Bright: Flyers Made Right Choice In Couturier
It was unexpected and certainly not a selection of need, but with the eighth pick in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft in Minnesota on Friday, the Flyers choose the best player available in center Sean Couturier.
And despite the surprise, it was the correct decision.
With Chris Pronger, turning 37 in October, and Kimmo Timonen, 36, hitting the twilight of their careers, it would have made sense for general manager Paul Holmgren to re-stock his team’s defensive cabinet and pull the trigger on 6-foot-4 blueliner Dougie Hamilton or 5-10 defensive waterbug Ryan Murphy. In fact, many experts believed that the two talented rear guards to be the best players available when the Flyers hit the podium to make their selection.
But when Winnipeg reached off the board to grab Mark Scheifele with the seventh pick, suddenly, and to their pleasant surprise, the Flyers had a top-five forward talent in Couturier fall right into their lap. Throw in the fact that when selecting in the top 10, avoiding need and grabbing the best player available is really the only choice, making the decision to steal Couturier was the right one.
Standing at 6-foot-4, 200 pounds, Couturier has physical gifts that many players at 18-years-old do not. Throw in above average hands not typically attributed to players of his size, and it’s evident why he ranked so high in the draft.
However, despite his imposing size and puck skills, he is a cerebral player. Labeled a two-way center because of his high hockey IQ and anticipation, Couturier is also a strong face-off man and excellent at puck possession. He is known for making smart judgements and reading plays before they happen. This helps him on the offensive end as well, as he scored 77 goals and 115 assists in 126 games with the Drummandville Voltigeurs of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League over the past two seasons. The most used comparative was Jordan Staal of the Pittsburgh Penguins.
“I’m a two-way forward,” said Couturier, who can play in all scenarios. “I’m reliable defensively. Offensively I like to control the puck, control the play for my teammates.”
The knock on Couturier is one of many big men — skating and filling out. Armed with above-average attributes in nearly every category, skating and speed is the one skill area of his game that he needs to work on. He also could use to add muscle to fill his 6-4 frame and become an immovable force at the NHL level. The extra size could also help develop some power into his game and nose for the net.
Other than that, because he does so many little things correctly and is defensively responsible, Couturier could be ready to jump into the pros in a year or two.
“Well, especially making the most of my skating, my first two steps,” Couturier said when talking about his weaknesses. “I’ve been working on it since I was young, and there’s still a lot of improvement left to do. But I’m working on it, and overall, that’s about it.”
According to independent scout Corey Pronman, Couturier’s ceiling is that of a first-line center.
“[Couturier] is as sure a bet in this class to be a decent two-way first-line center. He has the upside to be an above-average one in the league,” Pronman said on his Twitter, @CoreyPronman.
Although the Flyers could have used their high pick to add reinforcement and future on a defense that will need it in a few seasons, Couturier’s availability flew at them like a curve ball. One that Holmgren and the Flyers hit out of the park.
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