After a couple of goaltenders were selected and the first round was gone, the Philadelphia Flyers went to secure some more forward talent by selecting center Cole Knuble. Yes, he is the son of former Flyers player Mike Knuble.
This is great commitment to the bit.
🔸 WELCOME TO PHILLY! 🔸
With the 103rd pick in the 2023 #NHLDraft, we are proud to select Cole Knuble. pic.twitter.com/wJxQlXiBoE
— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) June 29, 2023
After playing a couple games for the National Program, Knuble quickly skirted over to the USHL’s Fargo Force and has been there for the last two years. Most recently, the center maanged to score 30 goals and 66 points in 57 games; a respectable season after being passed up for the draft last year.
Knuble is committed to the University of Notre Dame and will play for them next season.
According to some scouts, Knuble improved a whole lot on the reasons why he was not selected in his first draft-eligible year. Instead of keeping the puck for himself, he has become a proactive and thoughtful player that has quickly utilized more of his off-puck game.
He will need to improve – like almost every single prospect taken this week – to be able to make it in professional hockey, but he has the tools like his passing and puck protection ability that can make it work.
For the Flyers overall, this is another long-term selection that is just adding more potential firepower down the road. Knuble feels like just the perfect depth player if everything works. Someone that doesn’t need to have possession of the puck to be an effective hockey player and is just an all-around decent hockey player. Nothing flashy here but just someone that was projected to go around here in the draft and he did, to the Flyers.
