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[Philadelphia Flyers]

How Zegras trade could shape Flyers’ draft plans

Before this week, it seemed as if the Philadelphia Flyers were going to have one mission entering the 2025 NHL Entry Draft: stockpile center after center.

With seven picks in the first two rounds at the time, there was no doubt that at least four of those selections were going to be used on players who have at least a chance at developing into an NHL center. But the hockey world is always moving, and GM Daniel Briere felt as if there was an opportunity to acquire a depressed asset, (in this case, that may have been literal) and pounced.

The skilled Trevor Zegras comes to town after a down couple of seasons with the Ducks, with Ryan Poehling, a second-round pick (No. 45) in the 2025 NHL Draft, and a fourth-round selection in the 2026 NHL Draft going the other way. This move signals the Flyers’ understanding that stockpiling potential high-end talent is the way to take a step forward, but in bringing in a 24-year old with some development time still to go, there could be an aftershock that alters the way the front office and scouting department approach their draft strategy.

Firstly, there is the matter of one less second round pick, with No. 45 now belonging to the Ducks, the Flyers are left with just a measly six picks in the first two rounds, three in the first, and three in the second.

That’s a lot of pretty premium selections, and as a team that basically needs whatever stars they can get, they can definitely afford to spread the wealth and feel pressured into focusing on one specific position. But that being said, with the most expensive and highly sought after position (besides goalie, which is another story) being the number one center spot, the Flyers front office was probably leaning towards drafting a potential 1C with their first pick at number six.

With the acquisition of Zegras giving them another younger project to look at up the middle, they may feel as if there is less pressure to immediately try and draft the first-line center of the future at the six spot. Perhaps, this move opens up the potential of drafting a name like Porter Martone; a big, skilled winger who has slid slightly on draft boards largely due to the fact that he doesn’t play center. Martone would fit seamlessly beside any of the Flyers’ young centers as a big man that loves the front of the net and can keep up with a high pace of play.

Maybe Briere and Co. take a stance that hinges more on finding dominant, powerful wingers that supplement the smaller centers they currently have, with Zegras joining Jett Luchanko in having builds that more closely resemble that of the author of this article rather than, say, Aleksander Barkov. Names like Nickals Backstrom and Nick Suzuki come to mind as two peak scenarios for each of those players, and size on a line is ultimately still size, not every center needs to be a hulking beast as long as some bang and crash is still present. While the need is still obviously present, there’s a chance the Flyers may just lean towards the best player available.

Not taking a center with the opening first round pick would have ripple effects across the rest of the Flyers’ first round, and would drastically increase the likelihood of the Briere and Co. looking towards more established center-ice names like Braeden Cootes, William Horcoff, and Cole Reschny with pick No. 22.

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James Hagens has been a hot topic leading up to draft day, and it’s easy to see why. The shifty and dynamic forward out of Boston College was viewed as one of the most hyped-up prospects in hockey before last season began, but after a less-than-stellar season in the NCAA, has slipped from #1, to #3, to now being a real option for the Flyers at No. 6.

Acquiring Zegras shouldn’t really have any effect on whether or not the Flyers take Hagens, but it is fair to make the observation that if they do, they would be adding two American LW/C-type players who both have fantastic puck skills and more slender frames. That’s not a bad thing! They both have very elite qualities, and may both be fantastic NHLers in their own right. Zegras, to his credit, already has been that, at least in stretches. Doubling up your bets on high-end talent is never a bad thing, and it would give the Flyers prospect pool a shot of potential excellence that it has lacked recently.

But this is the NHL, and size and snarl have become increasingly key buzzwords, especially in the aftermath of the Florida Panthers slithering their way to another Stanley Cup. There will no doubt be some apprehension among some members of the Flyers’ brass about, if Hagens is to slide, whether or not they are building a team that is simply too small. With Konecny, Brink, and Michkov all roster locks, the Flyers would already have three forwards who are 5-foot-10 or shorter right off the bat. Add in the 5-foot-9 Jakob Pelletier, who will likely make the opening night roster at the very least, and that makes it four of 12 who would conventionally be considered “small” by NHL standards.

Hagens is just about 5-foot-11 in his own right, add that to Zegras having a pretty average build at 6-foot flat and 185 pounds, and the simple fact is that a professional hockey team is probably going to take size into effect somewhere down the line. Prospects like Denver Barkey, Oliver Bonk, and the aforementioned Luchanko aren’t very big either, and even if you disregard the size argument entirely, there is merit to having different archetypes of player littered throughout the system, that fact alone was basically the sole rationale behind the Jack Berglund selection in last year’s second round.

That being said, even when looking at the big bad Panthers roster that just recently conquered the NHL, the biggest names on their forward corps, outside of the all important Barkov, are depth names like Tomas Nosek, A.J. Greer, and Jonah Gadjovich. While some of their most important players, those who gave them their trademark edge like Brad Marchand, Evan Rodrigues, and Sam Bennett, are among some of the smaller players on the roster. They just play big, where their roster was really huge was on the back end, which isn’t exactly a new phenomenon. And so, perhaps the real takeaway that teams should learn from Florida is more based in mentality or structure, rather than their raw physical attributes. Chances are, it’s a bit of both.

So with Zegras now in the fold, perhaps names like Martone, the polarizing spark plug Brady Martin, or Jake O’Brien, who has a bit more stature despite being young for his draft year, become more appealing by default. It remains to be seen if the Flyers truly decide to flip the script entirely come June 27, but they’ve definitely shook things up, and made their first-round selections a whole lot more interesting.

Source

Source: https://www.broadstreethockey.com/p...-zegras-trade-could-shape-flyers-draft-plans/

 

[Philadelphia Flyers]

What Flyers AGM Brent Flahr had to say about Flyers’ 2025 NHL Draft

Flyers assistant general manager Brent Flahr met with the media Saturday afternoon after Philadelphia made their last draft selection. Here’s what he had to say about both days and the Flyers’ selections.

On whether size was something the Flyers were focusing on:

We were conscious of it, but to be honest with you those picks came kind of back to back to back, we weren’t just going for size. With the players we targeted, it was more a coincidence that all of them have to be that size. It’s certainly something that we’re not against.

On moving two spots back in the second round:

No actually we had a couple of players we were going to be happy with, we got to move up significantly from the third to the second which allowed us to get another player we were happy with. So for two spots we felt it was worth it.

On whether the aspect of a high compete level factored largely into their selections:

For sure. You watch the playoffs, it’s a grrind. To get to the NHL you have to have a tremendous work ethic. Then to be able to have success in it you got to have that side of it. The guys we drafted, it’s part of what we want, it’s part of what Tocchet wants, it’s part of what Danny and Jonesy wants. We want competitive people and I think we did a pretty good job of that today.

On whether Florida’s success in the playoffs had an impact in how teams drafted:

It’s more of a stylistic thing that they’ve got. I think size has always been a factor in the playoffs for years. The way they play they’ve kind of perfected it. So you got to be able to combat that. But there’s different teams who play in the NHL that, whether it’s speed or whatnot, the playoff hockey is a grind. And size certainly helps.

On how much Carter Amico’s injury played in him not going in the first round:

All of it, pretty much all of it. I was lucky enough to see him a number of times early before the injury. I was at the game where he actually reinjured it. The medical reports we got and our staff was able to examine it further. You can talk to him in development camp but basically the previous surgery didn’t take. He’s had it redone, it was successful and our doctors are confident it’s going to be good to go.

On Shane Vansaghi and Matthew Gard being high motor players and if that played a factor:

Well Vansaghi if you had a chance to watch him at Michigan State this year, he gets that whole arena going. A big, big kid. He plays a certain way and there’s not a lot of players like him in this draft or any draft. I think he’s got some work to do to get to the NHL. But once he does I think he’ll be a fan favorite. He’ll be a very welcomed teammate.

On Max Westergard’s play:

Obviously our European guys followed him closely, he had a very good tournament in Texas too, the U-18s. He’s a talented kid. Obviously on the other side with his size he’s not the biggest, he’s going to have to put on some weight and get stronger. He’s quick, he’s got skill, he can create offense by himself. So at that point we thought it was a value pick.

On Porter Martone and what made the Flyers take him despite having several wingers:

He’s a guy who’s name has been arounnd for a while. I’ve seen a lot of him while he was an underage. Just the whole complete package as far as his size, skill, hockey sense. He’s got juice, he’s always engaged around the net, stirring it up and driving people crazy. He’s got that edge but more importantly his skill set is high end when it comes to offense, his ability on the power play to break things down and create things. He does things that a lot of guys can’t. It’s just one of those things where he’s too talented to pass up on.

On whether Jack Nesbitt’s play brings to mind Jett Luchanko’s play in the second half of 2024 and if that factored into trading up for him:

Well Jack actually had a pretty steady year, he had more opportunity and ice time as the season went on. He was a guy who was pretty good throughout. I think initially he was more used in defensive situations, which, for a young player, his details are very good. Then they got him on the power play and he was very good in his net front presence role, retrieving pucks, tips. But he’s a smart player. As for his size he’s going to have to grow into his body. When I watch him play the only thing that I see missing is strength, that’s something that he can work on, it just takes some time.

He was good in the second half and in the end there his team was so banged up he played every second shift for the last series and a half. He was pretty much gassed by the end of it. He’s a guy we’re really excited about, the whole staff in general.

On how the Flyers would rate the draft:

Good, we’re elated with the first round. And the second round, the way it turned out we were very happy. We got a number of players. (Jack) Murtagh we all liked across the board, the staff. He can play a lot of different ways, he can score, he can really skate, he’s competitive, he can bang, crash, go to the net and do all of these things. He’s a terrific kid. But through the second round we were happy with Gard, and obviously Vansaghi. It was a little dull for a couple of rounds and slow-going. But we added a couple of guys, guys that we have time for and we’re excited for at that point in the draft. But as we stated before, at the draft there’s a fall off point. But we got a few guys we threw darts (on). We have some assets and hopefully they have a chance to play down the road.

On whether Martone is close and if other prospects are going to need a little more time:

Certainly Porter is closer than most just because of his experience, he has a late birthday and a bit older but also he’s very experienced. His game is probably a little more mature. He’s got some things to work on in terms of strength and conditioning and that which he’ll do like any young player. Even playing with the men at the end and he elevated his game. Junior sometimes can be a little easier for guys like him. But when you saw he was playing with men he knew where he had to go and move his feet and play with pace. He excelled.

On Amico and Vansaghi being big and strong now and whether that makes them closer to the NHL:

As far as Amico I think he’s naturally a huge human being. I think he’s still got some things to work on and he’s going to college so it’ll take time to round out his game. He needs reps because obviously he missed some time this year which is never good for any young player. But he’s going to be lots here his next couple of years.

Vansaghi is probably a different story. I don’t think he knows he’s ever going to play a different way. I think he’s going to have a more offensive role year this year. He’s a really young guy for college hockey this year. He finds a way to impact games. The way he plays now is probably similar to the way he’ going to play in the NHL. He’s an animal in the gym so you can’t take that away, you can’t punish him for that, that’s for sure.

On Matthew Gard:

Well he’s another player in Red Deer which wasn’t the strongest team. So he was forced to defend a lot. He’s another big kid with a body type like Nesbitt, he’s going to have to fill out and get stronger the next few years. He projects to be a very good skater and responsible defensively and more offense then he was able to show in situations this year. He’s a competitive kid, he’s got an edge. He’s in a good environment where he’s going to play a lot. We’ll see. It should be a good year for him.

On if Martone and Michkov gives the Flyers great depth on the right side:

I do and I think with Porter he could play his off side on the power play for sure. It should be a pretty good tandem. But I’m pretty sure whatever side he’s on he’s pretty capable.

Source

Source: https://www.broadstreethockey.com/p...flahr-had-to-say-about-flyers-2025-nhl-draft/

 

[Philadelphia Flyers]

Flyers getting high marks from experts for 2025 NHL Draft

The Philadelphia Flyers had seven picks in the first two rounds 10 days before this weekend’s NHL Draft. After landing Porter Martone, trading up to get Jack Nesbitt, and making some more moves in the second round (Jack Murtagh, Carter Amico, Shane Vansaghi and Matthew Gard), the Flyers ended up receiving some high praise from those in the know regarding the annual draft. Here then is a round-up of what some were saying regarding what Danny Briere, Brent Flahr and the scouting staff were able to achieve Friday night and Saturday.

Corey Pronman, The Athletic:​

“The Flyers got Porter Martone with their first pick. He was my third-rated player overall in the draft, and someone who I think, despite his subpar skating, has the makings of a potential first-line winger with size. They then proceeded to trade up to pick Jack Nesbitt. I’m a fan of Nesbitt’s game. I agree with their assessment that he could be a second-line center, again with size, even if I wouldn’t have traded up to get him; I do understand their pressing need for centers, though. Those were two premium pieces Philadelphia acquired early on Day 1. The Flyers added a lot of size in this draft overall, but they picked big guys who can legit play. Carter Amico and Matthew Gard are highly athletic. Shane Vansaghi is very skilled. Martone and Nesbitt project as important players for this team, but they have a really good chance to get a third useful NHL player from their Day 2 picks.”

Flyers Draft Grade: A

Steven Ellis, Daily Faceoff​

“Talk about getting tougher to play against. Nesbitt, Amico, Shane Vansaghi and Matthew Gard are absolute physical beasts, and Martone can flatten guys if he needs to, as well. I love Martone, because while they didn’t get their main positional need at No. 6 – a center – they got the best winger, who happened to be the best player available at the time. Amico could be a graet value pick at No. 38 – he missed most of the season due to an injury, but he’s an absolute unit. Nesbitt can be the team’s No. 3 center, while Vansaghi and Gard are going to be miserable to contain.”

Flyers Draft Grade: A+

Kyle Cushman, The Score​

The Flyers’ prospect pool lacked size, and they certainly addressed that by adding 6-foot-3 Martone, 6-foot-5 Nesbitt, 6-foot-6 Amico, and more later in the draft. Martone has thrilling potential with his playmaking. Trading up for Nesbitt was rich. Vansaghi is a menace on the forecheck. Philadelphia eventually becomes harder to play against with this kind of draft class.

Flyers Draft Grade: B+

Scott Wheeler, The Athletic​

They clearly set out with a plan with their six picks in Rounds 1-2 and accomplished it by adding size/strength at each of them. I didn’t love the Nesbitt and Amico picks, which I think come with some risk, but I liked the other four and Martone’s a big deal.

Flyers Draft Grade: “Overtime Winner”

Mary Clarke, USA Today
(grading drafting of Martone and Nesbitt in Round 1)​

Martone’s stock was rising ahead of the draft due to his unique skillset of being a power forward who can play hard and beat opponents with skill. It’s a bit surprising he fell to No. 6 to the Flyers, but he’ll slide in along nicely with Matvei Michkov, Trevor Zegras and the rest of Philadelphia’s young, but talented core.

Grade: A-

A trade! The Flyers traded the Penguins their two remaining first round picks in this draft to take big center Jack Nesbitt. This also feels like a reach, as Nesbitt could have been available in the early 20s when the Flyers were drafting next, but he’s a solid two-way center that helps Philadelphia fill out the center position.

Grade: B

Nicholas Nathanson, Bleacher Report​

The Philadelphia Flyers are getting an absolute steal in Porter Martone. Martone, the No. 3 prospect per B/R’s final board, possesses an incredible offensive skill set. He tallied 98 points in 57 games with the Brampton Steelheads of the OHL this past season. However, the one concern is his pattern of hovering around the zone. To an extent, he’ll need to become a bit more aggressive on both ends, but the result is still a massive win.

Flyers Draft Grade: A

Source

Source: https://www.broadstreethockey.com/post/flyers-getting-high-marks-for-2025-nhl-draft/

 

[Philadelphia Flyers]

Evaluating the Flyers’ 2025 NHL Draft

That’s a wrap on the 2025 NHL Draft. It was a bit of a wild one for the Flyers, with a bit of trading done and still a number of big additions made. At the end of the day, we saw nine new players added into the mix, making up a class which the national pundits are overwhelmingly viewing in a positive light.

But how do we, the in-market, foremost experts on the team feel about how things went? Honestly still largely the same, but let’s still get into it.

The Breakdown​

Porter Martone (Round 1, Pick 6)
RW, Brampton (OHL), 6’3, 205lbs
EP weigh in: While Martone is known as a power forward, it’s more accurate to describe him as a playmaker. The patterns of the game seem imprinted in his mind. Constantly scanning the ice and knowing his teammates’ tendencies, system’s rotations, and the expected movements of defenders, he stays connected with linemates, avoids coverage, and puts himself in advantageous spots to make the next play. He builds deft passing plays, moves ahead of the opposition, and preys on defenders’ and goalies’ expectations, manipulating them to open up great scoring possibilities.

The Martone pick, in short, feels like a slam dunk. We could quibble about the Flyers leaving James Hagens on the board despite being in pretty desperate need of centers, but the truly high-end player that they got in Martone softens that blow. Martone brings a stellar mix of power, pace (if not outright scorching speed), and slipperiness which allows him to be both incredibly successful as both an individual chance creator but also as a playmaker. His frame is also pretty close to professional ready, and while conversations will be open about letting him make a run at making the team out of camp, taking the more patient approach with him (especially if the rumors are true that he intends to leave the OHL and head to Penn State this season) might not be the worst thing. All the same, the Flyers still got themselves one of the more pro-ready players in this class, and that makes him even more exciting.

And, all told, as much as the Flyers do need help down the middle, they also still need a boost generally of high-end players to put them over the edge, and Martone certainly brings that.

Jack Nesbitt (Round 1, Pick 12)
C, Windsor (OHL), 6’5, 185lbs
EP weigh in: Nesbitt brings a 6-foot-4 frame, defensive abilities, and sense. He generates chances by breaking plays on the forecheck with precise stick work and by engaging players with his body, bouncing them off the puck.

While the Martone pick was an easy, hugely exciting one, something more curious unfolded with their second pick of the night. The Flyers packaged their 22nd and 31st overall picks in a trade with the Penguins to move all the way up to the 12th spot, and spent that pick on Jack Nesbitt.

And in the moment, this felt like a big surprise. Nesbitt seemed like an option that might well have been there for the Flyers when they got to 22, but something moved them to get aggressive to move up to grab him early (very early, one might argue). Now, it’s no question why the Flyers would find Nesbitt an attractive get — he adds a ton more size to their leaned undersized center pool, while bringing some physicality and sound two-way play. He’s already well projectable as a third line center, with the potential to outperform that projection if he can make some major strides in improving his skating game. And it’s commendable that they found their guy and stuck to their plan, making an aggressive play to go get him. But was it too aggressive, given the cost and the value of the player? Time will tell.

Carter Amico (Round 2, Pick 38)
RHD, USNTDP, 6’5, 225lbs
EP weigh in: An aggressive, agile defenceman, Amico’s range is nearly unmatched. When he surfs into opponents, he completely erases the middle and then crushes the opponent into the wall. He clears the front of the net with vitriol and then gets play moving the other way. He fakes forecheckers with his edges, then looks into or across the middle for a high-value breakout play.

With their third pick of the draft and their first of the second round, the Flyers completed something of a trifecta of Big Boys. For their first defenseman taken in that draft, the Flyers picked up Amico, who plays a heavy, physical game, but still brings a nice enough blend of elusiveness and a bit of finesse. There’s some nastiness here, to be sure, but he brings enough skill to allow him to beat opponents in a number of ways. And this pick lines up well with an emphasis we saw from the Flyers in last year’s draft as well — they want to add size particularly on the back end. They’re stocking up nicely in this area, but did well in picking up Amico to add a player who brings a whole lot more than just his size.

Jack Murtagh (Round 2, Pick 40)
C/LW, USNTDP, 6’1, 198lbs
EP weigh in: An explosive winger, Murtagh powers past – and through – opponents with explosive strides. If there’s a puck battle, he’s involved, throwing hits, digging under sticks, and popping right back up after getting knocked down. He sticks with every play and never gets deterred. Turning puck battles into chances, Murtagh always looks off the wall after winning possession. He powers through contact to unleash quick-release wristers with his feet moving

The Flyers got back to adding to their forward group with their second pick of the second round, but stuck around in pulling from the NTDP for the second pick in a row. With Murtagh, they got a solid center/wing pivot who plays a hard nosed, powerful game. He’s the tenacious type of player that one could see fitting in nicely with the group of forwards they’re assembling both in the pipeline and with their young core at the NHL level (while also giving them a bit more of that much-coveted size). Murtagh was projected by some to go earlier in the 30s, so the Flyers end up with good value, picking him up with the 40th overall pick.

Shane Vansaghi (Round 2, Pick 48)
RW, Michigan State (NCAA), 6’3, 212lbs
EP weigh in: After breaking plays and getting some space in the neutral zone, Vansaghi carries the puck in, dangles around defenders, and fires a missile to the top of the net. He bypasses sticks in his firing motion, dragging the puck toward him to release or aiming through defenders. On top of those skills, Vansaghi also has his moments as a playmaker, landing passes in transition and from below the goal line. Even under heavy pressure, he seems to retain an awareness of the ice and an ability to add a touch of deception to his feeds. Instantly after the pass, he gets open for a return feed, showing an above-average tactical understanding of the game.

It is, in short, a total shock that the Flyers were still able to pick up Vansaghi with the 48th pick. Combining his player profile (bringing a combination of size, power, physicality, and dynamism of offensive production) with the head start he’s gotten in his development in having made the jump to the college level with Michigan State this season, Vansaghi seemed to be rising on a lot of boards on those last few weeks leading up to the draft, but inexplicably (as seems to happen with some players every year) found himself falling when the day ultimately came. It’s a shame for him, we suppose, but it’s a great value that the Flyers have gotten, as they’ve addressed their size desire with a player who will also give their offensive game a big boost.

Matthew Gard (Round 2, Pick 57)
C, Red Deer (WHL), 6’3, 198lbs
EP weigh in: Proactive and calculated, Gard gets above the puck, guides attacks to the outside, clamps down on sticks, and supports down low. In the rare instance he’s not already positioned perfectly, his open-ice speed and reach propel him back into the play. And he’s just as effective on the forecheck, combining these same skills with physicality.

This final pick of the second round, though, is a little less flashy. They certainly add a good bit more size into the mix with this pick as well — are we detecting a theme here? — but there’s a good and solid game to be found here too. Gard plays, generally speaking, a good support style of game, checking well and creating space to set up his teammates for chances, and, what’s more, looks pretty projectable to stick down the middle. His game might not dazzle, but it brings a high floor and looks like it could serve well to click with some more shoot-first style wingers. It’s another size pick, to be sure, but a size plus some additional offensive skill pick, so at least there’s that.

Max Westergard (Round 5, Pick 132)
LW/RW, Frolunda (J20 Nationell), 5’11, 168lbs
EP weigh in: Wherever Max Westergård goes, he finds ways to produce. He’s a productive two-way winger whose offence flows through his off-puck instincts and ability to anticipate. He shows a strong inside drive in all situations, which helps his teammates too as he can give them space behind him. He goes in first in battles and is relentless in his will to win the puck.

We’re getting into more of the lottery ticket part of the draft here, but Westergard remains an interesting pick here. One of the youngest players in the draft, and already having shown some promise in limited SHL minutes at the end of this past season, the Flyers are making something of an upside bet on Westergard. He plays an uptempo, hard checking, defensively minded style that aligns nicely with what they look to be building towards at the NHL level. Obviously he’s a long ways away from getting into that mix — and indeed, it remains to be seen whether he’ll put it all together enough to become a good pro in North America — but the Flyers are taking the chance that they can get a little more out of him, given the extra developmental runway he has, which might well be a good bet.

Luke Vlooswyk (Round 5, Pick 157)
RHD, Red Deer (WHL), 6’5, 201lbs
EP weigh in: Defending the rush, Vlooswyk’s mobility, stick work, and instincts shine. He catches opponents with his feet moving after waiting for them to enter his space, never overextending. He excels at tying up opponents and taking them into the wall, immobilizing them and freeing possession.

Vlooswyk is another size-first pick, and the Flyers are getting a quite raw defender, but one who has the chance to develop into a good shutdown defender, if things break his way and he can keep developing on his more raw tools. We don’t have too much more of a breakdown on this pick other than we suppose it’s good that they made sure to get one more defenseman and didn’t leave it at just Amico, and it’s certainly another datapoint that tells us that size was a target in this draft.

Nathan Quinn (Round 6, Pick 164)
C, Quebec (QMJHL), 5’11, 172lbs
EP weigh in: A net-driver, Quinn creates space in the slot with his body, taking the inside lane to the goalie to catch passes and fire. He can pass the puck off the boards and spot teammates in space across the ice and behind him, relaying them the puck to expand the attack and generate higher-quality looks.

Of course, it’s a positive that size wasn’t the exclusive focus of this draft, and the Flyers made another interesting pick on an undersized forward with their final selection of the draft. Quinn is another very young player (with his late-August birthday) and he’s already taking a big step forward in his development, as he’ll head to Northeastern and make the jump up to the NCAA level in the fall. He’s still a bit raw, and he’s going to need a longer development track to get to where he needs to be, but there’s an intriguing amount of offense in his game, and this feels like the perfect bit of a swing to take with a sixth-round pick.

Final Thoughts​

As much as the Flyers might have claimed heading into the draft that they weren’t going to go out of their way to get players with size in this draft, and as much as they might try to paint the fact that they did go overwhelmingly after size here as something of a happy coincidence, it feels clear that this was a pretty intentional play. Now, it’s also not just them making it in isolation, as we saw a large number of teams this year going more after size, so maybe we can cut them a bit of slack as we take this into the context of the larger league drafting trend. All the same, the Flyers used this draft to beef up their pipeline, providing a good bit of balance to a group that was leaning on the smaller side, on the whole. They continued the trend from last year and added two more — notably, just two — big defensemen to the mix, but they expanded on that ethos and really seemed to make a concerted effort to add some more size up front as well.

It’s also notable that for the second year in a row, the Flyers didn’t take a goalie in the draft. Now, given the quality of the goaltenders in this draft and how things fell with the better of those options, it’s hard to be too down on the Flyers for not picking one up, but with how weird goalie development often is, and to what degree drafting them feels like just loading up on lottery tickets, it’s interested that they didn’t make any additions to that part of the pipeline for another year.

But, all in all, as funny as it might be to point to the size obsession this time around, the Flyers did a nice bit of work in this one. The Martone pick couldn’t be better, and while it’s fair to say that they made a bit of a reach in trading away assets to move up for Nesbitt, they did really well to recoup that value, particularly with their first three picks in the second round, capitalizing on some really good players falling a bit farther than they probably should have. The Flyers come out of this draft having surely addressed what they came into this weekend wanting to address, and with a both more high-end and well-balanced prospect pipeline coming together for them, and that’s pretty unequivocally a success.

Source

Source: https://www.broadstreethockey.com/post/evaluating-the-flyers-2025-nhl-draft/

 

[Philadelphia Flyers]

Flyers announce 2025 Development Camp roster and schedule

This certainly is a busy time of year for the Flyers and their fans alike. With the craziness of the draft now over and done with, and the potentially lively day of the opening of free agency on the horizon, the Flyers have announced that they’ll be jumping right into their annual Development Camp to close out a frenetic week.

Development Camp will open with its first day of on-ice sessions on Wednesday July 2, and will carry into Thursday. We’ll then see a nice little day off for the Fourth of July on Friday, and then things will resume for both days of the weekend. The complete schedule is below:

DATE	TEAM	DEFENSE/FORWARDS	FULL TEAM
Wed., July 2	JonesBriere	8:30-9:15 a.m.10:45-11:30 a.m.	9:30-10:30 a.m.11:45-12:45 a.m.
Thurs., July 3	BriereJones	8:30-9:15 a.m.10:45-11:30 a.m.	9:30-10:30 a.m.11:45-12:45 a.m.
Fri., July 4	NO	ON	ICE
Sat., July 5	BriereJones	8:30-9:15 a.m.9:30-10:15 a.m.	1:30 p.m.(both teams)
Sun., July 6	5-on-5 Scrimmage	6:00 p.m.

Because of the volume of skaters being brought in again this year, we’ll see the players split up into groups through the first three days, to keep things a little more manageable, when the focus will be drill-style activities. But on Sunday, though, we’ll see the groups all coming together again for a 5-on-5 tournament to close out the camp, which is always a fun one. All sessions will be, as always, free and open to the public.

The Flyers will be bringing a pretty loaded group to the ice this time around. Most excitingly, this will be fans’ first opportunity to get eyes on members of this most recent draft class, headlined by first round picks Porter Martone and Jack Nesbitt, as well as some of the second round steals in Jack Murtagh and Shane Vansaghi (but not Carter Amico, who’s still working his way back from the knee injury). We want to keep expectations reasonable for their very first development camp (which is taking place after an already pretty whirlwind weekend), but it will be nice to get an introduction, all the same.

It will also be a good chance to check in with some of the development camp returnees, like Jett Luchanko and Alex Bump, fresh off of their AHL debuts, as well as Denver Barkey, Oliver Bonk, and Carson Bjarnason, as they head into theirs.

Check out the full list of campers. pic.twitter.com/SgMtdiunhp

— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) June 30, 2025

Whoever you’re there to see, it’s bound to be a nice bit of action (and a little more hockey to sustain us as we get deep into summer).

Source

Source: https://www.broadstreethockey.com/post/flyers-announce-2025-development-camp-roster-and-schedule/

 

[Philadelphia Flyers]

Flyers sign Lane Pederson to one year, two-way contract

The news keeps on rolling in, folks! The theme so far today has largely been of the Flyers making moves to shore up their depth heading into the season, and this most recently announced signing falls well in line with that. Per the folks over at PuckPedia, the Flyers have signed forward Lane Pederson to a one-year, two-way contract, which will pay him $775,000 at the NHL level and $525,000 at the AHL level.

Pederson, a center, has spent the last two seasons playing for Bakersfield, the AHL affiliate of the Oilers. During the 2023-24 season, he put up a respectable 22 goals and 52 points in 66 games played, and then managed five goals and 12 points in 18 games last year, before his season was cut short by a shoulder injury which required surgery to repair back in February (but one would imagine he’ll be good in time to start this season).

And while Pederson will surely be in the mix for an NHL job out of camp, it feels more likely that he’ll serve as a boost of the center depth down at the AHL level with the Phantoms. And this, too, is pretty sorely needed. With Jett Luchanko not being an option for them for the regular season, Elliot Desnoyers not receiving a qualifying offer yesterday, and the situation with a few of their other AHL veterans up in the air still, the Phantoms’ center depth has taken a pretty major hit, and they’re going to need bodies to fill out their lineup as well. What’s more, with the group of very young forwards already down there (a group which is only going to get younger this season, with the recent OHL graduate in Denver Barkey and NCAA graduates in Alex Bump, Devin Kaplan, and potentially Karsen Dorwart joining the mix), Pederson as a more veteran player in that league will be able to offer a bit more stability while those young players are settling in and learning the ropes. It’s all about balance, as they say, and the Flyers have done well to add a nice bit of it here.

Source

Source: https://www.broadstreethockey.com/post/flyers-sign-lane-pederson-to-one-year-two-way-contract/