• March 18, 2024

Defensemen Available if Flyers Trade for #8 Draft Pick

The rumor that Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren is considering trading for the Columbus Blue Jackets’ #8 overall pick in the 2011 NHL draft has been confirmed by a number of media outlets, and it makes sense. Homer wants desperately to be able to sign goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov but doesn’t have the cap space available to do so.

I could write about all of the merits for trading Jeff Carter, Kris Versteeg, Scott Hartnell or Matt Carle, but only Blue Jackets general manager Scott Howson knows what that pick is worth to him. Instead, I thought I’d look at some of the players that could be available at that position in the draft if they actually made the trade.

In particular, I thought I would look at the area where the Flyers will need the most help in three years- the defense. They have a solid core of forwards and are shoring up their goaltending (in theory), but their top two defensemen are only a handful of years away from retirement.

If the Flyers acquire the #8 overall pick, they have the option of drafting Ryan Murphy, Nathan Bealieu, or “Teach Me How to” Dougie Hamilton.

Murphy is the smallest at 5′-10″, but he has the most offensive talent of the bunch. He spent the last two seasons with the Kitchener Rangers of the OHL, tallying 26 goals and 79 points this season. Judging from the International Scouting Services 2011 Draft Guide, he’s ridiculously good with the puck but it leaves him open to making risky defensive plays. Think Washington Capitals defenseman Mike Green, I suppose.

Nathan Bealieu stands at 6′-3″ and 191 lbs. He played for the Saint John Sea Dogs of the QMJHL for the last three years and won the Memorial Cup recently along with former Flyers prospect Jacob Deserres. Bealieu had identical stats for the past two years- 12 goals and 45 points.

He is also considered to be a more offensive minded defenseman, as he jumps into offensive plays readily, but is more careful than Murphy. The Flyers tend to draft heavily out of the QMJHL so I wouldn’t be surprised if he was on their radar.

Finally, Dougie Hamilton is actually the biggest of the defensemen in the top 15 at the draft, weighing in at 6′-4″ and 193 lbs. He spent the last two seasons in the OHL with the Niagara IceDogs and had a breakout year, notching 12 goals and 58 points. He appears to be average when it comes to making decisions with the puck, but has such a huge frame that it doesn’t make much of a difference- he’s going to muscle you off the puck.

We won’t find out until June 24 whether Holmgren actually pulls the trigger on making a deal with Columbus, but I wouldn’t mind having a player of Bealieu’s credential’s waiting in the wings when Kimmo Timonen retires.

Josh Janet

Josh Janet was raised in Northern New Jersey, but by an odd set of circumstances, is a Philadelphia sports fan. While recently converted to the Phillies, Josh is a diehard Flyers fan and can be expected to stay on top of the latest NHL news.

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atra1781
June 14, 2011 4:07 pm

I heard a rumor they are going to trade Carter and Verteeg for an older player named Matt Marino goaltender from the AHL.

paulman
paulman
June 14, 2011 4:18 pm

I heard about that Goalie Matt Marino, is that the guy who wears his Goalie Mask 24/7 and never takes it off.. …. ha ha

DDCar
DDCar
June 14, 2011 7:57 pm

That’s a move Clarkie would have made. LMFBO! ATRA & PAUL.

jott1972
jott1972
June 15, 2011 8:31 pm

yeah, lets trade a star 24 yr old player like Carter for an unknown draftee and sign a 30yr old goalie with not much upside… .f-ing Holmgren is a moron!