In the fifth round of the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, 148th overall, the Philadelphia Flyers selected Noah Powell, a right winger from Dubuque Fighting Saints in the USHL.
To this point, each forward selected by the Flyers was a center. Powell was the first winger taken by Philadelphia.
Throughout his recent campaign with the Fighting Saints, Powell displayed good hockey sense and used his 6’2″ and 201lbs frame to win puck battles along the wall. Brent Flahr drove it home; hockey sense was a critical factor and theme throughout the 2024 Flyers Draft Class. Powell is cerebral, relying on his deception to get into high-percentage scoring areas. He led the USHL in goals (43), so he typically makes the opposition pay. That put him past Johnny Gaudreau in the Fighting Saints’ all-time stat books.
How fast the NHL games tread makes hockey sense a prerequisite. Goal-scoring is the accent for Powell due to his shooting accuracy, but he can make the right passing plays to create a high-percentage scoring situation. Flahr stressed the focus of the regular season for the scouts, and Powell averaged more than a point per game (61GP; 74P).
“He [Powell] obviously dedicated himself; his game took a huge step. I think skating is one area that improved, but I think conditioning-wise and everything in his game just went to another level. He brings an element of toughness, he can really shoot the puck, obviously score goals, but he a presence physically in every game he played.” – Brent Flahr; 6/29/2024
This was the second time Powell was eligible for the NHL Entry Draft. Finishing at a point-per-game pace put Powell on the Flyers’ radar. Powell is committed to Ohio State University next season. Regarding his area of improvement, skating, Flahr added:
“He’s [Powell] already improved it significantly now, and it’s obviously something he has to work on, but I think just his conditioning and working at the little things have helped him to this point. Now, he’s going to have to keep working, but with the package that he brings, it’s hard to find. Where we got him, we thought it was a good value.” – Brent Flahr; 6/29/2024
Drafting Powell in the fifth round was not a reach. Most would project him to be a mid-to-deep round draft pick because he is a re-entry into the NHL Entry Draft pool. Powell could have been on the radar of the Tampa Bay Lightning in the fourth round or even the Montreal Canadiens earlier in the fifth.
