D-man with ‘unbelievable maturity to his game' could be option for Flyers at No. 21 originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
For the first time in a while, the Flyers are coming off a playoff run.
That, of course, makes life a little different for the club’s amateur scouting staff leading up to the 2026 NHL draft. Barring a trade, the Flyers will pick at 21st overall. It’s their lowest first-round spot since 2020.
But that was when the Flyers drafted a foundation piece, grabbing Tyson Foerster at 23rd overall.
So the Flyers know the draft is still critical to what they want to do, even when they’re lower in the order.
“We’ve said it for a long time, we wanted to build a team that was going to be here for a long time; not just to go for it for a year or two,” general manager Danny Briere said last month. “That’s still the same approach on my end.”
The Flyers have only five picks in this draft, which will be held June 26-27. The first round is Friday at 7 p.m. ET, while Rounds 2-7 are Saturday starting at 11 a.m. ET.
“I’ll tell you how I feel about drafts and I’ll be totally blunt with you,” TSN director of scouting Craig Button said last Tuesday in a phone interview with NBC Sports Philadelphia. “I think it’s f—ing bulls–t when I hear about, ‘Oh, this draft isn’t as good.’ Here are the numbers. Approximately 45 players from any draft will play 350 games or more in the NHL. It might be 47 one year, 42 another year. That’s the number — you get 45 players that’ll play 350 games or more with varying degrees of success.
“And I know this about the draft. The teams that get good players from the draft say it was a good draft. The teams that don’t get good players from the draft say it wasn’t a good draft. So when people start telling me about a draft ahead of time, I call bulls–t.”
Last summer, the Flyers made nine selections, with six coming over the first two rounds. Porter Martone was their headliner at sixth overall. Now the Flyers will try to hit on a pick in the 20s.
“What you’re trying to do is find a player that you feel has the potential to be an NHL player,” Button said. “That might be a third-line center, that might be a second-line scoring winger. Hey, listen, maybe you get David Pastrnak, who’s a superstar (drafted 25th overall in 2014).
“But the focus has to be on, ‘OK, what type of player do we like, what type of player do we think the guy can be?’ And then get after it and understand what the development path is, and then try to help that player be the best he can be. Put a stake in the ground and celebrate who you’re drafting.”
Before the draft arrives, we’re breaking down first-round targets for the Flyers.
Next up:
Juho Piiparinen
Position: Defenseman
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 204
Shoots: Right
Team: Tappara
Scouting report
The 17-year-old is a proficient defender, one you can trust and rely on to keep the puck out of your net.
He stays within himself with calculated reads and execution. He knows the right play can sometimes be better than the outstanding play. And when he’s in his own end, he’ll lock things down.
“He’s heavy, he’s hard, he’s smart, he’s effective and he doesn’t try to be anything but that,” Button, a former NHL GM and scout, said. “I’ve watched Juho for a couple of years now and I watch a guy that doesn’t make mistakes.”
Playing against men in Liiga, Finland’s top pro league, Piiparinen didn’t have a goal this season through 29 games. He recorded three assists, 46 shots and a plus-6 rating.
The age and strength of his competition definitely factored into his offensive numbers. But Piiparinen is not a guy that will light up the box score. At the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship, he had an assist, four shots and a plus-6 rating in four games for Team Finland.
“Is he going to produce tons of points? No, I don’t think he will,” Button said. “But you cannot be a good offensive team unless you’ve got guys that can make plays under pressure in the defensive zone, get the puck moving the other way, get the puck into the hands of the right players at the right times. I think he has got such unbelievable maturity to his game at a young age.”
Piiparinen is slotted at No. 19 on Button’s May 20 draft list.
“He knows who he is, he knows what he is,” Button said. “In the offensive zone, he’ll play on the power play. But he’s a thinker, he knows, ‘OK, I’ve got to get the puck in these spots.’ He doesn’t try to be a catalyst specifically; he tries to be somebody that’s a cog in the wheel. I love him.”
NHL Central Scouting has Piiparinen as the sixth-best international skater, but he’s ranked No. 33 overall by Daily Faceoff’s Steven Ellis and No. 40 on EliteProspects.com.
Button likened Piiparinen’s defensive-minded approach to Rasmus Ristolainen. After being drafted eighth overall in 2013 by the Sabres, Ristolainen was given an all-situation role at an early age.
“They asked him to be a big-time point producer, big shot and everything,” Button said. “I think Rick Tocchet, what he did with Rasmus this year, the way that Rasmus played in the regular season and the playoffs, I think it’s almost like Rasmus just said, ‘I can just be myself, I don’t have to be this big offensive guy.’ And he was incredibly effective.”
Fit with Flyers
Players like Piiparinen are valuable pieces to a team’s back end. But at No. 21, it would be understandable if the Flyers wanted a defensemen with more offensive upside.
The Flyers have recently made an effort to replenish their system with some bigger, right-handed blueliners in David Jiricek, Oliver Bonk, Spencer Gill and Carter Amico. So Piiparinen probably isn’t the ideal fit or need.
But there’s absolutely some intrigue with Piiparinen, who already plays like a pro before the age of 18.
More targets
• Could Lawrence’s early jump to college have him fall to Flyers in draft?
• Will Flyers eye 6-foot-4 forward with ‘goal-scoring hands’ at No. 21?
• Palmieri ‘type of player’ may be available for Flyers at No. 21 in draft
• Russian center with pro build has interesting case for Flyers at No. 21
• Lin has ‘Brandon Montour profile,’ but will he be there for Flyers at No. 21?
