The 2020 NHL Entry Draft is approaching us now and there are a lot of very talented guys who the Flyers can pick from. But one prospect sticks out the most to me, mainly because of his offensive presence, and his name is Antonio Stranges. He is a 18 year old kid from Plymouth, Michigan who’s played for the London Knights for the past two years and has done some impressive things for his club. Baut before we get into why the Flyers should look to draft him, let’s get to know him.
Stranges’ primary position that is listed is left wing, but he can also play right wing and center too. Stranges played for multiple U.S. teams and caught the eye of many OHL scouts while playing. He was drafted by the London Knights in 2018 with the 21st pick of the OHL draft. Over the past two years with the Knights, he’s recorded 74 points in 127 games. Now, this might not seem like a lot but whenever he has the puck, he’s doing something unique with it. In my eyes, he’s the perfect fit for the organization and now let’s get to some reasons why that might just be the case with Stranges.
My first reason as to why the Flyers should draft his is the position he plays. Stranges plays left wing which will help because we could use a solid winger for the future. We could move him to right wing, which would give him more playing time and allow him to show off his passing and shooting skills with his lefty stick.
My second reason is that he can do crazy things with the puck. As in he can stick handle as well as he can shoot. I first discovered Stranges on an Instagram video of him doing some crazy moves on a shootout attempt and it blew me away. I knew then that this is the guy the Flyers should pursue.
My third reason is that Stranges is fast. And not to overhype the kid right now, but with what I see, I can see a future Connor McDavid in him. The Flyers could use his speed to blow past defenders and create good scoring opportunities.
My fourth and final reason is just his offensive presence. The Flyers could really use his ability on offense to provide points for the team and back up Carter Hart. With Stranges on the Flyers, they could look like a very scary team.
Antonio Stranges is a very good player with a big future in the league, which is exactly why the Flyers could use him to make themselves better. 2020 is a year that brings a lot of talent when it comes to the prospect pool and the entry draft. And the Flyers could look to find a player to help create offense and help with some future cup runs. That’s why it would be cool to hear a Flyers representative this Summer say, “And with the 25th pick in the 2020 NHL draft, the Philadelphia Flyers select, Antonio Stranges.”
Philadelphia Sports Chronicle 