Hello everyone and welcome to Broad
Street Hockey. We're here to ask the
important questions. Flyers training
camp is going on. We've already
experienced a preseason win. They're
never going to lose again.
Shootout win. Exactly. We're uh here to
get to the the down and dirty of this
prospect that people are talking about
now. It's not Porter Marone. It's not
Jet Luchenko. It's Jack Nesbbit. The
polarizing player selected 12th overall
just last June. Has made a real strong
impact. He's using his his 6'4, 6'5, 6'
6, whatever he measured at frame to get
to protect the puck, do all these good
things. Um, and he's getting noticed by
Flyers management. So, we're here to ask
the important question of could he
really make a try out or get that
nineame little appearance um at the end
of camp like and I'm here with the
lovely Jacob Russell. Jacob,
that's a great start. Uh, Jake, what
what are your initial thoughts? you
wrote about it on broadstro hockey.com
of of can he really do this? Can he pull
a Jet Luchenko and do something like
that? But what what are your thoughts?
Well, we saw last year, right? I mean,
with Jet, um I a guy taken even further
further back in the first round than
than Jack Nesbbit was, right? 12th
overall. Um, it's not out of the realm
of possibility that a guy taken that
high will make an appearance in the NHL,
but I don't think anyone coming into
camp was really looking at that
possibility. I think everyone once um
Porter Merone committed to Michigan
State. Um, I I think everyone just sort
of thought, okay, well, that just throw
that out. Nobody's getting that
nine-game try out this year. nobody's
going to be able to make enough of an
impact in this short of a time uh to
jump into the NHL. But Nesbbit,
like you said, he's got the frame to do
it. It's not as if he's going to get out
physicalled um in his time there. It's
not he's not going to get physically
dominated, uh you'd assume. Uh, and
while his puck skills and his skating
aren't necessarily there, if he looks
like he can keep up with the guys around
him, uh, rewarding a guy with who has a
good camp and a good preeason with some
time in the NHL has never been been
proven to be a bad thing.
No, exactly. Like I think I think what
it comes down to is opportunity. And I
think Nesbbit has taken everything that
he's had in front of him. like he had
dev camp strong performance there kind
of showed a little bit and and again the
scouting reports and everything that we
we saw in Windsor whenever we watched
him last year was it was just skating he
he looks like he's trying out there but
he's it's still the actual speed is slow
you're not discovering this like
newfound speed or anything so at dev
camp he played well at rookie camp he
kind of impressed and was like oh this
is why he was a first round pick his
playmaking ability and and ability to
just like read the ice extremely well.
Um was fully on display and then we were
here at training camp and it's it's
looking the exact same. Last night we
saw in the preseason game that sure like
he was playing more of a depth role but
um it was still a very solid performance
of
getting in retrieving pucks being able
to be in that supporting role and and
what we've known even like it's a
terrible comparison but Shan Couturier
do like with talented wingers is that he
was able to be kind of that F3 and
traditional center role and just provide
initial support and be able to like just
act as like I'm here just in case things
break down. Um yeah, go ahead.
Yeah, that's that's just almost
something that works in his favor as
well, right too, because even we again
horrible comparison, not going to
actually uh turn out to be anything near
this uh as of right now. But you saw
Matthew Kachchuck being a slug just kind
of
like completely unable to hit the
trailer for an entire playoff run,
right? And you can if you have the puck
skill um and the hockey sense to kind of
keep up with the play um make uh spring
guys who are maybe quicker than you on
long stretch passes while supporting the
play and and being a defensive stalwart.
I think that almost works in Nesbbit's
favor because he doesn't have to be much
more than that. I don't think the Flyers
are expecting him to do that. Whereas if
um someone like Luchenko last year, it
was hard to keep him in the NHL because
you you wanted uh off the bat to see a
bit more offensive production. Um just
anything at all, right, more than than
what you did in order to feel good about
keeping him up in the NHL. Nesbet's not
necessarily going to have that problem.
He's also not necessarily going to be
considered for staying beyond the
nineame window, but um he's going to be
out there to play that same depth role
that he's doing in preseason currently.
So, if the Flyers think that he can
match up with a guy like a Garnet
Hathway or maybe a Bobby Brink on a
third line, something of that nature, um
you know, we'll never know how the lines
are going to shake out until until, you
know, the first regular season game,
honestly. Um, but maybe he can stick in
between two guys and look good for a
little bit before he heads back to
Windsor.
Yeah, like it's it's it's again just all
about
what he was able to do and and preseason
was good. Training camp is good so far
and we'll see obviously with more
preseason games coming and he'll
probably play a pretty big role of as
the Flyers try to make this decision.
But I think it ultimately comes down to
a lot of um opportunity not with what
he's already done but opportunity in the
lineup. You already the huge
conversation around the Flyers is
obviously Nikita Genin, Alex Bon,
Panchat Luchenko are fighting for spots
and they and they have certainly earned
that reputation of like these are the
guys, these are the top forwards that
are fighting for this supposed one or
maybe two if how they feel about Nick
Deloreier um that spot. So, it comes
down to I think if if those guys weren't
in front of Nesbbit, I could see a world
kind of like Braden Coots is
experiencing in Vancouver right now. He
already signed his ELC and everything
like that. um that
he would be able to just walk in and and
make his try out and because he has that
body and that and that physicality that
you were talking about of already being
somewhat NHL ready, we'd be able to test
him and see that like can he handle the
way that Jet Luchenko was able to handle
himself in the NHL and Jet wasn't
marvelous offensively or or dazzling or
anything like that, especially that he
had Mitchov, the other rookie, ahead of
him and we all got to that. But um if he
was able to just play in a fourth line
or a third line role and and handle
himself already at 18 years old and then
head back to juniors, then I feel like
it would just be a test and like a a a
box checked on Nesbbit and be like that
is he's able to do that. Now he goes
back, develops, let's see you next year
and really take that step forward. I
think that is a a strong that would be a
strong possibility
if it weren't for Luchenko existing and
like even Bumping Rebank being on the
wings of Nezba potentially being a
winger um like to start in the NHL or
something like that. Um,
yeah,
especially with Luchenko already there
and and dealing with the exact same
thing as like last year and having to
choose between NHL or OHL, it it it
muddies the waters for me and I think it
lowers the ultimate chance unless
there's like injuries to Noah Kates or
or Christian D'vorak coming up or even
like Shan Couture needs is a little hurt
to open the season. Um, it's a little
bit harder for me to see that, but it's
honestly like it's really a testament to
what Nesbbit was able to has been able
to do this summer and like in front of
us and and at camp and everything that
it's even a question.
Yeah. I mean like he's looked good and
again it it there's sort of a way I can
formulate in my mind where it kind of
fits fits his situation really well like
the roster makeup because you could see
a world where Deloreier or Rodrigo Ables
um who scored last night. Shout out to
Rod the Boda last game. Uh Rod the Boda
putting one in low glove off the assist
from Jack Nesb himself. And
like you could see um a reality where
Abel starts in the HL. Deloreier is just
a taxi guy. He's in the press box. He's
there as a vibe and in case anyone,
you know, needs uh secret service
protection on the ice or whatever. Like
he's there for that reason. We all know
what his he's not going to play 82 games
regardless. Um, I could see Nesbbit, you
know, play 4C for five or six games,
even if it's not the full nine, right?
Um, it kind of makes sense because the
guys who are wingers, like you want to
see more of a sustained level of NHL
play from Gbankin, you want to see if
Bump can score in the NHL the sorts of
ways he has uh in the NCAA in the A in
his short time in the AHL, right? He can
have those stretches of offense.
Nesbbit's kind of like, "Yeah, we know
he's not necessarily ready for full-time
NHL duty, but if he shows enough in the
remaining preseason and and camp uh
window here, why not? It it would make
sense. It's a low stakes thing for
pretty much everybody involved. And I'm
sure Nesbet himself would love to get
involved in some actual NHL games. And
even if it's not anything longterm, it
would give him that extra boost when he
goes back to Windsor to try and and
really level up that offensive game and
make himself um a prospect that people
can really get excited about in the way
they do Martone Mishkov or um somebody
on more so the high level high skill
ceiling guys like you know not just be
have us sit here like yeah he can be
Sean Couturier
right
but Like if if Jack's tall like taller
Sean Couturier that's from Ontario
even though he was born in like Arizona.
Yeah.
But uh I think the one major also
question with Nesbbit is he hasn't
signed his entry- level deal. So him
signing his entry- level deal cuz he
would have to to play in the NHL
obviously um sign a contract that
negates the opportunity to potentially
be in the NCAA. um not next season
obviously because he's committed to
winter. He's going to be back with the
Spitfires. Um but that gets rid of the
opportunity to be 19 years old and play
in the NCAA.
Now the interesting thing obviously with
that is that that might be okay because
also starting next year is that ruling
that the AHL is allowed to have one
19year-old by a team's choosing. Um, I
don't see any other 19 potential
19-year-olds that from the CHL rather.
So, if if Sagi was like, I'm done school
after two years, I'm good. He could sign
his contract and play in the AHL and
doesn't count against the one. It's the
CHL players.
It is just CHL players.
And to my knowledge, I don't think
Nathan Quinn is suddenly good enough to
No, I
don't think Nathan Quinn is going to
play in the NHL next season. Hot cake.
Yeah. So, like if
if that happens, even like a Matthew
Guard or something like a step above,
but I think he's comfortable. Guard is
probably a good candidate to be in the
NCAA, but um that would take away his
opportunity to be in the NCAA and and
start college. But with that AHL ruling,
it feels like Nesbbit's a prime
candidate for next season 26 27 for him
to start there or even just be in the
NHL and and the Flyers can have that
decision of should guard play in the
AHL. Like could we have that guy like do
that cuz he's another big body
potentially played pretty well,
whatever. He's still not sent back to
juniors for some reason. That's
interesting. Um, but yeah, like it's I
think it's just there's so many other
avenues and possibilities with Nesbbit
now that have opened up so much more
since draft night. Like in my head it
was just like, oh, he's a slow big body,
whatever. But after watching him so much
more, especially at an NHL training
camp, it he's shown like there's
actually a possibility for him to play
NHL games like this season. In my mind,
he can do that. So, it's it's it's crazy
to think about it, but it's just like I
think it's a really interesting question
that would be even more interesting if
there weren't other prospects and
rookies potentially trying to make uh
the Flyers this season, but
it's it's honestly like I'm I'm super
excited about NASA just to have a big
ass dude that's has some skill. It's
it's fun. And and again, just to kind of
wrap it up here or start to wrap it up
here, but
I I I think he's one of those guys as
well, when you talk about next season, I
ultimately I think he's a guy who could
learn on the job in terms of how to
create offense in the NHL. I don't know
how much I would be swayed by him going
back to Windsor, not this season, but
the following season and putting up,
let's say, 95 points or 85 points,
right, in in the OHL. I don't know how
much that would sway me um to think that
Yeah. Okay. He has developed this.
I think he's put 85 95 this year like
Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. So let's say
like if he does that two years ago
if he like does
because Martone was similar. Marton was
similar in his third and fourth year or
second and third year. I mean he was
good basically every year. He was in
Mississippi Bmpton but um like where he
has two straight years of like 85 95
point production
in the OHL. I I personally think that
after this season, if you feel like you
see enough, it's not crazy to think
about him maybe giving him a chance to
make it out of camp, especially when you
know guys like Christian D'vorak, you
don't know if he's going to be here next
year. Ables is similar. Deloreier is
similar or he'll at least be in he'll be
in his reduced role again, right? So,
and that's part of, right, the youth
movement is going to really take shape
in in the next season, I think. Um,
especially if Marton makes that jump as
well, we're gonna have a lot of guys,
Oliver Bon. So, Nesbbit, he could find
his way into the fray and I think he has
the opportunity to make that
interesting. But right now, he has put
himself into conversation to at least
get some time in the NHL, get get his
feet wet, and then see how exactly he
acclimates to it. I mean, I think we're
both to the agreement that he's not
going to play past nine games. Like, it
would literally take an act of God. But
yeah. Well, yeah. Especially like this
season, I think it it would take a lot
even for him to make like we asked the
question, but it's also like there's
just so many other factors in other
players that are further along their
development where they the Flyers don't
need to take like, oh, this 18-year-old
and and do that with him. So,
no,
this might be a this is definitely a
question that is much more interesting
next season, but right now it's just
like we're riding the Jack Nesbbit hype
train. That's that's all I'm doing.
Crazy train to get on.
Yeah, it's a big train. Um,
it's big. The train's huge. The train
has like 15 cars.
Train's massive. Uh, readi.com. Uh,
subscribe if you're if you're watching
this right now. Um, why not hit the like
button uh if you like this? There's
going to be a lot more just short little
conversations around uh stuff going on
with the Flyers all season long. So
stick with us. Um
Broad Street Hockey forever.