The Philadelphia Flyers are the latest focus in the NHL prospect pool overview series.
Tony Ferrari digs into the Flyers’ strengths and weaknesses, latest draft class, positional depth chart, next player in line for an NHL opportunity and more. A player who no longer holds rookie eligibility in the NHL is considered graduated and no longer a prospect for these exercises, with few exceptions.
Initial Thoughts
The Flyers had a bit of a weird season. Tensions seemed to grow throughout the season as coach John Tortorella was trying to get his team to play the game the right way in his eyes.
Matvei Michkov and Cam York, especially the latter, seemed to be the biggest focus for Tortorella as he tried to instill good habits into his young players.
The tensions ultimately led to Tortorella being fired after an awkward incident with York and a post-game comment about how he’s “not really interested in learning how to coach in this type of season,” in reference to the Flyers' down year while rebuilding.
All that said, the Flyers now have Rick Tocchet behind the bench. While he wants to hold players accountable, he’s also been vocal about wanting the stars to shine.
Michkov is the star of this team moving forward. Although he didn’t finish as a Calder Trophy finalist, he finished second in rookie scoring and led all first-year players in goals. Had things been a bit less hectic in Philly, maybe Michkov would have finished higher than fourth in rookie of the year voting.
Still just 20, Michkov is no longer a prospect. Instead, he’s one of the most exciting young players in the NHL. His goal-scoring only scratched the surface last year, and his creativity really started to come alive late in the season. With a full season and a summer of training under his belt, Michkov might be one of the biggest breakout candidates in the NHL.
The Flyers have assembled quite a solid prospect pool over the last few years.
Jett Luchanko started the year in Philly, playing in four games before heading back to junior hockey, but the energetic forward showed just how engaged and effective he could be in that short span. He needed to get a bit stronger, but his intelligence and 200-foot commitment make him a candidate to jump into the NHL this fall once again. He was on one of the weakest teams in the OHL this past year and still managed to produce at a solid clip, but going back to the CHL won’t offer much aside from beating up on junior competition offensively.
One OHLer who won’t return to major junior is Denver Barkey. He captained the London Knights as they won the Memorial Cup. His high-energy game and playmaker's mindset will be a welcome addition to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms in the AHL. He’s undersized and must prove he can hang with the physicality of pro hockey, but Barkey doesn’t shy away from that aspect of the game. He’s a menace on and off the puck, using his speed and passing to push the pace of play. He’s going to be very fun to track this season.
Alexis Gendron and Samu Tuomaala had solid AHL seasons, with 28 and 32 points, respectively.
Gendron is still coming into his own, looking to lead the offensive rush and facilitate things for his linemates. Tuomaala is more of a complementary player who is OK playing off the puck, attacking through space and using his shot when he gets the puck in the offensive zone. Both need some refinement defensively, but the steps they took in the AHL were big for Philly.
Alex Ciernik is heading to the Liiga after a few seasons spent primarily in Sweden’s second pro tier, the Allsvenskan. He’s shown growth, but there is more offensive skill to give. His speed helped him become an effective player in transition, but he just didn’t seem to mesh with linemates despite a desire to create offensively. The change of scenery might be good for Ciernik, but hopefully, his stop in Finland is a one-year experiment, and he can get into the AHL by season’s end.
On the back end, Barley’s London teammate, Oliver Bonk, is jumping to pro hockey as well. He has more of a chance to make the NHL roster in camp, but he could play most of the season in Lehigh Valley with Barkey. Bonk is a true do-it-all defender with a big shot and a physical edge that highlight his strengths at both ends of the ice. He has all of the tools to be an all-situation player for the Flyers, and if he gets a shot this year, it wouldn’t be shocking to see him play on both special teams.
Helge Grans had a bounce-back season in the AHL this past year, putting up 23 points after recording just eight the year before. At 23, there isn’t much more runway for Grans to make himself a legitimate impact player. He is a mobile defender with size and the puck-moving ability that could make him a solid breakout artist. His defensive game has grown over the last couple of years as well. The question will be whether Grans is ever able to put all of his tools together or ends up being a very good AHL blueliner.
U-23 Players Like To Be On NHL Roster This Season
Matvei Michkov (RW), Jett Luchanko (C), Oliver Bonk (D)
2025 NHL Draft Class
Round 1, 6th overall - Porter Martone, RW, Brampton (OHL)
Round 1, 12th overall - Jack Nesbitt, C, Windsor (OHL)
Round 2, 38th overall - Carter Amico, D, U.S. NTDP (USHL)
Round 2, 40th overall - Jack Murtagh, LW, U.S. NTDP (USHL)
Round 2, 48th overall - Shane Vansaghi, RW, Michigan State (NCAA)
Round 2, 57th overall - Matthew Gard, C, Red Deer (WHL)
Round 5, 132nd overall - Max Westergard, LW, Frolunda Jr. (Swe.)
Round 5, 157th overall - Luke Vlooswyk, D, Red Deer (WHL)
Round 6, 164th overall - Nathan Quinn, C, Quebec (QMJHL)
The Flyers added size, skill and some jam to the prospect pipeline with a few bets on skill as well. Porter Martone exemplifies all of that. While some look at his frame at 6-foot-3 and over 200 pounds and assume that he’s a physical monster and a power forward who drives to the net, he isn’t quite that. He’s more of a power playmaker who uses his size to protect the puck and shield defenders with the puck on his stick while having the skill to make slick passes out of pressure.
Martone is a skilled puckhandler with some of the best vision in the draft. He identifies passing lanes incredibly well and fires pucks with purpose through lanes as they develop. Martone also has a very heavy shot, but he doesn’t use it nearly enough. Martone has 30-goal potential at the NHL level, especially if he starts to drive the net a bit more. If he ever develops a mean streak, something we’ve seen in brief glimpses, he could be an incredibly valuable player for Philly and potentially a future captain.
In one of the more surprising twists of the first round, Philly traded up from 22nd and 31st in the draft to select 12th overall in a deal with the Pittsburgh Penguins. The surprising part was that they drafted Jack Nesbitt, a very divisive player in this draft class, because he has the size and shooting talent of a top 15 player, but his mobility and impact outside of the offensive zone are concerns.
He has grown as a skater over the last two years, but he’s gone from unacceptable to passable at the junior level, and that means there is still work to be done. What drew the Flyers to Nesbitt was his 6-foot-5 frame with a power game. As a finisher, Nesbitt could be a very solid complementary guy. His passing was a big area of growth in his game this year as well. This is a bet on development because the upside is intriguing, but the concerns are also legitimate.
Although he was injured for much of the season, Carter Amico was a solid pick in the second round. He plays a really physical, defensive game without trying to do too much when he has the puck. He’s smooth on his feet and uses his length well to kill play in his zone with stick checks. At 6-foot-5, he can erase players along the boards. The injury was unfortunate, but it shouldn’t be a big worry moving forward.
Jack Murtagh is an interesting complementary forward who is able to just make a bunch of little plays, using his hard skill and smart tactical game. He is also a player who can drive the net and create a mess in front. He likes to get involved in all facets of play in the offensive zone. He’s got some work to do defensively, but his time at Boston University will help with that.
One of the most spot-on stylistic picks any team made at the 2025 NHL draft was Philadelphia taking Shane Vansaghi in the second round. A relentless forechecker and one of the most purposely physical players in the entire draft class, Vansaghi is a Flyer through and through. He has some nice offensive tools as well, and when he was able to play up the lineup, which didn’t happen too often, he was able to show off his skills as well. He likely ends up being a really steady 200-foot winger who plays in the middle six, earning the title of fan favorite pretty quickly.
The Flyers took another humongous forward in Matthew Gard. Another 6-foot-5 forward, Gard really likes to play north-south and attack defenders head-on. He isn’t going to make too many high-end skill plays, but he handles the puck fairly well and isn’t going to be a dead zone when the puck gets onto his stick. His floor is solid, and there could be a steady bottom-six depth scorer with size and physicality.
The Flyers deviated from the plan of drafting massive human beings when they selected Max Westergard, a small speedy winger with a good set of hands who happens to be one of the youngest players in the draft. My personal top player coming out of Finland this year, Westergard has one of the best first steps as a skater, getting to speed really quickly. He’s no sure thing, but if he ends up being a speedy, skilled winger along one of the behemoths that they drafted, it could provide some depth scoring for the Flyers down the road.
With their second pick in the fifth round, Philadelphia drafted Luke Vlooswyk, who brings a very simple, defensive game. He isn’t much fun to watch, but he’s also not fun to play against. Vlooswyk will close gaps and try to kill play in transition, and he ties guys up at the net front. He’s quick to pass the puck to a teammate when he gets it. Offense will never be a big part of his game, but not every defender needs to be a puck-mover.
Capping off their draft, Philly took sneaky skilled forward Nathan Quinn. He doesn’t blow you away, but he does a really good job of making area passes or jumping into space as an off-puck attacker. He finds himself around the net quite a bit, which allows him to bang in some garbage goals. He’s a project, but Quinn is a nice pick late in the draft when they’ve already added a plethora of big physical players.
Strengths
The Flyers have built up their right side up front and on the back end. Up front, they have the recently drafted Martone headlining the group of right wingers, and they also drafted the versatile Vansaghi. Tuomaala and Gendron are interesting prospects. Nikita Grebenkin is a potential diamond in the rough. The depth they have the right wing is impressive, and you could realistically see many of them on the Flyers in the not-so-distant future.
On the back end, Bonk leads the way, but when you add 2025 draft pick Amico along with the bounceback from Grans and the interesting projects that are Ethan Samson and Spencer Gill, you have the makings of some really solid depth. While the left side isn’t likely to produce a single NHLer, there could be a few coming from the right side, which is excellent because NHL teams always need a right-shot defenseman.
Weaknesses
Sometimes it’s difficult to pick a weakness for teams with good prospect pools because they have at least one or two decent prospects at every position.
With the Flyers, it was immediately evident that the weak point was left-shot defenders because, quite frankly, they have none. Ty Murchison is a fine defensive blueliner who is going to be playing his first full AHL season this year, but behind him, they have no one.
Any other young defenseman is either right-handed or they aren’t prospects. It’s better to have a weakness on the left than the right, especially on the back end, but it’s pretty barren for Philly at the moment.
Hidden Gem: Nikita Grebenkin, RW
When the Flyers traded Scott Laughton to the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Flyers acquired a first-round pick in 2027 as well as Nikita Grebenkin. While the first-rounder is obviously the big prize in the deal for Philadelphia, Grebenkin might end up being a very valuable piece who can play in the middle six with a combination of high-end work rate, stickhandling, and tenacious play style.
The 6-foot-2, 210-pound right winger runs around the ice and creates chaos away from the puck. He’s throwing hits, getting in on the forecheck and simply trying to be involved in all aspects of the game. Grebenkin’s brash style of play should fit in perfectly with what the Flyers are trying to build as they enter a new era. His friendship with Michkov should be fun to watch as well, especially because Grebenkin has a boatload of personality.
Next Man Up: Oliver Bonk, D, And Jett Luchanko, C
Although they may not be guaranteed roster spots, both Bonk and Luchanko are in a position to fight for one in training camp, and the players slotted into roles may not put up much of a fight. In Bonk’s case, the third pair right-shot ‘D’ position is up for grabs. Noah Juulsen was signed, but he’s never been able to hold down an NHL job with any certainty, so if Bonk has a good camp, he could lock that down fairly easily.
Bonk is a potential minute-muncher who can grow into a bigger role throughout the season. Rasmus Ristolainen should return from his tricep injury in late October or early November, so if Bonk seems in over his head over the first few weeks, you have a replacement on the way. If Bonk succeeds, you have a nice problem on your hands when he returns.
For Luchanko, it won’t be the first time he’s competing for a job in camp. He won a roster spot to open last season as an 18-year-old before playing a few games and being sent back to the OHL. Ultimately, it was the right decision, but that taste of NHL action is sure to have the 2024 13th overall pick hungry for more. He’s a worker who pushes the pace, and the Flyers will need that, especially in their bottom six. As of now, Rodrigo Abols is slotted into the 4C role, but a good camp from Luchanko could unseat him, and the Flyers could shuffle things around to have Luchanko play center in the middle six with either Noah Cates or Christian Dvorak, likely the latter, playing on the fourth line.
Prospect Depth Chart Notables
LW: Denver Barkey, Alex Ciernik, Jack Murtagh, Max Westergard, Jack Berglund
C: Jett Luchanko, Jack Nesbitt, Matthew Gard, Nathan Quinn, Ryan MacPherson
RW: Porter Martone, Shane Vansaghi, Nikita Grebenkin, Alexis Gendron, Samu Tuomaala, Ilya Pautov
LD: Ty Muchison
RD: Oliver Bonk, Carter Amico, Helge Grans, Ethan Samson, Spencer Gill, Luke Vlooswyk, Austin Moline
G: Yegor Zavragin, Carson Bjarnason, Aleksei Kolosov
For a deeper dive into the prospect pool with player rankings, check out the Yearbook and Future Watch editions of The Hockey News in print.
Eric Samulski
