Updates on Where Philadelphia Flyers' 2011 Draft Picks Are Now

Monday, the Philadelphia Flyers made headlines when they shipped fan-favorite Scott Hartnell to the Columbus Blue Jackets for former Flyer R.J. Umberger and a fourth-round pick in the 2015 draft.

But that's hardly the most surprising predraft exchange Philly has orchestrated in recent years.

Just three years ago, the Flyers traded the two faces of their franchise, Mike Richards and Jeff Carter, to Los Angeles and Columbus respectively in a move that completely overhauled the makeup of the organization. Out were two of Philadelphia's key components to the team's run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2010 and in came blossoming young forwards Jake Voracek, Brayden Schenn and Wayne Simmonds along with the No. 8 selection in the 2011 NHL draft.

Had the Flyers not orchestrated this predraft transaction, the orange and black wouldn't have had a first-round pick for the third time in as many years and would have had to wait until the third round before making their first selection for the third time in that same span.

Instead, Philadelphia moved up into the first round in acquiring its sixth pick for that year's draft.

It's been nearly three years since that eventful draft in St. Paul, Minnesota. Here's an update on where Philly's 2011 draft picks are now.

After not selecting a player in the first round of either the 2009 or 2010 drafts, the Flyers shipped Jeff Carter to the Columbus Blue Jackets the day before the 2011 NHL draft for Jake Voracek and the No. 8 pick that year.

Philadelphia then used its first opening-round selection in three years to grab Drummondville Voltigeurs standout forward Sean Couturier.

The 6'3', 197-pound pivot was coming off back-to-back 96-point campaigns in Drummondville and amassed 86 goals and 223 points in just 184 career games with the Voltigeurs.

Couturier cracked Philly's lineup right away, recording 13 goals and 27 points in 77 games during his rookie season in 2011-12. The Phoenix native then added three goals and four points in 11 postseason outings that spring while quickly establishing himself as one of the team's top two-way forwards.

In two seasons since, Couturier has managed 17 goals and 54 points while missing just two of a possible 137 games during that time.

Entrenched as the team's third-line center, Couturier has shown flashes of offensive brilliance but has yet to display the consistency that will make him a reliable NHL point producer. Still, he's one of the Flyers' top penalty-killers and has a motor that never stops running.

Couturier is currently signed with the Flyers through the close of the 2015-16 season.

After being plucked by the Flyers with the 68th overall selection in the 2011 NHL draft, Nick Cousins returned to the junior ranks for two more seasons with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL).

In 2011-12, the Belleville, Ontario native amassed 35 goals and 88 points in just 65 games and bettered that the following year with 27 conversions and 103 total points in 64 outings. Cousins led the Greyhounds in scoring in both seasons and finished in the top five in league scoring in both campaigns as well.

The 5'11", 177-pound forward made the jump to the professional ranks this past season where he accumulated 11 goals and 29 points in 74 games with the Adirondack Phantoms. For his efforts, the 20-year-old finished sixth among all Phantoms in total scoring last season.

Still a bit undersized for the NHL game, Cousins needs to continue to build muscle but projects as a third-line, two-way forward at the next level who should be able to contribute offensively when called upon. He's a strong playmaker who isn't afraid to go to the dirty areas of the ice to generate offense.

Like Couturier, Cousins is signed with the Flyers through the end of the 2015-16 season.

The only defenseman selected by the Flyers in the 2011 NHL draft, Colin Suellentrop has spent each of the three seasons since he was drafted with the Oshawa Generals of the OHL.

During that time, the Plantation, Florida native has registered 10 goals, 65 points and 224 penalty minutes to go along with a plus-31 rating in 200 games.

At 6'1", 205 pounds, Suellentrop possesses solid NHL size and strength but never developed enough in other areas of his game to warrant a professional contract from the Flyers. As such, he's currently a free agent.

Just two picks after Suellentrop, Philadelphia snagged 6'2", 205-pound forward Marcel Noebels with the 118th overall selection of the 2011 NHL draft.

A native of Toenisvorst, Germany, Noebels went back to the Seattle Thunderbirds of the Western Hockey League (WHL) the following year where he recorded 10 goals and 24 points in 31 games before he was moved to the Portland Winterhawks. There, he tallied 10 goals and 34 points in the same number of games.

From there, Noebels joined the Trenton Titans of the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) at the start of the 2012-13 season where he quickly produced 11 goals and 30 points in 31 games before he was promoted to Philadelphia's AHL affiliate, the Adirondack Phantoms. In 95 games with Adirondack since, the big winger has registered 16 goals and 34 points to go along with 35 penalty minutes and a minus-seven rating.

Injuries limited Noebels to just 52 contests this season, resulting in just three goals and 11 points. The German winger will be entering the final year of his entry-level contract next season and will need to prove he deserves a second contract with the Flyers.

A product of the Hotchkiss School in Lakeville, Connecticut, Petr Placek was tagged by the Flyers with the 176th overall pick in the 2011 NHL draft.

Hotchkiss' captain during his final season, Placek battled injuries during the 2010-11 campaign and saw his draft stock drop after just 16 games that year. Still, the hulking 6'4", 215-pound forward managed to produce eight goals and 17 points in those 16 outings.

After being drafted by the Flyers, Placek advanced to the college ranks where he's spent the last three seasons at Harvard University.

In all, the Czech Republic native has managed just two goals and three points in 46 games with the Crimson. What's worse, injuries struck Placek again this past season, limiting him to just one single contest.

Never having been signed by the Flyers, it appears unlikely he'll warrant an NHL contract now.

Philadelphia's final selection in the 2011 NHL draft, Derek Mathers was plucked by the orange and black with the 206th overall pick.

A 6'3", 225-pound enforcer, Mathers returned to the Peterborough Petes of the OHL for two seasons after being drafted, where he tallied 19 goals, 46 points and 302 penalty minutes in 129 games during the 2011-12 and 2012-13 campaigns.

One of the most feared and effective fighters in junior hockey, the Strathroy, Ontario native was promoted to the Adirondack Phantoms this past season, where he managed two goals and 105 penalty minutes in 34 outings.

Mathers has two years remaining on his entry-level contract with the Flyers but projects as little more than a fourth-line enforcer moving forward.