NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Flyers traded into the second round of Thursday's 2023 NHL draft and took a big goalie.
At 51st overall, they selected Carson Bjarnason, a 6-foot-3, 190-pounder who was the top-ranked North American netminder by NHL Central Scouting. He was the fourth goalie taken in the draft.
In exchange for the pick, the Flyers sent one of their two sixth-rounders in this draft (167th overall) and a second-rounder in 2024 to the Blackhawks. The Flyers originally had three second-rounders in 2024. Now they have two.
To start Thursday, they didn't have a selection in the second round at Bridgestone Arena because of the Rasmus Ristolainen trade two summers ago.
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Bjarnason, who celebrates his 18th birthday Friday, was 21-19-6 with a 3.08 goals-against average and .900 save percentage in 47 games this season for the WHL's Brandon Wheat Kings. He recorded three shutouts.
The Canadian likes to emulate the playing style of Carey Price and Carter Hart. He watches the Flyers' goalie often.
"I watch every game of his, he's one of my favorites goalies," Bjarnason said Thursday. "Since Price has stopped playing, he's the one guy I've been watching. So it'll be pretty cool to go to [development] camp."
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The Flyers drafted a goalie for the first time since 2021, when they took Aleksei Kolosov in the third round.
"Carson was one of the top-rated Canadian goalies coming into the season," assistant general manager Brent Flahr said Thursday, via Flyers public relations. "He's big, he's athletic, he has dynamic movements. Our goalie coaches and our goalie scouts have been very high on him. He has had a big role in Brandon the last couple of years and he has a chance to be a Hockey Canada goalie here going forward. We're excited to get him."
