YWT #25- NHL Draft Preview
The Philadelphia Flyers draft preview. The team currently holds the 14th and 19th overall picks in the first round of the upcoming 2018 NHL Entry Draft. The key word there is currently. Flyers GM Ron Hextall has shown no hesitation when it comes to making big splashes on Draft Day. Remember the Brayden Schenn trade last year? This year could be more of the same. The Flyers definitely have the assets to move up if they so desire to do so. Possibly moving as high as number three or four. They could also stand pat, and add two top-twenty talents to their already stacked prospect pool. They could move back, perhaps adding another roster player as opposed to more prospects.
The Philadelphia hockey world waits with bated breath to see the direction Ron Hextall will take this team come Friday night. In the meantime, a couple of Flyers will be represented in Las Vegas on Wednesday, during the annual NHL Awards. For the first time in his career, Sean Couturier is a nominee for the Frank J. Selke Trophy. The trophy is given to the league’s top defensive forward. He will be joined by Wayne Simmonds, who is nominated for the Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award.
Simmonds Rough Season Leads to Leadership Award Nomination
While the qualifications for the Leadership Award seem hard to quantify, there is no doubt that Simmonds had a tough season. After managing only 24 goals and 46 points in 75 games and spending most of the season on the third line. After the season, Simmonds revealed that he played through the season with a laundry list of injuries. These included a fractured ankle, a pelvic tear, a pulled groin, and a torn ligament in his thumb. That said the warrior mentality served Simmonds well this season. Additionally, it probably earned him this nomination. However, his ineffectiveness this season led Flyers fans to question if he should have just sat out and gotten healthy. There are trade speculations surrounding Simmonds. We may see that speculation come to head at the draft, in the form of a trade. If he remains a Flyer, the organization hopes he will show up at training camp 100% healthy.
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