Flyers Trade Up To Take Big Center Jack Nesbitt

The Flyers stood pat with their first pick of the 1st round and took RW Porter Malone. They were not going to sit on their hands for the rest of their 1st round picks though. They made a rare swap with the Penguins, sending them picks 22 and 31 to move up to 12. With that 12th pick, they got the Center they were looking for, Jack Nesbitt.

One thing Nesbitt is not lacking in is size. The 18-year-old stands at 6ft5. Between him and Porter Malone, 6ft4, it is clear the Flyers came into this draft looking to add size.

Danny Brierre said Nebitt was their guy all along. He also said that what stood out about Nesbitt was "the grit in combination with the skills, it is just something that we needed." Keith Jones added that "He looks like a Flkyer to me," and noted he has the skill to go with his grit.

Nesbitt ranged between 15 and 20 on most pre-draft rankings. So, some might say it was a slight reach. But given how the Flyers acted, it was clear they were high on him at the very least. Most experts expected the Flyers would not use all 3 of their 1st round picks. But a move this aggressive to move up the draft board was a significant show from a team nearing the end of their "rebuild phase."

After the 1st round, the Flyers have 3 2nd-round picks to work with, on top of a 3rd, 2 5ths, and a 6th. Goalie and defense are still needs. And even after adding 1 Center, and trading for Trevor Zegras, they should be expected to add more centers during the rest of the draft.

Jordan Hall did a deeper dive on Jack Nesbitt as a prospect. It is worth a read for Flyers interested in knowing more about the Flyers' new Center.