A Brayden Point type of impact for Flyers at No. 7?
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A Brayden Point type of impact for Flyers at No. 7? originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia]]>
With slim odds, the Flyers didn’t strike gold in the Connor Bedard sweepstakes.
But they will have a chance to bring in some needed high-end talent near the top of the 2023 NHL draft.
“We’re fortunate it’s a good year,” Flyers general manager Danny Briere said of the draft crop in April. “We have quite a few picks and we have a high one.
“You have to go through a lot of bad times to get there unfortunately, but it’s exciting when you’re at the draft table and you get to pick such a high pick. It’s going to be a critical pick for the organization moving forward, there’s no doubt about it.”
After selecting Cutter Gauthier fifth overall last summer, the Flyers are slotted at No. 7 for this year’s draft, which will be held June 28-29 at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. With the Ivan Provorov trade, the Flyers acquired the 22nd overall pick, giving them two first-rounders and 10 total selections in the draft. The first round kicks off at 7 p.m. ET Wednesday, while Rounds 2-7 follow Thursday starting at 11 a.m. ET.
Leading up to the draft, we’re breaking down targets for the Flyers at No. 7.
Next up:
Zach Benson
Position: Winger
Height: 5-foot-10
Weight: 170
Shoots: Left
Team: Winnipeg ICE
Scouting report
Benson is a gamer and play driver who constantly opened eyes this season on one of the best teams in Canadian major junior hockey.
He’s a bona-fide threat with the puck on his stick, he knows where to be when a teammate has it and he’s as versatile as they get for a winger his size.
Playing for a loaded ICE team that went 57-10-1, Benson was third in the WHL with 98 points, finishing behind only Bedard (143) and four-year forward Chase Wheatcroft (107). In 60 games, Benson had 36 goals — six at shorthanded, four on the power play — and 62 assists, while his plus-68 rating was second best in the league.
He just turned 18 years old in May.
“He’s a skilled player,”…
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