With his current coaching contract halfway done, Philadelphia Flyers head coach John Tortorella’s future is most likely a move upstairs in the Flyers front office or another (and possibly shorter) extension. But the upcoming NHL Entry Draft on the horizon, and there are a handful of prospects Tortorella would love to get his hands on.
Although obviously talented players like Macklin Celebrini and Ivan Demidov would fit just for their exceptional skill set (and almost certainly won’t be available when Briere announces Philadelphia’s first pick), there are others who simply have the work ethic, attitude, and edge Tortorella demands from his team on a shift-by-shift basis.
Here then are a handful of draft prospects Tortorella would love to have. Please note the top five or six prospects weren’t included because most likely they won’t be there for the Flyers to covet. And note these aren’t in any particular order in terms of favorites. It’s just that they all seem to check a lot of boxes when looking at players Tortorella prefers.
Michael Brandsegg-Nygård — 18, 6-foot-1, 198 lbs, Mora IK (HockeyAllsvenskan, Sweden)
The Norweigan is talented and still is able to play a very heavy game both with and without the puck. Positioning and his two-way game is sound, and he is far from a liability in his own zone, seemingly doing the little things that a player like Noah Cates and Tyson Foerster did without much prodding.
“He went into every retrevial seeking out contact and almost always connected,” Elite Prospects wrote about Brandsegg-Nygård. “Thunderous hits sent his opponents flying from the puck, and when he couldn’t overwhelm them with brute force, technique would take its place in the form of reverse hits, subtle jabs at the puck through contact to keep it from his opponent’s stick, or a drive up and through their hands to establish inside positioning.” The scouting site also listed him has having the second “best motor” among all prospects and ranked fifth in terms of having the “highest floor.” Simply put, it would take a hell of a lot before Brandsegg-Nygård would find himself in Tortorella’s doghouse.
Tij Iginla — 17, 6-foot, 185 lbs, Kelowna Rockets (WHL)
Iginla looks like he’ll have fire in his belly from the time he puts on an NHL jersey on June 28th in the first round. And if the Flyers are fortunate enough to see him fall to twelfth, Tortorella and fans alike should be beaming from ear to ear. Much like his father Jerome, Tij Iginla brings a great shot which was responsible for 47 goals last season with the Kelowna Rockets. But even more than the shot and sniper mentality is the fact Iginla’s engine does not turn off from the first shift to the last regardless of the score.
Although there’s some variance in terms of where he could go in the draft (Craig Button has him fourth, TheAthletic‘s Scott Wheeler has him twelfth while TSN’s Bob McKenzie has him sixteenth), what isn’t up for debate is Iginla is once again probably going to be a name heard around the NHL seemingly for years to come. “Iginla has a lot of pro elements to his game,” one league executive told TheAthletic. “He’s super skilled and can score, but he’s detailed, he competes hard, he gets offense in the tough areas of the ice. He’s not that big yet, but you look at the dad and you’re hoping when Tij fills out he’s going to be a handful to deal with.” One gets the sense Iginla would be chomping at the bit to do Tortorella’s infamous bag skate in the early part of training camp.
Konsta Helenius — 18, 5-foot-11, 190 lbs, Jukurit (Liiga, Finland)
Finnish prospect Konsta Helenius is a center and can do almost all of the little things in both ends exteremely well. Even Olli Jokinen (the same Olli Jokinen who Brian Boucher stopped in the shootout of game 82 back in the 2009-10 season to vault the playoffs into the postseason) who coached Helenius had nothing but high praise for the center. “He reads the game really well and positions himself really well, and understands the game,” Jokinen told TheAthletic in late April. “He has that understanding of the situation in the game and when to play it safe or take a risk. I think his hockey sense is the biggest thing.” Jokinen also mentioned two other centers known for their takeaway ability and forechecking acumen when speaking about Helenius: Red Wings great Pavel Datsyuk and the Panthers’ Aleksander Barkov.
Again, it’s the little details of the game that Tortorella has notoriously been a stickler for. One only has to remember the profane screed he gave Bobby Brink in one game last season and the nearly 60-minute benching Joel Farabee had after making a mental mistake earlier in the year. With a prospect like Helenius mistakes will still be made, just most likely not many of them as he develops his game at the professional level.
Carter Yakemchuk — 18, 6-foot-3, 194 lbs, Calgary Hitmen (WHL)
There is very little grey area when it comes to defenseman Carter Yakemchuk. Some see him as a big, rugged, offensive blueliner who would probably be a cornerstone of a revived Flyers power play. Others see the weaknesses in his game and can’t see how Yakemchuk could be taken anywhere in the first half of the first round. After leading the Western Hockey League in goals and points for a defenseman this past season, Yakemchuk has often dazzled fans and scouts with his play. “His puck handling and his shooting and that half of his game is at a very, very high level,” Calgary Hitmen general manager Garry Davidson told The Athletic about the prospect. “Carter’s all about offence first, and there’s many nights where he wows people with what he does out there offensively.”
Despite these obvious assets, there is concern Yakemchuk’s hockey IQ isn’t quite as high as desired, particularly in his own end. Although this could scare off some teams, there’s a strong chance the Flyers and particularly Tortorella and assistant coach Brad Shaw could wean those mistakes out of his game if given the chance. That doesn’t mean turning him into a bruising, stay-at-home defenseman but basically letting him go offensively while eliminating bad pinches or simple miscues. A pipeline of Oliver Bonk, Hunter McDonald and Yakemchuk wouldn’t be a bad thing.
Cole Beaudoin — 18, 6-foot-2, 201 lbs, Barrie Colts (OHL)
After a somewhat lackluster 2022-23 season with the OHL’s Barrie Colts, Cole Beaudoin blossomed into a capable presence down the middle with 28 goals and 34 assists for 62 points for Barrie last season. His size is impressive and more importantly his desire to get the puck is equally impressive. Whether it’s digging it out of the corners, beating his man in one-on-one battles or crashing the net to get dirty or greasy goals, Beaudoin looks like he has a lot going for him. “His impact is felt in all three zones,” Elite Prospects wrote. “When opponents try to escape with the puck, all they hear are his heavy boots slamming the ice to catch up to them. He crushes them on the boards, comes back around to lift their stick and gets possession back.”
Given how different the Flyers look from just two seasons ago, the forecheck is at the heart of Tortorella’s plan. And this past season the games were fun to watch for simply knowing the team could score off the rush or counterpunch with the league’s elite. Knowing Beaudoin is big, plays big and looks as if he could fill out a bit more makes him an intriguing idea for Tortorella and company.
