BUFFALO -- The Winnipeg Jets liked towering defenseman Logan Stanley so much they traded up with Philadelphia to draft him with the 18th overall selection.
Just prior to making the pick, the Jets sent the 22nd and 36th overall selections to the Flyers in exchange for the 18th and 79th overall picks.
The Flyers then used the 22nd pick on Russian forward German Rubtsov. And after the trade, Philly will also make the sixth pick of the second round when that gets underway tomorrow. That will give the Flyers three second-round selections (36th, 48th, 52nd), unless they make another trade before then.
Rubtsov is an interesting story. He was the fifth-ranked European skater by Central Scouting, but was part of the Russian squad that was pulled out of the world under-18 championships in April.
From Sportsnet:
The belief is that all, or most, of the team, had been on a meldonium regimen, and there were fears that many of the players would test positive at the tournament in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Rubtsov is expected to be a top 25 pick this month in Buffalo, a talented two-way centre who is highly competitive.
“He’s like a dog on a bone,” said one hockey executive.
Another said he’s an “old school Russian centre who cares about the defensive side of the game.”
As for Stanley, well, he’s a big kid -- he stands around 6-foot-7 -- but doesn’t provide much in the way of offense. In 64 games this past season in the OHL, he had five goals and 12 assists in a shutdown role for Windsor. He’s considered a bit of a project, so don’t expect to see him in the NHL anytime soon.