BUFFALO, N.Y. — Nick Merkley just finished a great run with the Kelowna Rockets that culminated with an unfortunate loss in the Memorial Cup.
That loss hasn't dampened the spirits of this 5-foot-10, 191-pound pivot, however. He has a sturdy build and a solid work ethic.
“I think the farther you go in the playoffs it helps a ton. Obviously we didn't come out on top but it helps a lot,” Merkley said with pride at the NHL scouting combine this weekend. "I think I'm a pretty competitive guy. I like to play in those big games. I think a lot of the teams will like that about me.”
One person who can tell the Flyers about this forward is his teammate, Tyrell Goulbourne, whom the Flyers drafted 72nd overall in 2013. In many ways this information can be more important than a sit-down interview at the combine.
But Merkley was also willing to dish about the Flyers' prospect.
“He's a hard worker,” Merkley said of Goulbourne. “Great guy, good leader this year. He also protected me a lot out there. I give him a lot of credit for that. He (Tyrell) talked to the Flyers for me. I think they asked for some insight from him. I think he helped me quite a bit too.”
In the summers, this Lake Bonavista native (a suburb of Calgary) trains with Edmonton's Jordan Eberle and Washington's Mike Green. Two elite athletes in their own right.
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“You get to see how hard they compete," he said. "They bring it every day. They are some of the best players in the world and they are still trying to get better. It's good to see that."
Forget about where any of us have Merkley ranked. If a team really wants to get a player, it will find a way. The feeling here is the Flyers are keeping tabs on him just in case they have the opportunity to grab him.
Every team is looking for the next star. Bigger or smaller, you have to look everywhere and keep an open mind. Merkley talked about using Patrick Kane as a role model.
“Yeah, a really skilled guy who shows up in those big games," he said. "A really good competitor.”
This playmaker led the Rockets in scoring this year with 90 points and 70 assists. In the Memorial Cup, he had three goals and two helpers in five games. Considering he just turned 18 less than a month ago, he has an extremely high ceiling. That could be why he spoke to 27 NHL teams this season.
Merkley had one of the five best scores in the Wingate testing (see 10 observations from the NHL scouting combine). He showed great anaerobic power with a low fatigue index. This is one of the better tests to excel in.
One thing the Flyers did at this combine was talk to a ton of prospects for every conceivable position. They did their due diligence. They have two first-round picks. Their highest is the seventh and the other is Tampa's (will be determined after the Stanley Cup), so they are holding some important cards in this deep draft.