Flyers Keep 12th Pick in 2024 NHL Draft; What it Means

After zero changes were made in the 2024 NHL Draft Lottery – literally not a single one – the Philadelphia Flyers will be keeping the 12th overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft.

The San Jose Sharks ended up winning the 2024 NHL Draft Lottery, with the Chicago Blackhawks and Anaheim Ducks following behind to round out the top three. Essentially, the Flyers are out of the running for a truly elite talent barring an unforeseen change, such as a potential Flyers trade with a team above them.

Though it might be disappointing that the Flyers could not win the 2024 NHL Draft Lottery and move all the way up to the No. 2 overall pick, this outcome is what Danny Briere and Co. had been prepared for this whole time. After all, the Flyers had the third-highest odds of remaining at their current draft slot, which is exactly what happened on Tuesday night.

Looking at things from a glass half-full perspective, the Flyers won by not losing. There was always a chance they could move back to either the 13th or 14th overall pick, which could have been a calamitous outcome.

With the 2024 NHL Draft taking place at the end of next month – on June 28 and 29 – the Flyers will still have plenty of time to zero in on some of the prospects they have already been scouting. Players like Konsta Helenius, Cole Eiserman, Tij Iginla, Carter Yakemchuk, Berkly Catton, and Zeev Buium could all squarely be in the conversation for the Flyers at No. 12, and all are players the team can build around in a meaningful way.

Indeed, the Flyers are not drafting the Robin to Matvei Michkov’s Batman just yet, but they could always trade up in this year’s draft or regress to have a higher pick in the 2025 NHL Draft. As the lottery results on Tuesday night showed, all it takes is a stroke of luck.

Luck wasn’t on the Flyers’ side for the 2024 NHL Draft Lottery, but it could always be worse. Much worse, in fact.