The Flyers came out of Scott Wheeler’s 2023 re-draft with a clean answer to the biggest what-if in that class: if Matvei Michkov is gone, Philadelphia still lands a high-end offensive winger.
Wheeler’s do-over has the Flyers taking Gabe Perreault at No. 7, a move that gives them a player he sees as a stylistic stand-in for Michkov. In Wheeler’s view, the fit works because Perreault brings the kind of offensive brain that can drive a line even if the profile comes with some debate attached.
Wheeler was blunt about where he stood on Perreault back in 2023. He wrote, “He’s likely going to be the fourth player from the national program picked because his game is believed to be less projectable. I’m less and less convinced of that," “He’s a better skater than he gets credit for," and "There might not be a player in this draft class who thinks the game offensively at his level.”
He doubled down on that assessment in the re-draft piece, saying, "Those are direct from my final draft ranking in 2023, and they hold true today. I don’t write a 'prospects I was right about' piece opposite my 'prospects I was wrong about' but … I’m going to be right about Perreault," Wheeler asserted.
"I nailed this one, and I’m proud of it. If you watched some of his games late in the year with the Rangers, you’ll know."
Perreault, 21, spent last season with the Rangers and put up 12 goals, 15 assists and 27 points in 49 games. He finished even at 0 plus-minus, logged 10 penalty minutes and scored at a 16.4% clip.
The Flyers’ second first-rounder in Wheeler’s re-draft takes a different turn. Oliver Bonk, who Philadelphia actually selected with the 22nd pick in 2023, doesn’t crack Wheeler’s top 32 this time. Instead, the Flyers use that slot on goalie Egor Zavragin, whom Wheeler has going 65 picks earlier than he was taken in reality.
One more shake-up stands out near the back end of the first round: Denver Barkey climbs all the way to No. 31, where Colorado selects him.
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That approach has already shown up in the Flyers recent pursuit of high-end names, including a bold offer sheet for Leo Carlsson that Anaheim matched, and reported interest in Kirill Kaprizov this summer. It is also why the idea of a true game-changer landing in Philadelphia no longer feels like pure fantasy, even if the next major opening is still a long way off and the biggest name in the conversation remains out there as a future possibility rather than a present-day target. [Read more 🡒]
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Blue Jackets Still Have One Adam Fantilli Question Hanging Over Them
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For Flyers fans keeping an eye on the pipeline, KJ Sauers path is starting to come into focus as well. The prospect has committed to the University of Minnesota for the 2027-28 season, which means he is set to spend this coming year with WHL Edmonton before the college route begins, another reminder that Philadelphias future watch extends well beyond the NHL roster. [Read more 🡒]