When the Philadelphia Flyers introduced their new president of hockey operations Keith Jones and dropped Daniel Briere’s interim general manager (GM) tag, the two announced that a “New Era of Orange” would be coming to Philadelphia. Together with chairman Dan Hilferty and head coach John Tortorella, the two have consistently promised to overhaul a stagnant, inadequate roster with a focus on the future.
That is well and good, but moving bad contracts and shifting the organizational culture will only get the Flyers so far. The NHL is a league of stars; just ask the Vegas Golden Knights and Florida Panthers, who advanced to the Stanley Cup Final in their first full seasons with newly-acquired top talents Jack Eichel and Matthew Tkachuk. Luckily for Jones and Briere, in the form of the Winnipeg ICE’s Zach Benson, they could land one as late as seventh overall in a uniquely loaded 2023 NHL Draft. They need the moxy to select Benson over safer options.
Zach Benson: The Flyers’ Next Star?
Benson is a bit of an anomaly. Despite his immense potential, the 2023 Draft’s top-five selections are all but locked in. Connor Bedard, Matvei Michkov, and Will Smith all have more offensive pedigree than Benson; Bedard is generational, Michkov would be a lock for second if not for his Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) commitments, and Smith has all of Benson’s skill and twice his size. Leo Carlsson and Adam Fantilli will also go higher than Benson as this draft’s signature “pro-ready” prospects. That leaves Benson, a player so electric THW’s Caleb Kerney said “he would have been a candidate for first overall [from 2020-2022],” going sixth at best.
That is excellent value. Benson has tons of compete, a two-way game, and perhaps the most fleshed-out passing of any forward prospect. Benson’s 62 assists were second in the Western Hockey League (WHL) to, you guessed it, Bedard. His critical flaw is that he is neither a big player (a generous 5-foot-10, 159 pounds) or an elite skater. Big deal. Neither is Travis Konecny, the Flyers’ best player, who does not have nearly the upside of Benson.
Another reason the Flyers need Benson is that he is such a perfect fit for their current crop of forwards. Their long-term prospects all have a similar profile: shoot-first forwards eager to drive the net. Tyson Foerster was successful with that approach in the American Hockey League (AHL) last season; he likely has a spot reserved for him on the opening night roster. Cutter Gauthier had seven goals in 10 games for Team USA at the 2023 IIHF World Championship and will join the Flyers after another season at Boston College. Despite his recent struggles (15G in 82GP), Joel Farabee has a lengthy $5 million average annual value (AAV) contract that his shot bought him. Add in the fact that 25-year-old sniper Owen Tippett, whose 27 goals were second on the team, is likely in line for an extension, and the Flyers have their share of goalscorers or at least would-be goalscorers.
They need someone to tie that group together with playmaking on the rush and the powerplay. The Flyers have offensive talent, but Morgan Frost, a second-line center on his best day, is their best distributor. The returning Cam Atkinson and Sean Couturier also are better scorers than passers and are not long-term options. Between some combination of Foerster, Tippett, and Farabee, Benson would drive tons of offense.
If Not Benson, Then Who?
The alternative? Pass on him for fear Benson’s size finds him lost in the pro ranks. Ryan Leonard could stick around until seventh overall; his feistiness and physicality would make him a fan favorite in Philadelphia and inspired Logan Horn to mock him to the Flyers earlier this month. Dalibor Dvorsky certainly will. He is a skilled player whose name has been in play as long as that of Michkov or Bedard and spent 2022-23 playing against grown men in Sweden’s second-tier league.
The problem? Neither of those players would majorly change the Flyers’ outlook. Leonard is a bigger, smarter Konecny that will join Gauthier at Boston College for at least next season. The Flyers’ roster is worse than Tortorella made it look, and a reliable middle-six forward, while nice to have, does not change that. One could say the same about Dvorsky, a playmaker with more polish than Benson but a lower ceiling. They could use a power play center (who couldn’t), but a 60-point guy does not speed up the championship timeline for a team without stars. If Benson’s tools translate, he could easily break into the 80s, especially if guys like Tippett are still with the Orange and Black when he makes it to the NHL. There are others who would be ‘safer’ per se than Benson, but they all have the same issue: the British Columbia native has a far better chance of being a great player.
Benson will be available when the Flyers go on the clock on June 28. The Arizona Coyotes will almost certainly go with whichever defenseman they like best with the sixth pick. There will be teams that regret passing on him because they worried too much about his frame and too little about his mind. Jones and Briere need to think long and hard about whether that is how they want to begin their tenure as executives. They can swing for a double and find a gap in a field this deep. Flyers fans have waited a long time for a home run, though. Benson could be the player to deliver it.