When Rick Tocchet became head coach, there were three glaring holes the Flyers needed to resolve to some extent if they wanted to become playoff contenders in 2025-26: depth down the middle, goaltending and the power play. The signing of Trevor Zegras should help the center ice position. Dan Vladar’s signing should perhaps help take a bit of the load and pressure off of assumed starter Sam Ersson when October rolls around. But perhaps the biggest question mark now remains the power play. Is Zegras enough to get the effectiveness up to less than miserable? Will Michkov and Zegras find instant chemistry and make the Flyers’ first power play unit a huge positive? Or will they continue to struggle despite Tocchet and his new coaching staff throwing everything but the kitchen sink in trying to make it better?
Without rehashing the numbers which are well-versed, a power play that is around 20 percent could make all the difference regarding playoff contention. If it’s puttering and on life support most of the year then it’ll be that much harder to overcome. A team with a great power play can overcome being outplayed, stealing a handful of games thanks to their effectiveness five-on-four. But for the Flyers, the key more this year than any recent season is to get the power play running quickly right off the bat, thereby leaving the team with some much needed confidence early on. And instilling some confidence throughout the lineup. So let’s take a somewhat in-depth look at how Tocchet’s teams (in their first year under Tocchet’s helm) have started the season on their respective power plays.
Although the numbers at the beginning of the year might be far different than the percentages at the end of the season, we’ve decided to look at the initial 20 games from five seasons. Three of the seasons are the first full seasons Tocchet coached with Tampa Bay, Arizona, Vancouver. And we’ve also included the first 20-game segments from the two partial seasons Tocchet became a new head coach: once when he replaced Barry Melrose in 2008-09 with the Lightning, and again in 2022-23 when he took over from Bruce Boudreau in Vancouver. The partial seasons are known below as “Tampa Bay Lightning I” and “Vancouver Canucks I.” The first full seasons are known as “Tampa Bay Lightning II” and “Vancouver Canucks II.”
Granted, every season for each of the teams Tocchet coached was unique. Whether it was roster personnel, injuries or just the ups and downs of an NHL season, every season brings different issues. But in the end the numbers are the numbers. Here then is how Tocchet’s 20-game power play tenures broke down for each of the three respective teams he’s lead. (Note: the table below is broken down into 10-game segments, but each of the five in-depth looks breaks things down into smaller segments.)
First 10-game efficiency Second 10-game efficiency Overall 20-game efficiency Tampa Bay I (2008-09) 16 per cent (8-for-50) 11.1 per cent (5-for-45) 13.7 per cent (13-for-95) Tampa Bay II (2009-10) 18.4 per cent (9-for-49) 17.5 per cent (7-for-40) 17.9 per cent (16-for-89) Arizona (2017-18) 16.7 per cent (6-for-36) 10 per cent (3-for-30) 13.6 per cent (9-for-66) Vancouver I (2022-23) 22.6 per cent (7-for-31) 18.8 per cent (6-for-32) 20.6 per cent (13-for-63) Vancouver II (2023-24) 34.3 per cent (12-for-35) 25.6 per cent (10-for-39) 29.7 per cent (22-for-74) Tampa Bay Lightning I (2008-09)
After Barry Melrose was fired by Tampa Bay, the Lightning took a chance on Tocchet. And in terms of the team (which included Martin St. Louis, Vincent Lecavalier, Steven Stamkos, and Mark Recchi), the Lightning started clicking right off the bat. From Tocchet’s first game as coach on Nov. 14, 2008 through to their overtime loss against the Flyers on Dec. 2, Tampa Bay had scored on the power play in six of their first eight games, including a pair against both the Flyers the previous game against Colorado. They also scored in four of the last five games of that same 20-game segment from Nov. 14 through Dec. 30.
Unfortunately, there was a seven-game stretch in that roughly quarter of the season where the Lightning went seven consecutive games without scoring on the power play, ending up going 0-for-27 before snapping the drought on Dec. 20 against Atlanta. In short, the Lightning scored multiple power play goals on three occasions, and once in seven different games. That works out in terms of games to a simple 50 per cent in terms of how many games of the 20 they scored a power play goal. In terms of total efficiency or effectiveness, it ended up going 12-for-95, which works out to a percentage of roughly 12.6 per cent.
Compared to where the Flyers were at last season, the Lightning’s first 20 games under Tocchet with the man advantage was not great. But then again, Tocchet took over during the season. And that’s not really a completely fair measuring stick given he had very little practice time (or a training camp or exhibition season) to implement what he thought might work. Tocchet also missed Stamkos’ first NHL goal as seen below.
Tampa Bay Lightning II (2009-10)
With a training camp under his belt and another year of Stamkos, St. Louis and Lecavalier to help offensively, Tocchet’s Lightning again — much like they did when he took over in 2008-09 — hit the ground on all cylinders. From their season opener Oct. 3 loss against Atlanta through to a Nov. 21 loss against Carolina, the Lightning mirrored their effectiveness in the 2009-10 opening quarter much like the previous year. The power play started with five consecutive games where they scored a power play goal including a pair in a 3-2 win over the Panthers on Oct. 12. Through five games they were 6-for-27 for a 22.2 per cent efficiency.
However, after that opening stretch of games, Tampa’s power play went quite frigid. Only in two games in the next eight-game stretch did they score on the power play, scoring twice in an Oct. 29 game before going scoreless with a man up the ensuing three games. That eight-game stretch amounted to going 3-for-31, or essentially a power play percentage of, er, 9.7 per cent. The last seven games (from Nov. 5 through Nov. 21), Tampa Bay found whatever mojo they had in the opening stretch, scoring power play goals in six of those seven tilts. In that seven-game segment, the team went 7-for-31 on the power play, which is a slight improvement on their opening stretch (22.6 per cent). On the whole, Tampa Bay went 16-for-89 in the opening 20 games of 2009-10, which is good enough for a 17.9 per cent. If the Flyers ended up at 17.9 per cent through 20 games, there’s a good chance there would be a few more smiling faces on the bench and in the front office.
Arizona Coyotes 2017-18
The Arizona Coyotes Rick Tocchet took over in 2017-18 had none of the weapons he had in Tampa Bay. Instead of St. Louis, Lecavalier and Stamkos, Tocchet was working with a 19-year-old Clayton Keller, Derek Stepan and Max Domi as his top three offensive forwards. Over the first 20 games (Oct. 5 through Nov. 14), the Coyotes scored a power play goal in eight games. So in terms of games, that amounts to 40 per cent of the time Arizona had a game where they capitalized on the power play. In the opening five games, the Coyotes scored four goals. That works out to a 4-for-19 ratio, or a 21 per cent effectiveness. Not bad.
Unfortunately, outside of a four-game streak where they scored a power play goal in each, Arizona was as dry as their desert environs the remaining 15 games. They scored a power play goal in five contests of those remaining 15 which is a 33.3 percentage. The low point was the last eight games where they scored a lone goal with the man advantage. And that one came in an shootout loss to the Blues on Nov. 9. That 1-for-22 stretch works out to a measly, embarrassing 4.5 per cent. Overall, Arizona was 9-for-66 on the power play the opening 20 games of 2017-18. That is a 13.6 percentage. Which is essentially Flyers country the last few seasons.
Vancouver Canucks I (2022-23)
Much like he did in Tampa Bay, Tocchet entered the Vancouver Canucks situation roughly halfway through the season. His first game as Canucks head coach was Jan. 24, 2023 and Vancouver went 0 for 5 on that evening. Unlike his previous 20-game stints in the aforementioned seasons (and with seemingly comparable talent that would’ve rivaled what he had in Tampa Bay), Tocchet’s Canucks didn’t have a pulse much of the first five games of his tenure. Vancouver scored on the power play in one of their first five games, going 2-for-16 which is 12.5 per cent. The next segment of games was the polar opposite as Vancouver scored a power play goal in five of their following six, including a pair in a 6-5 win over the Islanders. They were humming along, going 6-for-19 for what was a highly impressive 31.6 efficiency.
The remaining remaining nine games had a power play goal in five of them. And due to the number of power play opportunities, the percentage wasn’t too shabby. A 5-for-28 works out to be 17.9 per cent, not tearing up the NHL but definitely a percentage that the Flyers wouldn’t mind. On the whole, Vancouver went 13-for-63, good enough for 20.6 per cent in their first 20 games after Tocchet took over mid-season. Again, it took a little while for them to figure out out, but the last three-quarters of those 20 games were quite strong for Vancouver with the power play.
Vancouver Canucks II (2023-24)
Tocchet’s first full season with the Canucks saw Vancouver score power play goals in the opening 20 games. And often in bunches! On opening night, the Canucks went 3-for-6. And that was one of four games in the first 20 where they scored three power play goals or more. Unfortunately, the opening seven games was a bit of a dry spell, coming up empty in four of the first seven. That percent didn’t drop much in those games as on two occasions they were limited to just one power play opportunity. So over the first seven games, Vancouver was 6-for-21, which is a stellar 28.6 per cent.
The following seven games, Vancouver doubled their power play production, scoring 12 times, including a ridiculous four goals against lowly San Jose on Nov. 2 in a 10-1 rout. But the Canucks also scored a pair on Nov. 11 and had three on Nov. 6. In short, they were 12-for-34, a criminal 35.2 per cent against the opposition while up a skater. Ridiculous! Of course, that hot streak cooled off somewhat, with Vancouver having four of the remaining six games out of the 20-game quarter without a power play goal. Nonetheless, Vancouver went 4-for-19 in that stretch, which is 21.1 per cent.
Overall, in the opening 20 games of 2023-24, Tocchet saw Vancouver go 22-for-74 on the power play. That works out to a stellar 29.7 per cent. Yes please, where does Philadephia sign up for that?
What can we take from this?
While it’s foolish to see a trend with five different 20-game segments over five seasons with three different teams, a lot of Flyers fans would be pleased to see seasons where the Flyers were clicking at 17 to 20 per cent in the opening quarter of 2025-26. It’s doubtful to think Zegras, Michkov, Travis Konecny, Tyson Foerster and Owen Tippett can somehow get the Flyers humming along at nearly 30 per cent, but if Philadelphia was at 20 to 22 per cent the majority of the season (with some highs and lows along the way), it’s a given Tocchet and his staff will have found the problems and fixed them, something Rocky Thompson never did in his time in Philadelphia. A strong start, particularly at home with a power play that looks not just average but in the top half of the league, will put Tocchet in a good light. And the Flyers in a great position for snapping the playoff drought.
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Welcome to Broad Street Hockey’s Summer 2025 Top Under 25! The series is back and with the Philadelphia Flyers focusing so much on the future, it’s more important than ever. Join us as we rank the 25 best players under the age of 25 for the next few weeks.
No. 17: Shane Vansaghi (RW)
2024-25 Primary League/Team: Michigan State University (NCAA)
2024-25 Statistics: 6 G, 10 A in 37 GP
Age as of 9/15/2025: 18 (10/11/2006)
Acquired Via: 2025 NHL Draft – Round 2, Pick 48
The Flyers made four selections in the second round of the 2025 draft: one was covered in the Honorable Mentions, one was ranked 22nd on our list, Jack Murtagh had his time to shine earlier this week, and now we’re onto the fourth and final 2025 second-round pick, Shane Vansaghi.
It is so, so easy to love Vansaghi’s game. He hits like a freight train, but brings enough puck skills and hockey sense to make plays that you’d expect from higher level prospects. This highlight reel from Vansaghi’s freshman year at Michigan State University really captures the major elements of his game: violence, net-front presence, and surprisingly astute playmaking.
Hope you like ska soundtracks!
This kid was born to be a Philadelphia Flyer.
How did Vansaghi’s 2024-25 season go? Is his stock trending up or down from where it was entering the year?
Vansaghi played for the Spartans at MSU, who ended up going 26-6-1 and won their conference. As a freshman, Vansaghi’s role on the team was limited; he spent most of his time on the third line, but boy, did he make the most of those minutes. The scoring doesn’t jump out at you (only six goals and 16 points in 37 games), and very early on in the season, scouts really only saw the physicality: Vansaghi was there to deliver crushing hits on the forecheck and get the puck back for his linemates. That’s it, very simple, and not enough ice time to show much else. A first-round pick? Probably not, but the kind of fourth line player coaches and fans alike could love if he made the league.
As the season went on, however, other elements of Vansaghi’s game started to pop. The smarts in his play came through in impressive passes and some softer skill (see: the video above). Scouts took note, and Vansaghi’s draft stock began to rise from “maybe a fourth liner, maybe” to “oh, he could be a middle sixer.” We don’t normally include full game reports from outside sources, but this March game report near the end of the NCAA season illustrates the culmination of Vansaghi’s season, evolving from a mid-round project to a borderline first-round power forward in the eyes of scouts:
“He battles.” We all know how much the Flyers love a hardworking player (all that smoke around Brady Martin going into the draft, for example), and that part of Vansaghi’s game was always present, but some of the softer skills were missed early on in the shadow of the extraordinary physicality. His stock trended up as more elements–the passing, the hockey sense–emerged alongside the hits and checks, and there’s still so much room for improvement. The Flyers getting him in the middle of the second round could be an outright steal.
What are we expecting from Vansaghi this season? What should we be looking for from him?
The Spartans saw a few of their top players (Ike Howard, Karsen Dorwart) move on to the pros at the end of the season, which means Vansaghi should get a bigger role on the team as a sophomore. More exciting is the fact that 2025 sixth-overall pick Porter Martone is joining Vansaghi; seeing those two on a line together would make for quite the season for Flyers fans. Whether they play together much at even strength remains to be seen, but you can picture a power play unit with Vansaghi at the net and Martone dictating play with his vision and passing. A sign of things to come for the Flyers’ power play? We can only hope!
There’s only one real knock against Vansaghi: poor skating. “Lumbering” may be too kind an adjective to describe it, and it’s the one thing that could dramatically reduce his ceiling or even keep him out of the NHL entirely. We’re not too worried about that outcome, though; his hockey sense is good enough that he can find his way to the right position even without high-end speed. We’d also like to see more production–which should come with an increased role this season–but more than anything we want to see an improvement in his skating. If he adds a step and some agility, he could be the most unique prospect in the Flyers’ pool.
How does Vansaghi fit in the Flyers’ rebuild? Is it likely he’s going to be part of the next good Flyers team?
The Flyers seemingly set out this summer to draft beefy guys who can bring a physical element to future playoff runs–but every single one of them brings more than just size. Jack Nesbitt has legit puck skills; Carter Amico is a monster with skating ability; Jack Murtagh can fly and rip a puck; Porter Martone has elite vision and puck skill–Vansaghi falls into that mold with an elite checking ability and above average hockey IQ in a big body. He’s the right age to fit the timeline and has special elements to his game that make it easy to see him being part of the next great Flyers team–though he may take some time to get there.
Much like with Murtagh, however, the limiting factor is a numbers game on the flanks. Martone and Matvei Michkov are the clear top-line wingers, followed by some mix of Tyson Foerster, Owen Tippett, and Travis Konecny–maybe even Trevor Zegras, if he isn’t an NHL center. Then, there are all the other winger prospects that’ll be pushing for those coveted spots.
Vansaghi’s at an advantage here, though: his game has fourth line written all over it, and any movement up the lineup is icing on the cake. This isn’t a case of a player like Bobby Brink, whose game doesn’t translate to a fourth-line role due to his size and how he plays; Vansaghi can excel as a fourth liner, or move up the lineup if the skating approaches average and skills develop further. Of the Flyers’ forward prospects from the 2025 draft, Vansaghi might be the best positioned to stick on the main roster, simply because he could be versatile enough to be a fourth-line checker or bring a different feel to a second line in need of some jump. Being able to change roles like that can lead to a long NHL career.
What do we think Vansaghi’s ultimate NHL upside is, and how likely is it that he gets to something approaching that?
Once again, like Jack Murtagh, there’s a clear projectability here: Vansaghi’s floor is probably “good fourth-line player” in the vein of Garnet Hathaway–but there’s enough skill elsewhere in Vansaghi’s game to believe there’s more upside and untapped potential than meets the eye. Does Vansaghi have what it takes to be a first-line winger? Unlikely–but an extra step in his skating and you’ve got a no-doubt middle-six winger that brings a physical element usually reserved for bottom-of-the-lineup plugs, as well as an absolute menace in a playoff environment. If the skating doesn’t improve, then he can settle in as the quintessential, hockey man’s dream of a fourth-line forward.
That outcome doesn’t seem like it would be a problem for Vansaghi, either. He seems to know and understand his role; he knows exactly what kind of player he is, and what he’s tasked with on the ice. If the skating improves, there’s a fascinating, physical middle-six winger there–and if it doesn’t, you have a fan-favorite fourth liner in the making. However Vansaghi pans out, one thing’s clear: we’re gonna have a good time.
Previously in the Philadelphia Flyers Summer Top 25 Under 25:
- Intro / Honorable Mentions
- 25. Hunter McDonald
- 24. Cole Knuble
- 23. Samu Tuomaala
- 22. Carter Amico
- 21. Helge Grans
- 20. Jack Berglund
- 19. Jack Murtagh
- 18. Spencer Gill
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Adam Ginning wrapped up his third season with the Phantoms this spring, and as he continues to provide a stabilizing presence on a back end that only seems to keep getting younger, has found himself settling into something of an elder statesman role on this team. It was a challenging season for the Phantoms’ defenders on the whole, as a not always well defined looking system left them too often scrambling in their own end, but Ginning’s game continued to rise as a mature one, offering a positive bit of balance to a still-maturing defense core.
Games played Goals Assists Points PIM Shots on goal Shooting percentage 69 2 15 17 71 91 2.2
Diving first into the counting stats, there isn’t much to speak of going on here. And this shouldn’t come as much of a surprise — scoring isn’t exactly a hallmark of Ginning’s game, but he was still able to chip in a reasonably fair amount in the way of assists, and his shooting percentage is just about the same as it was in the season before, so his shooting efficiency has more or less plateaued. He struggled pretty notably to stay out of the box (though he did take 11 fewer penalty minutes in 11 more games played this season), finishing the season as the team’s fourth most penalized player.
Games Tracked Corsi-For % Scoring Chances-For % High Danger Chances-For % Primary Shot Assists Secondary Shot Assists 19 48.60 46.57 48.45 7 3
The underlying impacts, though, are less than stellar, as in each of the differentials measuring the share of overall shot attempts taken while he was on the ice, as well as more dangerous scoring chances, he fell both below breakeven as well as around nine percent below the team’s average in each of these areas.
Now, maybe this was, in part, a product of the difficulty of the matchups he was tasked with handling. Ginning was pretty routinely sent out for defensive zone starts against their opponents’ top lines, lines that one might reasonably expect would be able to threaten offensively to a greater degree. Going forward, one would hope that he could take a step forward and take a bit more active of a role in suppressing shots against in his matchups, but there remains the fact that those shots against weren’t converted to goals against at a hugely high rate (he finished the season at a -2), so maybe there’s something that was being done yet to keep him afloat in his minutes.
Three Questions
Did he live up to expectations?
Ginning’s time with the Phantoms through his first two seasons has been largely solid, if also largely unflashy, across the board. He brought with him from the start a pretty mature game, and while he doesn’t bring the same amount of offense that others in the defense group do — and didn’t see the same boost in his numbers as someone like Helge Grans or Ethan Samson from the team’s doubling down on shooting from the points — but his defensive game has remained reliably sound and consistent across his whole stint with the team so far. While there might be some disappointment from some viewers that the offense hasn’t improved markedly season over season, his defensive steadiness on a team that has increasingly struggled in this area has been valuable (when it was all said and done, as we said, he finished this season with that -2 in the goals scoring differential, which still leaves room for improvement, but which also still reasonably well outpaced the team’s collective -6 on the season). He’s settled nicely into a role for the team where he’s not usually all that noticeable, but this means that he’s doing his job to keep his details locked down — providing a bit of physical presence in front of the net, keeping good body position to break up rush chances, blocking shots, and using that active stick to disrupt cycle plays.
What would we like to see him improve on next season?
As far as the broad strokes of his game go, at this point in his career, Ginning kind of is what he is. He came over to North American having already gotten well established in his professional career in Sweden, and now that he’s wrapped up three seasons in the AHL, he’s pretty well a finished project He’s carved out a role for himself at the AHL level as a player who can take a lot of difficult minutes — both at even strength as well as on the penalty kill — and while not without some mistakes made along the way, can take those minutes without things blowing up on him in a really catastrophic way.
There’s some small tinkering that can be done — getting a little more aggressive in getting after the puck carrier deep in the defensive zone, for example — to continue to tighten his game up, but there aren’t any major holes in his game that need shoring up at this point. There’s a hope as well that, as the Phantoms retool their defensive zone structure heading into this season, that there can be something of a rising tide lifts all boats effect, and Ginning’s impacts along with the rest of the group’s will improve in turn.
What can we expect from him next season?
With three seasons of North American professional hockey under his belt (and parts of five SHL seasons banked before that as well) Ginning has officially moved into the space of veteran contributor at this level. His on-ice role will likely stay the same — with a high volume of defensive zone starts and top penalty kill deployment — and he will also all but certainly be asked to take on something of a leadership role on the team. The next phase of his game might not have so much to do with reaching a lofty next stage in his development, but rather with taking on a mentor role for other members of this increasingly young defense core. It’s easy to envision him spending at least parts of the season playing alongside someone like Oliver Bonk, who will be working through that steep jump up to the AHL from a London team where he was likely a little bit insulated by such a dominant program on the whole. If Ginning can continue to hold up well under his difficult defensive assignments, that’s certainly a plus, but his ability to help out a young team — as well as a new and relatively inexperienced at this level coaching staff — would go a long way.
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Welcome to Broad Street Hockey’s Summer 2025 Top Under 25! The series is back and with the Philadelphia Flyers focusing so much on the future, it’s more important than ever. Join us as we rank the 25 best players under the age of 25 for the next few weeks.
No. 14: Jack Nesbitt
2024-25 Primary League/Team: Windsor Spitfires (OHL)
2024-25 Statistics: 25 G, 39 A in 65 GP
Age as of 9/2/2025: 18
Acquired Via: 2025 NHL Draft — Round 1, Pick 12
Next up in the Top 25 Under 25 is this year’s 12th overall selection, Windsor Spitfires center Jack Nesbitt!
Nesbitt, a selection that caused a lot of discourse within the fanbase as a potential reach, is a big toolsy centerman who lacks skating skills. After the Flyers’ selection of Porter Martone, the selection of Nesbitt represented the Flyers’ attempt to bolster their center organizational depth chart – despite the fact that Nesbitt likely tops out as a 2C at the NHL level. The Nesbitt selection was a risky one, but not the big swing for a 1C that many fans were hoping for in this draft. Still, he’s a solid prospect that has considerable room in his skillset to grow into an effective NHL centerman.
How did Nesbitt’s 2024-25 season go? Is his stock trending up or down from where it was entering the year?
Nesbitt’s season was an up-and-down campaign that sparked immense pre-draft debate in the public scouting sphere about the range of the draft that Nesbitt belonged in. Many of the public scouts that are more forward-thinking were generally anti-Nesbitt, while scouts that leaned into the importance of size and safer projections had Nesbitt much higher. The Flyers ended up agreeing with the latter, and selecting him at 12 vaulted Nesbitt’s stock upwards as we head into the new season.
With his on-ice performance, Nesbitt’s 64 points in 65 games is not an impressive total, but it was a massive improvement on his 18 points in 2023-24. Nesbitt’s main positives came from his shift-to-shift play, where he flashed real translatable skills as an effective top-9 player. On most shifts, Nesbitt gained a reputation for being a high-pressure, pest of a player on the forecheck. He became Windsor’s go-to shut-down forward, deploying Nesbitt in lots of defensive zone situations and on a penalty killing unit. Out of many of the centers in the middle to end of the first round, Nesbitt stood out among fellow draftees in his more polished defensive game.
A perfect example of Nesbitt’s growth over the course of the season comes via a game report by Elite Prospects’ Daniel Gee. He describes Nesbitt as a “brilliant pressure pusher and checker who plays with nonstop motor,” and as a player that “has a lot of nuance” to his offensive game. Gee also notes that Nesbitt is a primarily perimeter attacker, so that’s a potential area for him to grow heading into the new season. Overall, Nesbitt’s play greatly improved over the course of the season, and he became a focal point for the Spitfires, who deployed him in all game situations and relied on his consistency in the defensive zone.
What are we expecting from Nesbitt this season? What should we be looking for from him?
Nesbitt is going to have a central role on the Spitfires again, as he’s returning to the OHL for at least this season, and possibly in 2026-27 as well. For a player like Nesbitt, we’d hope that he reaches the 80–90-point range in the OHL, which would be a sizable improvement on his 64 points last season.
In terms of development of skills, Nesbitt has a few areas that he really needs to grow. As referenced earlier, his perimeter attacking style is something that probably won’t translate well to the next level, and Nesbitt will need to leverage his body more in the middle of the ice to be an effective pro player. That development can start in juniors, so seeing how Nesbitt scores his points this year will be an interesting tell about the player’s future. Other than that, it’ll be interesting to see if Nesbitt can find another gear in his skating, another level to his shot, and whether his defensive game continues to be a hallmark of his playing style. He’s got a long way to go to reach his ceiling, but Nesbitt is a project with solid early returns.
How does Nesbitt fit in the Flyers’ rebuild? Is it likely he’s going to be a part of the next good Flyers team?
Really, Nesbitt is a vital piece of the Flyers’ rebuild, considering the draft capital that the organization invested in him. By no means is Nesbitt the No. 1 center answer, but he represents the highest pick used on a center in this rebuild. The Flyers are betting that Nesbitt’s skillset translates, and that he’s a big mean presence on the next great Flyers team. If he hits, he’s going to be a part of this, in a likely middle-six role.
He’s got a long way to go in his development path, as Nesbitt is looking at 1-2 years more in the OHL before signing his entry-level contract. He might fit into Phantoms’ plans next season though, courtesy of the new CBA rule that will allow 19-year-olds to play in the AHL starting in 2026-27. So, that’s a potential next step in the development of Nesbitt post-OHL, as he will likely not be ready for the NHL until around 2027-28. That fits pretty well with the expected timeline for the rebuild, as the organization will hopefully be kicking it into high gear during that time.
What do we think Nesbitt’s ultimate NHL upside is, and how likely is it that he gets to something approaching that?
In all likelihood, Nesbitt’s absolute ceiling is a 2C who scores 50-60 points and can play in all situations. The best-case version of Nesbitt is a monster in front of the net, a menace on the forecheck, and an ultra-reliable player in all three zones. Considering the importance of the NHL center position, Nesbitt being a physical, point-producing 2C would make him quite the commodity for the Flyers. However, we aren’t sure if that outcome is the most likely for Nesbitt. Rather, it is more likely that he becomes a solid 3C instead, if the raw skills and offensive talent doesn’t increase enough to warrant the second line center spot. A player of Nesbitt’s size and skillset would still be a valuable asset for the Flyers, but that is probably not what the Flyers are envisioning, given their selection of him at 12.
Previously in Philadelphia Flyers Summer 2025 Top 25 Under 25:
- Intro / Honorable Mentions
- 25. Hunter McDonald
- 24. Cole Knuble
- 23. Samu Tuomaala
- 22. Carter Amico
- 21. Helge Grans
- 20. Jack Berglund
- 19. Jack Murtagh
- 18. Spencer Gill
- 17. Shane Vansaghi
- 16. Carson Bjarnason
- 15. Nikita Grebenkin
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Philadelphia Flyers prospect Jett Luchanko is about to compete as hard as possible in training camp later this month to try and ensure a spot on the NHL roster. It’s either be with the Flyers or go back to the OHL’s Guelph Storm for him — but his junior team may have just signaled that the decision for where the 19-year-old center will be playing next season has been already made.
This January, after a team-wide poor performance from Canada at the World Juniors earlier that month, Luchanko was named the 33rd captain in Storm history. By getting the “C” on his chest, it cemented him not only as the leader for the remaining few months but it raised some questions. If Guelph is suddenly giving him such a large role — aside from being the best player on that team — then does it mean they expect him to return for his final year of junior eligibility for the 2025-26 season?
Well, now we have a coinciding piece of news. Late Thursday afternoon, the Storm announced that the captaincy has been moved to forward and Dallas Stars 2025 seventh-rounder, Charlie Paquette.
C-Paq with the C
Charlie Paquette has been named captain of the club for the 2025-2026 season, making him the 34th captain in franchise history. Charlie will be joined by assistant captains Quinn Beauchesne and Rowan Topp.
Read More | https://t.co/2bIsJs5Tgg pic.twitter.com/d2OCZ3xa8K
— Guelph Storm (@Storm_City) September 4, 2025
While a junior team naming a new captain is nothing special — it’s typical for a leadership group to overturn so often since players are really only dominant or deserving of a senior role for the last two years of eligibility. The timing feels like the Storm know something, or are at the very least assuming that Luchanko is going to be making the Flyers as a full-time player this season.
There was no real reason for the Storm to make this decision on September 4. Yes, OHL training camps are taking place across the league and the preseason is already underway, but it would not be abnormal for them to start a season without a captain. They could have just waited until the Flyers made their decision regarding where Luchanko is going to spend his year, and then if he’s back in Guelph keep the leadership group the same (Paquette was already an alternate captain and it would made sense to still name defenseman Quinn Beauchesne the other). Or, if they find out Luchanko has made the Flyers in early October, then name Paquette as captain. It’s not like they haven’t already done this.
What makes this an even stronger signal of Luchanko being in the NHL, is that the Storm already did this last season. During the 2023-24 campaign, Braeden Bowman was the team captain as an overage player. That’s simple. And then, since Luchanko made the Flyers out of camp last season, the team just didn’t have a captain. They didn’t have an interim or anything of the ilk, just went without someone wearing the “C” until they placed it on the Flyers prospect in January, when they knew he was staying in Guelph for the rest of the season.
Maybe we’re going down the rabbit hole a little too far, or wanting to make assumptions while wearing our tinfoil hat tuned directly to Southwestern Ontario. But we don’t think the Storm were dying to name a captain or couldn’t continue the preseason without having one. It would be a little awkward if Luchanko goes back to Guelph and isn’t even wearing a letter as he dominates that league, right?
We will have to wait for the official declaration, but this (and the obvious reality that the Flyers need a center) could mean that the Flyers have already communicated to the junior team that they shouldn’t expect their star center back.
Or, maybe not. Who knows?
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Welcome to Broad Street Hockey’s Summer 2025 Top Under 25! The series is back and with the Philadelphia Flyers focusing so much on the future, it’s more important than ever. Join us as we rank the 25 best players under the age of 25 for the next few weeks.
No. 13: Denver Barkey
2024-25 Primary League/Team: London Knights (OHL)
2024-25 Statistics: 25 G, 57 A in 50 GP
Age as of 9/2/2025: 20
Acquired Via: 2023 NHL Draft — Round 3, Pick 95
We are in the heart of the 2025 Top 25 Under 25 now. We’re no longer diving into the depths of the organization looking at players who might never leave the AHL or freshly drafted prospects who have so many years of development ahead of them — it’s now players who are either considered one of the top prospects for the Flyers or actual, real-life NHL players. Denver Barkey falls into the former category, obviously.
While he does have his detractors due to his 5-foot-9-ness, Barkey has reliably been one of the better players in the entire OHL and it’s not just racking up the points either, but showing why he can make such an impact as he has for the powerhouse London Knights.
How did Barkey’s 2024-25 season go? Is his stock trending up or down from where it was entering the year?
If we want to sell Denver Barkey’s past season to even the most casual of fan, it’s the fact that he captained a team to a Memorial Cup win and led one of the most dominant rosters in junior hockey we’ve seen since some other rendition of the Knights that featured future NHL All-Stars.
In more detail, he took a small step forward in production — going from 1.59 points per game in the 2023-24 season to 1.64 points per game last season — but it was his details game that really shone as the Knights kept on racking up the wins. Barkey essentially peaked for how much he would be able to score in junior hockey, since it is still very hard to exceed that rate unless you’re some generational-level talent, but was able to put more of his focus on things that will make him a solid pro hockey player.
Joined by prospect expert and analyst Will Scouch of scouching.ca, during last season we watched an entire game of Barkey’s and broke down everything that we saw. If we want to go beyond the numbers and how he led London’s forwards in scoring once again and continued to be an agitator while not taking many penalties — this breakdown is for that.
As for his stock, it would probably be reasonable to say that it stayed the same compared to where it was at the start of the season. There was nothing more Barkey could do except win championships (which he did) so now it will just be about where he goes from here. If he suddenly scored 150 points in the OHL, then we might be able to say the stock rose, but considering the production stayed roughly the same and while we love all the details, the main issue of his size and his projectability to the NHL, hold the hype at status quo.
What are we expecting from Barkey this season? What should we be looking for from him?
The expectations for Barkey are maybe the most uncertain expectations in this whole ranking. We have seen smaller players that score heaps of points in juniors suddenly cave under the increased pace of professional hockey and never be able to recover from that. But, those smaller players typically don’t have the underlying tendencies and smarts that Barkey possesses.
Reasonably, we can all expect there to be some struggles in his first pro season with the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms but eventually would need to see a sign of improvement or at least him on the right path to eventually making the NHL. If he finishes the year with under 20 points and finding himself stapled to the bottom six, then we should consider that a bit of a letdown. But, there is also a world where his attention to detail make new Phantoms head coach John Snowden fall in love with him and he adapts incredibly well to the pro game and could even be in contention as one of the best rookies in the AHL next season.
The spectrum of outcomes for Barkey next season is so incredibly wide, but let’s just say that we want him to at least look comfortable by the last couple months of the season.
How does Barkey fit in the Flyers’ rebuild? Is it likely he’s going to be a part of the next good Flyers team?
Barkey is such A Flyer. And while we have some of that already on the team, having someone that can be that scoring pest winger down the lineup would be so useful. Or even just a complementary piece like a Brendan Gallagher on those mediocre Montreal Canadiens teams — if Barkey becomes what he could be in the NHL, he would be incredibly useful for the Flyers when they want to be good again.
His game actualized on the Flyers is someone who just is innately a playoff performer and someone every other team looks at and can’t find an answer for since they have all their resources tied up in Matvei Michkov and Porter Martone. Barkey won’t be the star of the team but could provide the scoring depth that makes or breaks so many Cup-hopeful rosters.
Determining if it’s likely Barkey makes it or not is near impossible. Even London and Lehigh Valley teammate Oliver Bonk has some reliability when it comes to his projection as some serviceable, NHL-level defender. For Barkey, it feels as likely that he’s a top-six staple for the Flyers in five years, as it is that he’s not even playing pro hockey in North America anymore. But, in saying that we are extreme fans of what he is right now and what we can dream of him becoming.
Previously in Philadelphia Flyers Summer 2025 Top 25 Under 25:
- Intro / Honorable Mentions
- 25. Hunter McDonald
- 24. Cole Knuble
- 23. Samu Tuomaala
- 22. Carter Amico
- 21. Helge Grans
- 20. Jack Berglund
- 19. Jack Murtagh
- 18. Spencer Gill
- 17. Shane Vansaghi
- 16. Carson Bjarnason
- 15. Nikita Grebenkin
- 14. Jack Nesbitt
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