Flyers Scouting Report: RW Tyson Foerster

There were a handful of trades made around the Flyers pick at 23rd overall, but they ultimately chose to keep it and make a selection.

It was a draft that has a solid group of forwards available in the first round, especially into the picks in the latter half of the round, and the Flyers made sure to grab one they liked.

The Flyers selected right winger Tyson Foerster with the 23rd overall pick. Here is a scouting report on Foerster.

Tyson Foerster
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 194 pounds
Position: RW
Team: Barrie Colts (OHL)

When we profiled some of the wingers in this draft, we looked at Foerster among the group because of his offensive production and his shoot-first mentality. He certainly delivers on that front.

He scored 36 goals and had 80 points in 62 games with the Barrie Colts in the OHL and is a playmaker with the ability to use his soft hands to connect on passes. He has one of the best shots in the draft and whether he chooses to set up from the left circle on the power play for one-timers or let go a quick and deceptive wrist shot, his release and accuracy are lethal.

This is a sniper in every sense of the word.

But there’s more to Foerster than his shot. He has good offensive awareness that helps him to find scoring areas and his skill is apparent as well as he is able to make moves with the puck on his stick to help him further escape coverage.

The knock on his game is his skating ability, but he’s not nearly as much of a project as it seems. For one, a lot of players work with skating coaches to build up their abilities and make them more complete players. Foerster’s big issues is more in his acceleration and not his top speed. Once he gets going, his stride allows him to move effectively, but he needs to add more lower-body strength to get the jump from the start.

Still, it’s a unique draft year in the sense that for many of these prospects, their last game was back in March. For the last few months, it has given them time to focus on the finer details of their game and to build up that strength. Foerster may have been available at 23rd overall solely for the fact that his skating wasn’t his calling card and he didn’t have anything in recent memory to show that he’s improved. Whenever the OHL starts again, perhaps he will show it.

His size is good and while he has to use it more in board battles and such, he has a good motor and compete level that will make him an impact player if he can put the skating together for the talent level that is at the NHL.

Foerster compares his game to T.J. Oshie and feels he can become a complete player and wants to play in all situations. That’s encouraging for his character and work ethic and he quickly rose through the leadership ranks at Barrie with his talent and communication with teammates.

Goal-scoring talent can be hard to find and sometimes the best way to get it is through the draft. At 23rd overall, you aren’t going to find a player who is an instant fix and may need to work on some things. The Flyers may have chosen the prospect with the best potential shot and one of the higher players on the board with scoring touch in this year’s class, and that’s saying something at that stage of the draft.

What Scouts Say

“Shot high end but his hockey sense and playmaking ability added to the package is what makes you want to look the other way when it comes to his bad feet.” - Hockey Prospect Scout Mark Edwards

“His skating won’t ever be great, but once you get him in the offensive zone, he can help you out a lot. He sees the ice well, and that shot. He’s one of the best shooters in the draft - it’s hard, and deadly accurate. He should be able to help a team on the power play.” - Scout via Recrutes Draft Guide

“Has a zest for the game like former Colt Mark Scheifele and a nose for the net like Tanner Pearson did in Barrie. The goal-scoring element is too strong to overlook." - Sam Cosentino, Sportsnet

"His rocket of a shot makes him incredibly dangerous in a variety of offensive situations, particularly his wicked one-timer from the top of the circle. Other than his shot, Foerster does not play an overly flashy style." - Jacob Barker, Dobber Prospects

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Kevin Durso is Flyers insider for 97.3 ESPN and Flyers editor for SportsTalkPhilly.com. Follow him on Twitter @Kevin_Durso.