Flyers would probably love if Barkov-like prospect is available at No. 6 originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The 2025 NHL draft is a huge one for the Flyers’ rebuild.

Not only does Danny Briere have a lot of high-round picks at his disposal, but he also could be creative in how he uses them.

“There are all kinds of possibilities here,” the Flyers’ general manager said in April. “I think it’s really exciting going into it. It’s powerful to have so many picks like that. I think a lot of teams will be wanting to have discussions with us to make some things happen — teams that don’t have picks or teams that want to tweak things.”

So it’s a busy time for the Flyers leading up to the draft, which will be held June 27-28. The first round is Friday at 7 p.m. ET, while Rounds 2-7 are Saturday starting at noon ET.

“There are really good players in this draft,” TSN director of scouting Craig Button said last Tuesday in a phone interview with NBC Sports Philadelphia. “Maybe people say it’s not a good draft; I’m not buying it. I think this draft has got lots of good players.”

The Flyers are slotted to make 11 picks, including three first-rounders and four second-rounders. Their first-round selections will come at No. 6 (own pick), No. 22 (Sean Walker trade) and either No. 31 or 32 (Oilers trade).

Before the draft arrives, we’re breaking down first-round targets for the Flyers.

Next up:

Anton Frondell

Position: Center
Height: 6-foot-1
Weight: 198
Shoots: Left
Team: Djurgarden

Scouting report

The 18-year-old Swede is one of the better players in the draft and arguably the second-best at his position.

When it comes to talent down the middle in this class, Michael Misa leads the charge as a 134-point prospect and the consensus No. 2 overall pick. Then, Frondell could be next among the pivots.

“I think Michael Misa and Anton Frondell have kind of, in my view, separated themselves,” Button, a former NHL GM and scout, said. “After that, the next group of centers, I think they’re all in a similar group.”

Frondell possesses NHL size and an excellent shot. He reads the ice well and can do a little bit of everything. As the third-ranked player in the draft on Button’s list, Frondell has some qualities similar to Aleksander Barkov, the Panthers’ center who just won his third Selke Trophy.

“Now, ‘Sasha’ Barkov is elite,” Button said. “Style of game, type of player; I’m not going to tell you he’s ‘Sasha’ Barkov, but that’s the type of game that Anton plays. He’s just what I would call a complete, two-way player. He can play heavy, he can play skilled, he can play fast, he can play defense, he can play offense. Much like Barkov, Barkov’s never going to be a 100-point player, but he’s an incredibly valuable player.”

Playing against men in HockeyAllsvenskan, a pro league a tier below the SHL, Frondell put up 25 points (11 goals, 14 assists) and a plus-11 rating over 29 games for Djurgarden. He did so in just 12:13 minutes per game.

Frondell is the top-ranked international skater by NHL Central Scouting, but EliteProspects.com has him as the 12th overall player in the draft.

If there’s concern, it’s that Frondell might not be ultra dynamic or have the highest ceiling. He also dealt with some leg injuries this season.

“Once he got up and running,” Button said, “he really showed that he can have a real impact.”

Fit with Flyers

Given that center is one of their biggest organizational needs, Frondell should be appealing to the Flyers. While there’s debate about his ceiling, there doesn’t seem to be a real low floor. There’s clear top-six potential, he can play the wing and he has all-situation strengths.

“He’s so smart,” Button said. “He just knows how to play — everywhere.”

With his size and shot, Frondell could provide the Flyers a nice balance down the middle in the future. Jett Luchanko, the club’s first-rounder from last summer, is a speed-driven, pass-first center.

The Flyers should have a solid read on Frondell. They evaluate Sweden heavily, led by their director of European scouting Joakim Grundberg.

Last summer, the Flyers drafted Swedish center Jack Berglund in the second round and signed two forwards out of the SHL. They also selected Swedish defenseman Emil Andrae in the second round of the 2020 draft.

More targets

• Hagens is ‘Matt Duchene type of player’ who could be on Flyers’ radar at No. 6

The Anaheim Ducks head into the 2025 offseason with $38.69 million in cap space and need to spend $13.79 million to reach the cap floor. Ownership has given general manager Pat Verbeek a mandate to push for the playoffs in 2025-26 and has given him the green light to spend to the cap ceiling, if it’s deemed necessary to achieve that goal.

Barring extensions signed before July 1, the 2025 free agent class will consist of one franchise-altering superstar and a long list of quality players just beneath at every position who could provide varying degrees of their personal brand and impact to a team’s depth chart.

The Ducks currently have 16 players under contract for the 2025-26 season, with five restricted free agents under team control.

'I Do Wonder if Anaheim Takes a Shot at This': How the Anaheim Ducks Fit as a Possible Destination for Jonathan Toews Comeback

Victory+ Founder on Ducks, Stars & More

They were a team near the bottom of the league in most traditional and underlying statistical categories in 2024-25 and could use upgrades at several positions within their lineup. Verbeek has stated his priority to add goal scoring, and recently hired head coach Joel Quenneville has traditionally valued puck possession.

Three spots in the lineup the Ducks could look to address in free agency are a top-of-the-lineup producing forward, a two-way middle-six center, and a mobile defensive defenseman.

With how the Ducks roster is constructed and the brand of hockey they’re hoping to ice on a nightly basis, who are the best fits on the free agent market?

Top of the Lineup Producer

Verbeek stated during his end-of-the-year media availability that the area the Ducks need to improve the most is goal scoring. In the 2024-25 season, the Ducks ranked 30th in the NHL in terms of goals scored per game (2.65), 21st in shots on goal per game (27.7), and 32nd in power play percentage (11.8%).

“Well, I think when you look at the roster on a whole, I think we need to score more goals,” Verbeek said. “Ultimately, we didn't score enough goals, and certainly that became a contributing factor. What was interesting (was) when we scored three or more goals, we virtually won all the games. We were almost undefeated when scoring three or more goals. That is going to be a goal that we're looking to hit by being more offensive.” 

The Ducks have a blend of supremely talented young players and insulating veterans, but one more offensive driver could be the key to unlock the full potential of the forward group.

All contract projections provided by AFP Analytics

Mitch Marner

Contract Projection: 7 years, $12,952,528 AAV

Marner (28) is the ultimate prize in the 2025 free agency class, should he hit market. He is the type of franchise-changing forward that can typically only be acquired via the NHL Draft or by parting with significant assets via trade.

The Anaheim Ducks' Pitch to Mitch Marner in Free Agency

He is a consistent driver of offense who produces at a 100-point pace year in and year out and has been brilliant defensively. He had been the most commonly deployed penalty killing forward on the Toronto Maple Leafs’ roster over the past half-decade, even earning a spot as a Selke Trophy finalist in 2023.

He is potentially the most scrutinized player in the NHL and could benefit from playing in a lower-profile market such as Anaheim. The possibility of slotting Marner into a top line next to Leo Carlsson and Cutter Gauthier is as tantalizing an option as any, and the trio could become a dominant line for the foreseeable future, on both sides of the puck and in all three zones.

A $13 million AAV would make Marner the highest-paid winger in the NHL, but he’s the kind of player who rarely becomes available. With the amount of cap space the Ducks have, and if they are interested in adding him, he’s the kind of player a team wouldn’t regret offering what it took to get him to put pen to paper.

Nikolaj Ehlers

Contract Projection: 6 years, $8,106,756 AAV

Despite inconsistent deployment and a lack of top power play minutes, Ehlers (29) has consistently produced at a 65-point pace during his career with the Winnipeg Jets. He’s a speedy winger who oozes game-breaking skill and can create his own instant offense.

Ehlers has had his bouts with the injury bug in the past. He missed 13 games in 2024-25, 37 games in 2022-23, and 20 games in 2021-22. When healthy, his impact is undeniable and could represent the brand of puck-possession, speed-driven hockey that Quenneville helped usher in over 15 years ago with the Blackhawks as they built their dynasty.

Ehlers could seamlessly fit anywhere within the Ducks' top six, but slotting him on the wing of a player like Mason McTavish could accentuate the best in both of their games. Ehlers could create and operate freely in the open space provided by McTavish’s small area battling ability, and McTavish could bury opportunities Ehlers creates by pushing defenders toward their goal line with his speed.

Brock Boeser

Contract Projection: 6 years, $8,459,390 AAV

It is often said that for a player in the NHL, there’s one component that’s the most difficult above all others: scoring goals. Boeser (28) is exceptional at exactly one thing: scoring goals. When healthy, he has the capability to change the complexion of an individual game in the blink of an eye with a tremendous release.

He can score from distance, and he can score in tight. He can change the angle of his shot on the rush, and he has a knack for finding soft ice away from the puck.

Throughout his career with the Vancouver Canucks, he has averaged 30 goals and 64 points per 82 games, including 11 goals on the power play. Production in Boeser’s career has yo-yoed on a year-to-year basis, with 2024-25 being a relative down year, as he only tallied 50 points (25-25=50) in 75 games. However, he is a year removed from a career year in 2023-24 that saw him produce 73 points (40-33=73) in 81 games and add 12 points (7-5=12) in 12 playoff games.

It’s safe to say that aside from pure goal scoring, Boeser displays several traits that can be considered NHL-average: skating, puck handling, vision, etc. The biggest knock on his game is that when the pucks aren’t finding the backs of nets, he doesn’t impact play with a meaningful “B Game” and can disappear on the ice.

Cutter Gauthier is the only player on the Ducks roster who can match Boeser’s potential for racking up goals. Boeser also provides that dynamic from a coveted right-handed perspective. The Ducks have plenty of potential play drivers and connectors in their pipeline and on the roster that can potentially fill the gaps in Boeser’s game, so if Verbeek truly thinks the one thing they need is the exact one thing Boeser can provide at an elite level, he may deem it worth the projected hefty price tag.

Other potential fits on the free agent market: Matt Duchene, John Tavares, Brock Nelson, Patrick Kane, Ryan Donato

The Ducks could benefit from adding a proven point-producer at the top of their depth chart. The issue is that those players will always be the most expensive to acquire, and free agency often inherently proves to be an inefficient way to spend valuable cap space.

Though the Ducks have been starved for an offensive star for as long as recent memory will serve, it may not be the biggest area in need of filling this offseason. However, if Verbeek figures the juice is worth the squeeze, several potential adds would complement his current roster nicely.

6 Former Ducks Advance to 2025 Stanley Cup Final

Former Duck Jakob Silfverberg Wins Trio of Awards

Five Ducks Medal at 2025 Worlds

Dec 23, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mitch Marner (16) pursues the play against the Winnipeg Jets in the first period at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

The hockey community can feel small.

All of the recycled coaches and management members going around the NHL like a massively convoluted game of musical chairs can be exhausting.

However, when the team that you cheer for is the Detroit Red Wings, an original six team, there is bound to be someone who was connected to the franchise in some capacity.

Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features. 

The 2025 Stanley Cup Final begins on Wednesday, June 4th. In honor of that commencement, here is every former Red Wings player in the Cup Final. (Spoiler alert: they all play for one team.)

Trending Red Wings Stories

Every Expiring Detroit Red Wings ContractAll good things come to an end.

3 Red Wings Prospects Ready For The Big Leagues

4 Free Agent Defenders Yzerman Has To Actually Avoid

Could Jonathan Toews Become Latest Ex-Blackhawk to Jump to Detroit?

3 Special Red Wings Prospects That Are Untouchable

Three Potential RFA Offer Sheet Candidates for the Red WingsOn Tuesday, the NHL revealed the offer sheet compensation levels (based on the AAV of potential RFA poachings) for the 2025 offseason.  With that in mind, here's a look at some potential options for the Detroit Red Wings to reel in some added depth this summer.

Jake Walman

Jake Walman, it’s going to be difficult for Red Wings fans to forget you. The current Edmonton Oilers defender was infamously traded from the Red Wings to the San Jose Sharks for future considerations. At the same time, the Sharks received a second-round draft pick for their troubles.

As I’ve previously written about, Walman has been a great addition to the Oilers since his arrival. However, when he was in Detroit, you could see the same tools at play. Walman was a stabilizing presence for the young Moritz Seider and endeared himself to fans with his outgoing personality.

Troy Stecher

Another defender, Troy Stecher, has been an excellent piece for the Oilers during this playoff run. He was able to come in and perform at a high enough level to make the coaching staff want to play him more.

Stecher played for the Red Wings during the 2020-21 season and part of the 2021-22 season. The team wasn’t very good during that time, and he was a combined -19 over 60 games with the team.

Calvin Pickard is that guy pic.twitter.com/KuYqA1fgjt

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 9, 2025

Calvin Pickard

The Red Wings were the last NHL stop for Calvin Pickard before signing with the Oilers. He was used sparingly in the NHL – 12 games across three seasons.

Pickard came in for Stuart Skinner after the latter had a shaky start to the 2025 playoffs. Pickard went on a six-game heater, got injured, and then Skinner came back and has been lights-out.

What a world.

Mattias Janmark 

Bet you couldn’t have guessed that Mattias Janmark (Mattias Janmark-Nylen) was a Red Wings draft pick. The 79th overall selection in the 2013 draft played two games for the Grand Rapids Griffins during the 2013-14 season.

The Swedish forward was traded to the Dallas Stars on March 1st of 2015, along with a second-round draft pick, for the likes of Eric Cole and a third-round pick.

With all of the former Red Wings on the Oilers, it makes it clear to this writer who Red Wings fans should cheer for during the Stanley Cup Final.

It’s a small hockey community, after all.

Never miss a story by adding us to your Google News favorites. 

ST. LOUIS -- Remember when Doug Armstrong spoke on locker clean out day, two days after the St. Louis Blues were eliminated by the Winnipeg Jets in Game 7 of the Western Conference First Round on May 4?

The Blues' general manager was asked about the team's potential plan for attracting new players to St. Louis, whether it be via trade or would there be some interest in signing free agents.

Armstrong indicated that there are players that could potentially be unrestricted free agents on July 1 that would be of interest to him.

A lot has been made of one particular potential UFA, who is a bit pre-ooccupied these days getting ready for the Stanley Cup Final in search of back-to-back titles, and for me, he would be at the top of my picks for Armstrong and Blues brass to target, and that's Florida Panthers center Sam Bennett.

But there's one caveat to it all.

There have been reports circulating that the 28-year-old (29 when next season starts), who had a regular-season career-high 26 assists and 51 points this past season, his 10th full one in the NHL, could receive offers -- should he hit the market -- upwards of $10 million per season on a new contract.

If that's the case, thanks but no thanks.

It's no secret the Blues need a No. 2/3 type of center, preferably a No. 2 behind Robert Thomas with Brayden Schenn, the warrior that he is, starting to get longer in the tooth and will be 34 when the 2025-26 season begins. Bennett could fit the bill of what the Blues could use: someone who has the skill set (has 20 or more goals in three of the past four seasons with the Panthers), is mean, strong, willing to play at the net front and physical (listed at 6-foot-1, 193 pounds).

Bennett's style of play seems to be more suited for the playoffs more so than the regular season, and with the Blues, he would certainly get more responsibilities to accentuate some of his finer points. But sorry, if I'm Armstrong, I'm not going anywhere near eight figures for Bennett if there's a bidding war. Not for someone who just reached 50-plus points in a season for the first time.

Bennett does have 16 points (10 goals, six assists) in 17 playoff games this season and 45 points (22 goals, 23 assists) the past three playoff seasons in 56 games shows he does come to play in the big games of the postseason.

Say what you will, and we will see should Bennett hits the market who will be interested and how much they're willing to pay, the Blues should definitely be among those, and I'm willing to give him Schenn's contract ($6.5 million average annual value) for seven years all day, any day, and I'd be willing to go as high as seven years, $49 million ($7 million AAV) with a full no trade clause if that's the sweetener needed and that's as high as I'd go.

If Bennett would be sold on St. Louis, and he has the right see the price go as high as can be, that would be my floor and ceiling. Our friends at capwages.com have a projected cap hit and term for Bennett at six years, $6,637,250 million AAV which is very comparable and fair; it falls into the window I think the Blues would be interested in and would mark a significant raise after Bennett finished a four-year, $4.425 million AAV he just finished with the Panthers.

The Blues have cap space to work with, and that's without potential interest in bringing back Radek Faksa and Ryan Suter, who can also be UFAs on July 1 and Joel Hofer can be a restricted free agent July 1, but for the right price, Bennett would fill a great void the Blues could use. It would give them a middle of Thomas, Bennett, Schenn and Oskar Sundqvist (or Faksa, if he re-signs), and of course Dalibor Dvorsky, the No. 10 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, could play a role in this as well. Pretty darn good and reliably experienced as the team moves into the next phase of what Armstrong called the "re-whatever."

The Blues have $15,515,293 in cap space at their disposal, according to capwages, which also includes Torey Krug's $6.5 million AAV on long-term injured reserve, but that doesn't mean they will be given the space to spend to the limit. Stay tuned.

Philadelphia Flyers prospects Denver Barkey and Oliver Bonk are your 2025 Memorial Cup champions, giving the WHL Medicine Hat Tigers the business in a 4-1 decision for the London Knights Sunday night.

Almost a year ago to the day, Barkey, Bonk, and the Knights were eliminated by the Saginaw Spirit in the 2024 Memorial Cup in a tightly contested 4-3 loss, but now that the Flyers duo has captured the elusive title, they'll begin their respective pro careers known as nothing but winners.

Barkey, for example, played in the playoffs in each of his four seasons with the Knights. He had 24 points in 20 games in 2022-23, 27 points in 18 games last year, and 20 points in 10 games this year.

In the Memorial Cup, the Flyers' former third-round pick was tied with Toronto Maple Leafs forward prospect Easton Cowan for the lead in scoring, with both players posting three goals, four assists, and seven points in five games.

Bonk, too, was impressive throughout his Knights career, especially when the stakes were elevated. Though he won't be much of a point-producer at the NHL level, Bonk had 11 assists in 21 playoff games in 2022-23, 16 points in 18 games last year, and 14 points in 17 games this year.

The second of the Flyers' two 2023 first-round picks finished with only two assists in this year's Memorial Cup run after having six points in four Cup games last year, but that's fine.

Bonk benefitted from a niche power play role that helped him elevate his scoring numbers on a strong London team. His role changed this season, and it'll help him in his adjustment to eventual NHL life with the Flyers.

This, combined with Barkey's high-flying scoring and tenacity, led the Knights to back-to-back OHL championships and the Memorial Cup that haunted them this time last year.

It's the perfect sendoff for two promising Flyers prospects who will officially enter the pros for the first time in a few months.

With no new signings or contracts announced on Sunday, the Philadelphia Flyers have officially lost the signing rights to three recently drafted defense prospects, including two of Matvei Michkov's draft classmates.

According to PuckPedia, the Flyers lost these three players on June 1 due for two reasons. Players who were drafted in 2023 and played major junior hockey through their age 20 and players who were drafted from European Leagues in 2021 before turning 20 saw their signing rights expire Monday.

So, that means that Flyers defense prospects Carter Sotheran, Brian Zanetti, and Matteo Mann are all free to sign with other NHL teams.

Zanetti, 22, is signed with HC Lugano of Switzerland through the 2027-28 season, so his career in North America is unlikely to resume anytime soon. The left-shot defenseman was drafted 110th overall by the Flyers in the 2021 NHL Draft.

Flyers Trade Rumors: Wild 'Not Dying' to Deal Marco Rossi AwayRecent reports have connected the Philadelphia Flyers to trade discussions with the Minnesota Wild regarding free agent center Marco Rossi, but there is no serious progress made by the Flyers, or any other NHL team, on that front... yet.

As for Sotheran, the 135th overall pick in 2023, and Mann, the 199th overall pick in 2023, both players will be 20 years old on Sept. 15 and are eligible to re-enter the NHL draft if they wish.

With Sotheran and Mann out of the picture, the only Flyers defense prospects 20 years old or younger under contract with the team are Oliver Bonk, also drafted in 2023, and 2024 second-round pick Spencer Gill.

Right-shot defenseman Austin Moline, 19, is the last remaining defenseman on the Flyers' reserve list.

By all accounts, after taking their center of choice with the No. 6 pick, the Flyers are going to have to heavily reinvest in their defense in the 2025 draft later this month.