Flyers Get 7th Pick in Draft Lottery

Report From Philadelphia Flyers

The Philadelphia Flyers will have the seventh overall selection in the first round of the 2015 NHL Entry Draft on June 26 in Sunrise, FL. The first-round draft order was determined by the NHL in a lottery on Saturday in Toronto.

The Flyers finished 24th among all NHL teams this season, which gave them a 6.5 percent chance of receiving the first overall selection in the draft through the weighted lottery. The Edmonton Oilers won the lottery and the first overall selection this year jumping ahead of the Buffalo Sabres, who had a 20 percent chance after they finished 30th in the NHL.

This is the highest pick in the draft the Flyers have had since 2007, when they selected James van Riemsdyksecond overall.

This is also the fourth time in Flyers history that the club has selected seventh overall, most recently taking Ryan Sittler with that pick in the 1992 NHL Entry Draft. They have also selected Ken Linseman seventh overall in 1978 and Hall of Famer Bill Barber in the seventh position in 1972.

Overall, the Flyers have only had 12 draft picks in their history that have been 7th or higher, and 10 of those 12 selections came prior to 1993. The team’s draft history with picks of 7th or higher is as follows:

FLYERS DRAFT HISTORY AT #7 OR HIGHER

2007 – 2 (James van Riemsdyk)

2002 – 4 (Joni Pitkanen)

1992 – 7 (Ryan Sittler)

1991 – 6 (Peter Forsberg)

1990 – 4 (Mike Ricci)

1982 – 4 (Ron Sutter)

1978 – 6 (Behn Wilson); 7 (Ken Linseman)

1975 – 1 (Mel Bridgeman)

1972 – 7 (Bill Barber)

1969 – 6 (Bob Currier)

1967 – 5 (Serge Bernier)

The Flyers currently hold 10 selections in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, including two first round selections after owning Tampa Bay’s pick from the Braydon Coburn trade on Mar. 2. They also own the Chicago Blackhawks’ pick in the 2nd round, Tampa Bay’s and San Jose’s pick in the 3rd round and the Columbus’ pick in the 4th round.

The Flyers also hold their own selections in the 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th rounds.