With the 12th overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, the Philadelphia Flyers selected Jack Nesbitt, center from the Windsor Spitfires of the OHL.
Danny Brière used his first round ammo and made a trade with Kyle Dubas and the Pittsburgh Penguins, trading picks #22 and #31 for #12 to take Nesbitt.
Stats:
With the Spitfires this past season, Nesbitt put up 25 goals and 39 assists totaling 64 points in 65 games played. In the playoffs he had 1 goal and 9 assists in 12 games.
Strengths:
Nesbitt is the kind of player you think about when you think about a Flyers player. He is a huge, big bodied, 200-foot game center. He is also an athletic FREAK at 6’5″. His combine results were fantastic across the board. On to the hockey side, he improved his game immensely this past season, developing in all three facets of the game. Getting better at 5-on-5, the power play, and the penalty kill. He is an incredible faceoff taker as well, which is an area the Flyers have struggled with outside of Sean Couturier. He’s also gritty and mean and will get into any dirty area. He’s got great hands as well.
Weaknesses:
Nesbitt is not fast, which seems to be a recurring theme with four of the Flyers’ last five first round picks (Michkov, Bonk, Martone, Nesbitt). His offensive game also needs to develop more. His vision could be better but the skills he has with his hands can make that easier for him the older he gets and the more he learns in the league.
His Shot:
I’m adding this section because this is hockey and your shooting skill matters. However, his shot is neither a strength or a weakness which is why it’s here. He has a solid shot that isn’t anything crazy, but he’s not shooting muffins either.
Timeline:
I would expect Nesbitt to return to the OHL for another season to develop. After that I see him being in Lehigh Valley for a year or two before making it to the NHL. But with the Flyers’ lack of center depth I could see him coming up a year early.
NHL Player Comparison:
ESPN said Adam Lowry, but I’m going to stay in-house here and say Sean Couturier. The defense, the hands, the faceoff ability, the grittiness and ability to get into the dirty areas, but lack of major offense reminds me of Couturier his first four to five years here in Philadelphia. Nesbitt is just taller, so I get why ESPN said Lowry.
NHL Projection:
Nesbitt probably projects to be about a 2nd-line center, and can be a guy who runs a penalty kill, and possibly a guy who can get Selke Trophy votes if his offense develops.
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