Could Cooley slip to Flyers at No. 5 in draft? originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
Brent Flahr quipped that he hopes the Flyers won’t be picking this high again in a long time.
Nonetheless, though, Flahr and his amateur scouting staff are confident about landing a really good player around the top five of the 2022 NHL draft.
“Yeah, I think we’ve gone over the players that we feel are the best five and we’ve gone over different scenarios of what we think the teams in front of us will take. There are still some unknowns, though,” Flahr said June 10 in a phone interview with NBC Sports Philadelphia. “But I think we’re happy with the number of different players at the position, probably even a couple of more further. Depending on how it falls, maybe you trade back a couple of spots even or look to trade up. We’ll see how it goes.”
Following a 25-46-11 season, the Flyers are slotted at No. 5 overall in this year’s draft, which will be held July 7-8 at Bell Centre in Montreal. The Flyers have six total selections. The first round kicks off at 7 p.m. ET Thursday, while Rounds 2-7 follow Friday starting at 11 a.m. ET.
“I think it’s been well-documented, there’s no Connor McDavids in the draft or whatnot. But there is some depth early in the draft,” Flahr said. “There’s different positions — there’s a few centermen, there’s a couple of right-shot defensemen with skill and size, there’s a couple of scoring right wingers, there’s a power winger.
“There are some interesting players early. I think it’s going to be a really interesting first round. … It’s going to be surprising I think to a lot of people, I think there could be a lot of surprises in the early going of this draft.”
More: With potential for ‘surprises’ or a trade, Flyers have big opportunity at No. 5
Leading up to July 7-8, we’re breaking down draft targets for the Flyers at No. 5.
To finish things off:
Logan Cooley
Position: Center
Height: 5-foot-10
Weight: 180
Shoots: Left
Team: USNTDP
Scouting report
The 18-year-old Pittsburgh native is regarded by many experts as the top center in the draft not named Shane Wright.
Cooley, the second-ranked North American skater by NHL Central Scouting, is considered the No. 1 player in the entire class by DailyFaceoff.com’s Chris Peters, while TSN’s Bob McKenzie and The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler put him at No. 3.
“I believe he can be a No. 1 center at the next level if he continues on his current trend line,” Peters wrote last month. “He competes on every inch of the ice and can play a strong north-south game despite his ability to stretch defenses with his east-west skill.”
The Minnesota-bound Cooley was second on the U.S. national team development program under-18 squad with 75 points (27 goals, 48 assists) through 51 games in 2021-22. He finished with a plus-38 rating.
“Most scouts project him as a high-end second-line center in the NHL with a chance to develop into a 1C,” McKenzie wrote last month. “Size and not consistently using his linemates to maximum effectiveness are two things that could prevent that from happening.”
Fit with Flyers
If Cooley falls to No. 5, he’d seem like a no-brainer pick for the Flyers.
The club will draft the best player available and Cooley would be it if he slides to the Flyers’ fifth overall spot.
To boot, center is a premium position and the Flyers haven’t taken many pivots over the last three years.
Does Cooley have a chance to actually slip? EliteProspects.com and TSN’s Craig Button have him rated as the No. 4 overall player in the draft, so maybe there’s a slim chance. Appears unlikely, though.
More targets
• Will Flyers land best defenseman in draft at No. 5?
• Savoie, a dynamic skater and scorer, can boost Flyers’ talent level
• Could Flyers draft another Finnish winger with exciting tools?
• A big center on the rise should have Flyers’ attention at No. 5
• One of draft’s more thrilling players may give Flyers trade-back option
• If there at No. 5, D-man with eye-opening game will give Flyers a lot to ponder
• Is versatile forward with advanced game worth No. 5 pick by Flyers?
• Is there a dark horse on defense for the Flyers at No. 5?
• Flyers should have good read on 6-foot-4 center that will be available in draft
Subscribe to and rate Flyers Talk
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Art19 | YouTube
