It’s finally happened! We’ve reached the fifth round and the Flyers have finally made a pick that did not involve them moving up or down or any such waffling, they simply made the pick as scheduled. This selection in question was right winger Noah Powell, selected with the 148th pick.
Powell is an overager in this draft, as he was passed over last year in his first year of eligibility.
Appearing to be something of a late bloomer, he didn’t let that first pass on him get him too down, and he went from scoring just 19 points in 53 games in his first season with the USHL’s Dubuque Fighting Saints and absolutely exploding in production this year, putting up 43 goals and 74 points in 61 games with the team. He finished the season as the league leader in total goals and power play goals.
The folks over at Elite Prospects had him ranked 77th this year, and had this to say about him in their draft guide:
Powell’s an intelligent, inside-driven power forward who easily manipulates opponents. He baits defenders to charge at him, then intercepts them with a shoulder and attacks the inside. He deftly pulls pucks off the wall, often in highly creative ways.
And then FloHockey’s Chris Peters had this to add (care of the ESPN broadcast):
[He] became [a] goal-scoring machine this season. Gets to the net. Aggressive in offensive zone
Powell’s game is continuing to mature, but the step forward he took this season should be really encouraging, and his potential definitely makes him an intriguing pick. He’ll take the next step forward up to the next level this season, as he makes the jump from the USHL to the NCAA, beginning with Ohio State in the fall. We’ll see how he fares there.
