As much as some pundits like to pretend otherwise, it’s impossible to judge the success or failure of a draft (in any sport) immediately after the picks are made. Only several years down the line can you truly see the results. In the interim, you only go by the particulars of the individual picks (performance, size, scouting reports, etc) and the team’s overall past track record. Some teams- the one with deep farm systems- have shown that their scouts generally have good judgment, while others have a history of coming away empty. However, it IS possible to quickly project the talent ceilings on certain players- mucking and grinding junior forwards with underwhelming point totals almost always have an upper limit of being a 3^rd line caliber NHL forwards while huge but fairly immobile stay-at-home junior defensemen in the majority of cases are going to need work in bringing their skating and puck movement up to NHL standards. The main criticism of the Flyers drafts in Bob Clarke in his second tenure has been that while the team has shown a willingness to show guts when making their first selection in the draft, they generally get real conservative in the other early rounds and take too many of these sorts of low-ceiling prospects in the 2^nd and 3^rd rounds; picks like Shane Kenny, Chester Gallant, and Pat Kavanagh (a pick that was widely questioned last year and has shown no early indications of being anything but a wasted pick). These picks are made to the exclusion of the sorts of picks that the teams with the deeper farm systems seem to make- guys with good numbers and/or good mobility but who are considered too small, too skinny, or are Europeans who haven’t played in as many high profile games and thus have drawn a little less attention than the highest rated Euro picks. The Flyers staff under Clarke, in fact, seems positively allergic to taking any Europeans before the middle rounds (you can debate whether even Dainius Zubrus can be considered a European pick because he played most of his junior hockey in North America). These are all areas where the Flyers have left themselves open for criticism.

This year’s draft was a slight departure from their recent drafting strategies- but *only* slight. They used their first pick on a prospect with tools they liked, in this case speed. With their two second round picks they bypassed some small but skilled North Americans and a couple fairly well regarded Europeans to go right back to drafting for size and physical play, choosing two big defensive defensemen, although Central Scouting indicated that both players at least have some skating potential to go with their size, although both have very modest offensive ceilings. So far that’s right along the typical pattern of a Flyers draft. The Flyers had no 3^rd round selection this year; then they made some of their more interesting picks. They went for a mobile and agile QMJHL defenseman in the 4^th round, whom some in Quebec project as a potentially very solid NHL defenseman. In the 5^th round, with the pick they just acquired from Chicago for Paul Coffey, they made a so-called "overage" selection of a 20 year old winger who put up 40 goals and close to 400 PIM in the same Quebec league team that featured top overall pick Vincent LeCavalier and Flyer goalie prospect Jean-Marc Pelletier. The Flyers followed that up by rolling the dice again, this time on a smallish, offensive oriented Western Leaguer. In the 6^th round, with the 168^th overall pick, the Flyers finally allowed their European staff to make their first selection, going for a Finnish goaltender from the TPS system. The Flyers took another goaltender with their first of two picks in the 7^th round, a Western Leaguer with a big frame and modest success to date with a poor club. With their other 7^th rounder, they chose a Czech center with interesting size and junior scoring totals. Round 8 saw them opt for a Slovakian winger. Finally, in round 9, they called the names of an unranked Czech player, and two ranked players who tumbled to the end the draft, another Quebec league defenseman and a Russian defenseman.

Only time will tell how many of these picks will turn in contributing pro players and how many are destined to become one line entries in NHL handbooks. My earliest impression is that the Flyers came away with a draft pool a tad below the middle of the pack in terms of "interesting sounding" picks. That is based on size, age, and early career stats of the picks. Not surprisingly, Colorado, with their glut of picks in the first two rounds, came away with the largest pool of players who seem worthy of keeping an eye upon. But, really, that’s not much to go on. Now that the picks have been made, we’re back at square one again- seeing who can actually *play*.

Ok, let’s meet the Flyers 1998 entry draft picks..

1^st round/ 22^nd overall

CLUB: Québec Remparts (QMJHL)

POSITION: Center

SHOOTS: Left

HEIGHT: 6-0

WEIGHT: 165 lbs.

BORN: February 29, 1980 in Ste-Foy, Quebec

Final Rankings: 17^th by CSB (down 2 slots from midseason), #21 by The Hockey News

STATISTICS:

Year Team League GP G A PTS PIM

1996-97 Beauport QMJHL 51 9 22 31 39

1997-98 Quebec QMJHL 53 30 39 69 26

1997-98 Playoffs 12 11 5 16 23

Comments: His speed certainly sounds intriguing. He also reportedly has decent hands and a good head for the game. However, he has had two significant injuries in the last two season- a collarbone injury when he was with Beauport and a broken hand this past season with Québec. As a result, his number of games played and offensive production have been held. Supposedly, although he’s by no means a banger himself, he willingly takes a hit to make a play- which in many regards is of more importance than his raw speed or his PIM totals.

Central Scouting Report (from nhl.com):

An effortless, shifty skater with good acceleration and a quick change of pace ... a smart player who is very clever with the puck ... he is an unselfish player who effectively creates opportunities for his teammates ... he is creative with the puck and possesses natural scoring instincts ... he is always around the puck and is excellent in one-on-one situations ... is used in all game situations ... he is a good checker, although he is not considered a physical player ... he positions himself for transition of play ... a good competitor with strong desire and an excellent attitude towards the game.

2^nd round / 42^nd overall

CLUB: Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL)

POSITION: Defense

SHOOTS: Right

HEIGHT: 6-foot-2 1/2

WEIGHT: 203 lbs.

BORN: July 23, 1980 in Lethbridge, Alberta

Final Rankings: 44^th by CSB (up 10 slots from midseason)

STATISTICS:

Year Team League GP G A PTS PIM +/-

1996-97 Lethbridge AMHL 34 7 10 17 118

1997-98 Seattle WHL 71 1 11 12 241 +1

Playoffs WHL 5 0 0 0 16 -2

Comments: My first impression is the Flyers drafted themselves a more promising version of Kris Mallette. Unlike Mallette, Beckett’s skating is not considered a detriment. And I especially am encouraged by the praise he drew for his man-to-man coverage. On the other hand, there is no offensive upside here and were other players on the board I would have preferred to see the Flyers take, including Finnish defenseman Ossi Väänänen, a highly mobile and steady positional player, or forwards Justin Papineau and Mike Rebeiro, both small players with big time junior production. But it’s not really fair to judge Beckett against the memory of failed high round picks drafted with a similar philosophy- go big and physical in rounds 2-3. Jason Beckett may very well work out, whereas Kenny and others failed to impress. Solid stay at home defensemen are a crucial component of NHL success. But then again, those sorts of players seem to be just as likely to be cultivated from the lower draft rounds (or even from the odd undrafted players as they do from the 2nd and 3^rd round. If this pick works out, great. No complaints. But as a rule of thumb, why not go for some better offensive upside in the high rounds while it’s still there to be had? There was still a chance that a Beckett-type of player would still be there for the taking a round or so later; not much chance of the potentially more dynamic player being there.

Central Scouting Report (From nhl.com)

A good skater ... has good balance and is strong in the corners ... an adequate passer and possesses a hard shot from the point ... likes to play the puck off the boards to clear the defensive zone rather than rush ... he is an aggressive player who dominates one-on-one situations ... is very tough along the boards and in front of the net.

2^nd Round/ 51^st overall

CLUB: Guelph Storm (OHL)

POSITION: Defense

SHOOTS: Left

HEIGHT: 6-foot-6

WEIGHT: 180 lbs.

BORN: Brampton, Ontario on August 2, 1980

Final Rankings: 62^nd by CSB (up 32 slots from midseason ranking)

STATISTICS:

Year Team League GP G A PTS PIM +/-

1996-97 Mississauga Midget AAA 39 10 32 42 178

1997-98 Guelph OHL 61 2 3 5 164 +3

OHL playoffs 13 0 0 0 16 +1

Comments: Hmmm. Big and skinny, aggressive but little offensive upside. His stock rose dramatically over the latter part of the season. But this still seems to be "Project City", albeit an interesting project.

Central Scouting Report (from NHL.Com)

A good skater who is solid on his skates ... a very hard worker who rarely leaves the defensive zone to participate in a rush ... a very aggressive player who takes full advantage of his size ... an enthusiastic hitter ... a tough competitor who plays with a lot of intensity and determination.

4^th Round: 109

CLUB: Drummondville Voltigeurs (QMJHL)

POSITION: Defense

SHOOTS: Left

HEIGHT: 6-foot-1 1/2

WEIGHT: 188 lbs.

BORN: Gaspe, Quebec on February 6, 1980

Rankings: 75^th by CSB (down 2 slots from midseason)

STATISTICS:

Year Team League GP G A PTS PIM

1996-97 Victoriaville QMJHL 56 3 5 8 20

1997-98 Drummondville QMJHL 53 4 15 19 95

Comments: Morin is the only player the Flyers drafted that I got a first hand report on before the draft. In a nutshell, this guy is supposedly a keeper who is actually a lot better than people ranked above him and has a strong likelyhood of someday making the NHL. He has a wide array of skills and even though his point totals don’t look like much, the potential is there to be a 30 point or so guy in the pros plus a reliable guy in his own end. We’ll see…

Central Scouting Report (from nhl.com)

A good, quick skater who is very strong on his skates ... handles the puck with confidence and is a very solid passer ... anticipates the play very well ... has good hockey sense and is used in all game situations ... an aggressive player with good size and strength ... likes to challenge the opposing forwards at the blueline ... plays a very strong transitional game ... possesses good work ethics and a strong desire to improve.

5^th Round/ 124^th

Position: LW

Team: Rimouski Oceanic (QMJHL)

Shoots: Left

Height: 6-2

Weight: 210

Born: January 15, 1978

Rankings: None, "overage" pick

Statistics:

Year Team League GP G A Pts +/- PIM

1997-98 Rimouski QMJHL 63 40 33 73 +11 381

Comments: Interesting numbers, huh? Seems to be a less accomplished Denis Hamel sort of a player (and Hamel is considered a longshot).

5^th Round / 139^th overall

CLUB: Saskatoon Blades (WHL)

POSITION: Center

SHOOTS: Left

HEIGHT: 5-foot-11 (listed 5-10 by the Blades)

WEIGHT: 180 lbs.

BORN: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan on May 19, 1980

Rankings: 46^th by CSB (up 6 slots)

STATISTICS:

Year Team League GP G A PTS PIM +/- PPG GWG

1996-97 Saskatoon WHL 66 20 45 65 67

1997-98 Saskatoon WHL 71 28 42 70 76 -33 14 2

Comments:

Interesting pick- doesn’t seem to be at all the type of player the Flyers like to draft; seems to be the sort they expressly try to avoid, in fact. His stats and scouting report are far from overwhelming, but who knows? At least get a little bit more variety into the system than one bland OHL plumber after another.

Central Scouting Report (from nhl.com) Is very solid on his skates ... skates with a wide stance and is very hard to knock off the puck ... he has good agility and quickness and maneuvers well in traffic ... a very good passer with good vision ... he uses his linemates effectively ... an offensive player with good scoring ability and puckhandling skills ... accommodates a good wrist shot with a quick release ... needs to improve on the defensive aspects of the game.

6^th Round/ 168^th

Goaltender

Team: TPS Turku

Ht: 6-1 ½

Wt: 172

Rankings: Not ranked among top European goaltenders by CSB

Stats: Last season’s junior stats not available yet, but next season’s stats will be readily available if he makes the senior club with TPS.

Comments: I’m awaiting more detailed info, but I can make some preliminary comments. He comes from a development system in Turku that produces one of Finland’s largest pools of good young talent, so that certainly works in his favor. Like other young Finnish goalies, he seems to be part of the trend toward grooming bigger athletes to be goalies. It used to seem like every Finnish goalie was 5-9, 5-10. Niittymäki is one of three goalies signed by TPS next season, and probably will start out as number 3, slotted initially behind the more experienced Fredrik Norrena and Timo Kinnunen. From there, we’ll see.

7^th round: 175

Goaltender

Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL)

Date of Birth: March 28, 1980

Hometown: Cranbrook, BC

Height: 6'2"

Weight: 170 lbs

Rankings: Unranked by CSB

GP Min GA Sh SO W-L-T GAA

1997-98 Medicine Hat WHL 16 689 53 470 0 2-7-1 4.62

Comments: I’m a believer in taking at least a couple of goalies in every draft. You never know with young goalies- they are even more of projections than defensemen. There is not much to speak of that recommends Ondrik so far, but he is also hindered by playing on a lower echalon Western League team.

7^th Round: 195

RW

Slavia Prague (CZE)

Rated #78 European by CSB

Ht: 6’3"

Wt: 189

Statistics:

Season Team League GP G A PTS PIM

1997-98 Slavia Prague Jnrs. CZE-JNR 27 20 16 36 12

1997-98 Slavia Prague CZE 1 0 0 0 2

Comments: Like his size and the fact that he has already gotten into extraleague action (albeit just one game). The junior scoring stats are nice, but they don’t tell you very much yet.

8^th Round: 222

RW

Slovan Bratislava Jnrs. (SVK)

Rated #49 European by CSB (down 24 slots from midseason)

Statistics:

GP G A PTS PIM

60 15 40 55 25

Comments: Should have some visibility playing in Bratislava. I’m not sure if those stats CSB listed in the hockey news are correct. The 60 games played, if correct, must be a combined number of games over the season. At any rate, that’s a lot of chance for development time in one year if that’s right.

9^th Round: 243

???????

Comments:

I couldn’t find anything on him so far. The name sounds Czech but I was not able to find his name with any of the extraleague teams, nor among the top Czech juniors, nor ranked by the CSB. So I don’t have anything to go on until I dig up some info. This was the pick the Flyers unexpectedly acquired in compensation for Michel Petit.

9^th Round: 253

D

Baie-Comeau Drakkar(QMJHL)

HT: 6-1 ½

WT: 195

Rated #127 (same as midseason) by CSB

Born August 22, 1980 Montreal, Que.

Statistics:

Year Team League GP G A PTS +/- PIM

1997-98 Baie-Comeau QMJHL 63 1 11 12 -21 140

Comments: Had a mid-round range CSB ranking but tumbled way down to the end of the draft.

Plays for a sad sack team in the Q with no NHL affiliated players in its ranks last season. Could that be why St. Jacques fell to round 9?

9^th Round/ 258

D

Moscow Dynamo Jnrs. (Rus.)

HT: 6’3"

WT: 191

Rated #68 European (down 34 slots from midseason) by CSB

Stats:

No stats available. Hopefully soon.

Comments:

Comes from a traditionally strong developmental program. Skrobat was actually the last player picked in the entire entry draft (Dallas’ pick). Although I don’t know this for certain, it’s about 99% likely that Dallas had nobody else they liked left on their scouting sheets and the Flyers still had Skrobat left on their list, so Dallas GM Bob Gainey (a good friend of Clarke’s) did the Flyers a favor and gave his pick over the Flyers to let them take Skrobat and accepted the Flyers 9^th rounder next year in return to make the transaction acceptable. Last year, if you’ll recall, the Flyers did a similar favor for the Stars, allowing Gainey to draft his son in the middle rounds.

Written June 28 by Bill meltzer