2015 NHL Draft Guide for Philadelphia Flyers

The Philadelphia Flyers missed the playoffs last season and enter the draft with the opportunity to start building forward. The Flyers hold the No. 7 overall pick and the No. 29 pick in the first round, the No. 61 pick in the second round and the Nos. 70 and 90 picks in the third round.

Having five picks in the first three rounds is promising, and it gives general manager Ron Hextall the opportunity to make some moves if there's a player within the Flyers reach come draft day.

There is a lot to like about the team's farm system, and missing the playoffs this past season could help the Flyers become stronger going forward. With that in mind, here's a draft guide for the Broad Street Bullies.

The Flyers have the following roster players signed for the upcoming season, according to General Fanager:

Forwards

• Centers: Claude Giroux, R.J. Umberger, Vincent Lecavalier, Brayden Schenn, Sean Couturier and Zac Rinaldo
• Left wingers: Michael Raffl and Pierre-Edouard Bellemare
• Right wingers: Jakub Voracek, Wayne Simmonds and Matt Read

Defense

• Mark Streit, Andrew MacDonald, Luke Schenn, Nicklas Grossmann, Evgeni Medvedev, Nick Schultz, Radko Gudas, Brandon Manning and Shayne Gostisbehere

Goaltending

• Steve Mason

Projected Lineup

Michael Raffl—Claude Giroux—Jakub Voracek
Brayden Schenn—Sean Couturier—Wayne Simmonds
[UFA Signing]—Scott Laughton—Matt Read
Pierre-Edouard Bellemare—Zac Rinaldo—Jason Akeson

Shayne Gostisbehere—Mark Streit
Nicklas Grossmann—Radko Gudas
Evgeni Medvedev—Luke Schenn

Steve Mason
Rob Zepp

Top Players Drafted in Last Five Years

2014: Travis Sanheim, No. 17 overall from Calgary (WHL)

2013: Samuel Morin, No. 11 overall from Rimouski (QMJHL)

2012: Scott Laughton, No. 20 overall from Oshawa (OHL)

2012: Shayne Gostisbehere, No. 78 overall from Union College (ECAC)

2011: Sean Couturier, No. 8 overall from Drummondville (QMJHL)

The Flyers have taken a number of talented defenders over the past few seasons including Travis Sanheim, Samuel Morin and Shayne Gostisbehere. Morin is a physical defender who is made for Flyers hockey. Sanheim is a 6'3", 181-pound offensive defender who is playing for the Calgary Hitmen, and the 2015-16 season could be his last playing in the CHL.

Last but not least is Shayne Gostisbehere, who is ready to make an impact. "Ghost" made the lineup for the Flyers in 2014-15, but an injury ended his season early. He is a proficient offensive defenseman with great wheels and one of the most exciting prospects who will debut next season.

On the forward side Sean Couturier is slowly developing into a decent two-way center with offensive upside, and he should be a vital contributor for the Flyers this season. This is the final year of his current deal, and a big year could lead to a bigger deal.

Scott Laughton is the other notable prospect to make this list, and he spent 31 games with the Flyers last season before returning to the AHL, where he tallied 27 points in 39 games. He's a gritty forward who plays a solid all-around game, and he could have a big year in Philly this season.

Top Prospects

1. Samuel Morin

As noted in the last slide, Morin is the prototypical Flyers defender. He is 6'7", 225 pounds and a physical rearguard who has increased his offensive output over the last two seasons. During the 2013-14 campaign he tallied 31 points in 54 games, and in 2014-15 he had one more point in 16 fewer games played. He ended the playoffs with 11 points in 19 games, and spending the 2015-16 season in the AHL will help him take his game to the next level.

2. Shayne Gostisbehere 

The 5'11", 170-pound pride of Union College will return to the spot of his greatest achievement in October. He won a national title with Union, and the final happened to take place at the Wells Fargo Center. He was on the verge of making an impact last season, but a torn ACL limited him to only two NHL games and five AHL games. He's an amazing player with great potential who could add some excitement to the blue line this season.

3. Travis Sanheim

Sanheim is the Flyers' third-best prospect, and the defender is another year or two away from making the NHL. He tallied 65 points in 67 games with the Hitmen in 2014-15 and should not be confused with his much shorter brother Taylor, who also plays for Calgary. 

Going into the draft, the Flyers have a couple of items on their shopping list, and they can address them by using or trading their picks. With that in mind, here are their biggest needs and potential fits based on the picks they have in their possession.

1. Scoring Forwards

The Flyers have a glut of two-way forwards on the roster and some prospects like Scott Laughton and Nick Cousins on the way, but they need a couple of scoring forwards. Vinny Lecavalier and R.J. Umberger are taking up precious cap space, and that means the Flyers have to be thrifty when it comes to spending.

Adding a top-flight forward early on in the draft could help down the line, especially when players like Brayden Schenn and Sean Couturier need a new contract.

Potential Fits: Mikko Rantanen, Lawson Crouse or Mathew Barzal

2. Defense

You can never have too many defenders, and the Flyers could decide to further bolster their defense by taking an elite defender early in the draft. Eventually, the team's glut of defenders will be moved out, and at that point they will need to be replaced.

Taking a defender early on would just add to a system that already includes Travis Sanheim, Samuel Morin and Shayne Gostisbehere, and at that point the Flyers' future on defense would be set.

Potential Fits: Ivan Provorov, Zach Werenski, Jeremy Roy or Oliver Kylington

Heading into the draft, the Flyers should be optimistic because they have a new coach and a roster that should feature a number of talented young players.

General manager Ron Hextall has a number of draft picks at his disposal. He is in a position to make some good picks and has the flexibility to make some draft-day trades if necessary.

The Flyers are in a position to take steps forward in 2015-16, and the draft could be a turning point for the franchise.

Draft pick history via Hockey-Reference. Stats via NHL.com, Elite Prospects and General Fanager unless otherwise noted.