With the 2024 NHL Draft fast approaching, the Philadelphia Flyers have a major decision in their hands with the 12th overall pick.
In all likelihood, London Knights defenseman Sam Dickinson will not be on the board when the Flyers make their selection. However, if he were to somehow fall or the Flyers traded up, it would be virtually impossible to say no to adding a potential game-breaking blueliner with massive upside on both ends of the ice to the organization.
The soon-to-be 18-year-old racked up 18 goals and 52 assists for 70 points in 62 games in his sophomore OHL season. Dickinson led all Knights defensemen in assists and points, while 2023 Flyers first-round pick Oliver Bonk led the club in goals by a defenseman.
Dickinson also displayed amazing chemistry whenever he was paired with Bonk, especially during the OHL Playoffs and Memorial Cup, which would bode very well if he were to also be selected by the Flyers.
Dickinson finished fourth in the league among defensemen in points, only behind fellow 2024 NHL Draft prospect Zayne Parekh, 2023 Canucks draft pick Hunter Brzustewicz, and 2023 Ducks draft pick Rodwin Dioncio, respectively.
For his efforts, Dickinson was one of multiple Knights honored by the OHL and was named a Second-Team All-Star.
In the OHL Playoffs, Dickinson posted 4 goals and 9 assists for 13 points in 18 games as the Knights claimed the J. Ross Robertson Cup as league champions. Dickinson continued to impress in the Memorial Cup with 2 goals and 2 assists in 4 games, including an assist and a goal in the Memorial Cup Final despite losing to Saginaw on a late third period tally.
Dickinson’s defensive abilities are revered, but he is a smooth-skating speedster with a lethal shot.
Dickinson’s ability to read plays is marvelous. He is also almost always in position to either set up a teammate or himself to score goals.
Dickinson is also a big body at 6’3” and 204 pounds, an attribute that any team would salivate at selecting as he has a long reach and can break up plays with his stick with ease. He can use his size to his advantage and can wash out players effectively with a big check as well.
His main knock is that he can sometimes be a little too patient with the puck, but quicker decision-making will come with time and seasoning. For a Flyers squad that isn’t incredibly deep on defense and has been putrid on the power play for the last three-plus seasons, Dickinson would be a much-welcomed addition to quarterback one of the units and get pucks on net.
There aren’t many players in this upcoming draft class that will immediately step into the NHL next season, but Dickinson could easily be one of them with how strong his two-way game is and how big he is.
The Toronto native is ranked anywhere between #2 and #10 on most analysts’ draft boards. If a team were willing to take a reasonable gamble on Dickinson, we could see him selected within the top-five. However, he is generally perceived to fall between the seventh and tenth picks in the draft, and even then he will likely be seen as a steal.
Comparably, Dickinson’s game resembles that of Dallas Stars superstar Miro Heiskanen with his speed and two-way prowess.
Should the Flyers trade up – or Dickinson somehow falls – on June 28th, we could possibly see him join a young and talented defensive crop that includes current NHLers Cam York and Jamie Drysdale along with Bonk, Emil Andrae, Adam Ginning, Ronnie Attard, Carter Sotheran, and Helge Grans.
