hockey IQ. He has good (but not outstanding) speed, plays with an edge, and looks like a future star.

In 64 games this season with the Western Hockey League’s Kelowna Rockets, he had 47 goals, 84 points and a plus-17 rating.

If he’s available, the Flyers should pull the trigger. If he’s gone, they may turn their attention to left winger Cole Eiserman (U.S. Development Program)  or right winger Liam Greentree (OHL) if they are available. Both would be future power-play staples.

The Philadelphia Flyers will also have a late first-round pick, acquired from Florida in the Claude Giroux trade. The top forwards who could be available: center Michael Hage, and right wingers Emil Hemming and Maxim Masse.

This is a critical draft for Danny Briere and Co. With Gauthier gone, they need some future snipers. The Flyers can’t afford to make first-round mistakes that saw them draft Jay O’Brien (2018) and German Rubtsov (2016).