BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The Flyers said they were going to go top-heavy at this year's NHL draft with bigger, skilled forwards and not defense, where the pipeline is already stacked.
But just to cover themselves at both ends, they took a player from the Calgary Hitmen that has played both defense and left wing in the third round (No. 82 overall) Saturday at First Niagara Center — Carsen Twarynski.
Twarynski, 18, is a teammate of current Flyers prospects Travis Sanheim, a defenseman, and forward Radel Fazleev in Calgary.
“I played forward the last couple years but until my year midget, I switched back and forth to defense,” the 6-foot, 201-pound winger said. “Last four or five years I decided to stick to forward.”
He said Sanheim filled him in about the Flyers and was hoping to be selected by Philadelphia.
“It’s good to have that insight from those guys,” Twarynski said. “I talked to Travis a little bit at the end of the season about how this would all go down. He told me to enjoy it and told me a lot of good things about Philadelphia.”
Another fellow Hitman, defenseman Jake Bean, was selected Friday by Carolina at No. 13.
The Flyers contacted Twarynski shortly before the draft combine and had several visits.
“It was special because we came here as a family trip and don’t get to go out much anymore because of the travel,” Twarynski said. “This was a very proud day for my family.”
Scouting reports say while he lacks high-end offensive ability, he doesn’t mind going to the dirty areas of the ice or stand in front of the net and take punishment for a tough goal or assist.
He scored 20 goals with 45 points for the Hitmen this season.
“My best asset is my physicality,” he said. “I’m a power forward that is good two ways. I can put the puck in the net and make plays around the net. I got a lot of good assets and I’m a versatile player.”
He feels he is “couple years” away from being an NHL player.
In the fourth round at No. 109, the Flyers chose center/left wing Connor Bunnaman. The 6-foot, 183-pound Guelph native played for Kitchener this season with 16 goals and 38 points in 68 games.
“I had to play both positions at Kitchener just to get into the lineup,” Bunnaman said. “I like center more — like taking draws.”
He said he got the impression the Flyers were going to take him and contacted him several times throughout the season.
Scouts say he’s strong on the puck, plays hard along the walls and projects as a third-line center in the NHL.
“I feel I’m a two-way power forward who could fit into their system,” Bunnaman said, adding while he doesn’t have a deep knowledge of the Flyers, he liked watching Danny Briere play.