Now that the Flyers have officially introduced their new bench boss in John Tortorella, it’s time to focus on the next order of business in the off-season; the NHL draft. Here’s three reasons Philadelphia should look to add one of Simon Nemec or David Jiricek with the 5th pick.
3) Organizational depth at RHD
According to Elite Prospects, Philadelphia has just four right shot defensemen in their system; this includes Ethan Samson, Jack St. Ivany, Wyatte Wylie and Ronnie Attard. There’s perhaps no more coveted commodity in the NHL today than young, right handed defensemen that can contribute at both ends of the rink, while possessing top pair potential. Simon Nemec or David Jiricek would immediately bolster the Flyers prospect pool at right defense and would likely be the best of the bunch in the system at their position.
2) The Goals against issue
One challenge John Tortorella’s coaching staff will face for next season will be to reduce the amount of high danger scoring opportunities the team has given up over the last two seasons. Philadelphia posted an alarming 3.59 goals against average last season.
Of course, there isn’t a magic bullet to correct this; it’ll take a complete effort from the coaching staff to build the proper infrastructure for the players to play within, the forwards chipping in the defensive zone and of course, the defense corps’ ability to efficiently move the puck. Nemec and Jiricek could aid the team in that way, as both posses quality skating and puck moving ability. Nemec is known more for his offensive prowess and flare, while Jiricek does it more with his physical tools. Either player would be a welcomed addition to a team that sorely needs to find ways to keep the puck out of their own net.
1) Uncertainty with Ryan Ellis
When the players parted for the Summer two months ago on locker-room cleanout day, there was a small dose of optimism surrounding Ryan Ellis’ complex injury situation this past season. On the June 20th episode of Flyers Daily with Jason Myrtetus, General Manager Chuck Fletcher echoed some of that same cautious optimism that the 31-year-old could get back on the ice sometime in mid-July.
However, that doesn’t sound like much of a guarantee at this point. Limited to just four games on the year in 2021-2022, it’s no secret that Ellis’ absence altered the Flyers defense corps. It hurt Ivan Provorov’s game significantly, while the team had to ask other players such as Justin Braun to play above his means to help fill the top pair void.
Adding either Nemec or Jiricek’s two-way, top pair upside to the organization would help alleviate some of that concern around Ellis, even if neither is ready to play in the NHL next season. The long term health of the Flyers would be a little less bleak if nothing else and having another high-end talent to place on your top pair is never a bad thing. The team should consider building from the net out given the uncertainty with Ellis.
Here’s a breakdown of Simon Nemec’s strengths and weaknesses:
Here’s a breakdown of David Jiricek’s strengths and weaknesses:
