Class of 2015: Youth Gone Wild
There’s no denying that the 2015 NHL Entry Draft may go down as one of the all-time best drafts in Philadelphia Flyers history.
Did you know, that it might not have been the case if it weren’t for long time Flyers defensive partners Kimmo Timonen and Braydon Coburn, although both were gone before that 2015 draft came to be?
Timonen and Coburn were both top 4 defensemen for the Flyers for many years and were often the Flyers top shutdown pairing. Not only are they a big part of Philadelphia Flyers’ history, but they are also a big part of the Flyers present. Skeptic?
We get it, but give us a chance to show you just how big a part they play on today’s Philadelphia Flyers team.
The Stage
In 2015, the Philadelphia Flyers and GM Ron Hextall were in full rebuild mode. Hextall was trading away veteran players who were not part of the future and stockpiling picks. Going into this draft, the Flyers had 2 first-round picks, their own, 7thoverall and the one from the Tampa Bay Lightning, 29th overall. The Flyers acquired that 29th overall pick when they traded Braydon Coburn to the Lightning for Radko Gudas, and both 1st and 3rd round picks from the Lightning.
See where this is going?
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7th Overall Pick
GM Ron Hextall and the Flyers were absolutely ecstatic when the top-ranked defenseman on their board Ivan Provorov fell into their lap at number 7. Hextall wasted no time and quickly chose “Provy” with their selection.
After a year with the Brandon Wheat Kings, Provorov made the Flyers roster out of camp the following season and has never looked back. He’s been the team’s undisputed number 1 defenseman, playing both the powerplay and penalty kill, and he has never missed a game since entering the NHL and has averaged 24:51 of ice time per game.
This season, many would argue that he has been the Flyers MVP. The Flyers are not battling the Washington Capitals for first place in the division without Provy having a fantastic season and basically being Provy.
Later in Day 1 of the 2015 Draft
The Flyers were waiting for their second pick of the first round to arrive. But something strange was happening, and Hextall and the Flyers took notice. A feisty winger with really good offensive capabilities who was projected to go in the middle of the first round (NHL Central Scouting had him as the 14th best NA skater) started to drop. The captain of the OHL’s Oshawa 67’s had finished with 68 points including 29 goals in 60 games and was ranked really high on the Flyers draft board (many say they had him top 10 on their board). But to the delight of the Flyers, he just kept slipping. The Flyers were salivating at what was happening in this draft.
When the draft got to number 24, a selection held by the Toronto Maple Leafs, Hextall pulled the trigger. He traded the 29th overall pick he got in the Coburn deal, and added the Flyers lone 2nd round pick in return for moving up 5 spots and grabbing Travis Konecny! That 2nd round pick the Flyers traded in order to grab Konecny, was a pick Hextall had acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks.
In February of 2015, Hextall traded Kimmo Timonen after he missed 62 games that season with diagnosed blood clots. That second-round pick was instrumental in enticing the Maple Leafs so the Flyer could draft Konecny.
After back-to-back seasons of 24 goals in which he saw almost zero powerplay time due to a head coach’s hard-headedness, Travis Konecny leads all Flyers players with 24 goals and 61 points this season in 66 games and was on his way to his first 30 goal season at the tender age of 23. Beloved by Flyers fans, TK always plays on one of the top 2 lines and head coach Alain Vigneault has him playing the powerplay as well. At 5’10”, TK knows how to get under the opponent’s skin and off their game, and he has a deceivingly wicket shot. He’s a fantastic stick handler and can really bury his chances.
There have been many good ones over the years, but by drafting their number 1 defenseman and a top-line winger and top point producer in the same draft, there’s little doubt that the 2015 draft will go down as one of the all-time best in the history of the Philadelphia Flyers.
TK and Provy are veterans of the team at only 23 years old and they lead the youth movement in Philly.
Enjoy the long ride that is just beginning Flyers fans because as rockers Skid Row would say “WE ARE THE YOUTH GONE WILD”!
Featured Image: NHL.com
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Categorized:Flyers