Prospect System Ranking – 16th (Previous Rank - 17th)
GM: Daniel Brière Hired: May 2023
COACH: John Tortorella Hired: June 2022
In a word: Matvei Michkov. The Philadelphia Flyers' prospect system might not be overflowing with high-end talent, but it’s anchored by one of the most exciting prospects in recent memory. With only four names in our McKeen’s top 150, the Flyers’ farm system is propped up by a giant—Michkov, our fourth-ranked prospect.
After six teams passed on the Russian phenom at the 2023 Entry Draft, the Flyers were gifted an opportunity to fast-track their progression. Originally projected to be a few years away, Michkov has made the jump to North America early and is set to become a top six threat for what could be a quick graduation in our rankings.
He joins a young core that already includes recently graduated prospects Tyson Foerster, Bobby Brink, and Cam York. These names are complemented by already established young Flyers like Morgan Frost, Owen Tippett, and newly acquired Jamie Drysdale.
On the backend, the Flyers have several prospects progressing nicely in Lehigh Valley who could crack the NHL roster sooner rather than later. Emil Andrae (112th), Ronnie Attard (191st) top that list on the farm, and Helge Grans joins that battle for a future on the Flyers’ blue line.
Additionally, OHL prospects, Jett Luchanko (58th) and Oliver Bonk (85th), are projected to contribute down the road after a few more years of development. Meanwhile, 2023 third rounder Denver Barkey (206th) is coming off an incredibly potent 102-point campaign to go with an OHL Championship with the London Knights.
Although still recovering from the Cutter Gauthier situation, The Flyers rebuild is beginning to take shape and is inching closer to rounding out their youthful core. They are well-positioned to continue adding talent, as they hold six picks within the first two rounds of the 2025 Entry Draft—three in the first and three in the second round. Success may still be a few years down the road, but at least there are some exciting youngsters to star in the show.
Philadelphia Flyers Top-15 Prospects
1. Matvei Michkov
Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine, and the subsequent assortment of global repercussions, have prevented North American hockey fans from watching Michkov shine at prestigious events like the World Juniors. And that's a real shame, because if his high scoring totals in the KHL are any indication, he could have put on quite a show. He has a razor-sharp ability to dissect opposing defenders one-on-one or carve his way through larger crowds of traffic and is one of the best pure finishers in the world for his age group. There is a certain incisiveness to his mindset that sets him apart from others. Will he be a true superstar in the NHL? That will depend on whether he can become fast enough to create more separation on the smaller North American ice surfaces, because there are times right now where he gets bottled up too easily.
2. Jett Luchanko
It was a little surprising to see Luchanko get picked as high as he did in the 2024 draft, but in Philadelphia's defense, his best hockey of the season was saved for last, with a superb showing at the IIHF U18s as one of Canada’s go-to forwards. It's also always hard for teams to pass up on centers who are both highly skilled and high in character. Guelph wasn't a good team last year, but he really embraced the situation nevertheless, assuming the role of their first-line pivot and competing hard every single game, win or lose. Luchanko will continue to be a leader for that club and log a lot of minutes in both offensive and defensive situations, which should help his game take big strides forward in multiple different directions. How far can he take his game once he is consistently in an environment where others are on his level?
3. Oliver Bonk
Bonk is like a young defenceman version of Costco: he offers everything, and the quality is always good, though you'll rarely get anything that's truly top of the line. Every NHL team needs blueliners who can play in all situations, move up or down defence pairs as needed, and provide a stabilizing presence throughout without any worries or problems, and he is the epitome of that. It's no coincidence that London continues to be one of the best teams in the OHL with Bonk logging tons of minutes for them. The more you watch him, the more you appreciate the amazing nuance and fine details of his game. He'll probably join the Flyers at a young age and start out in a limited role, before steadily taking on more and more minutes until he eventually becomes one of their most trusted go-to guys.
4. Emil Andrae
Andrae received a decent look up with the Flyers back in October, but from what they saw the organization’s brass decided that he wasn’t quite ready for the challenge, so they sent him down to the AHL to let the year play out for him there instead. Nevertheless, the franchise is still committed to a serious youth movement, so come next training camp he should get another heavily scrutinized trial. For a defenceman his size he plays incredibly hard, which is always a bonus in Philadelphia. He’s also well above average when it comes to driving offence from the back end, and he deserves full marks for his mental makeup. That’s a great foundation to have in place, so now the big X-factor for him becomes his skating, which will need to keep improving, and improving a lot, to counterbalance the aforementioned deficiencies in his stature.
5. Ronnie Attard
Attard has always been a late bloomer, so Flyers fans need not be too concerned that he hasn’t seemed fully equipped for full-time NHL duty yet, despite being 25 years old now and getting looks with the big club intermittently across the past three seasons. And out of all the types of prospects that teams should be extra patient with, right-shooting defencemen with size and prior track records of contributing offensively should be right at the top of the list, because they have outsized value if they can find a way to put all the pieces together. All that said, the team wants healthy internal competition for most roster spots, so if Attard isn’t careful he could get left in the dust by others. He isn’t going to get handed a job no matter how appealing his upside may be.
6. Carson Bjarnason
Bjarnason's underwhelming stats this season were more of a reflection of Brandon's lackluster roster, and not the performance or long-term upside of their starting goalie. That whole team had neither a hope nor a prayer in the opening round of the playoffs, and they looked and acted like it. There were too many games throughout the year when Bjarnason was clearly not dialed in, and that's never ideal, but there were also plenty that the Wheat Kings never would have had a chance of winning without his heroics. Thinking big-picture, the Flyers are likely still content with the draft capital they spent on him, because he has everything that you'd want to see in a young goaltender, including size, refined technique, fluid mobility in the crease, and the ability to hang in there during games where he gets pelted with rubber.
7. Denver Barkey
Barkey is the type of prospect who seems like he was born to play hockey. There is such a natural ease to how he thinks and feels the game. At the same time, he's far from laid back or casual. Few can match his focus, competitive drive, and desire to win, but all of those seem second nature to him as well. He might not possess as much raw skill as other top prospects have, but his production exploded last season because he knows exactly which parts of his game he can improve, and how to do so. His lack of size and strength will persist and unfortunately hinder his NHL impact to some degree, but there is little doubt that he will eventually work himself onto the Flyers in some capacity and find ways to stick around for a long time.
8. Spencer Gill
Even though Gill played a lot of minutes last year for Rimouski, produced a reasonable number of points, and helped Canada win gold at the IIHF U18s, it still feels like he’s just scratching the surface of what he can become as a player. He’s a tall, rangy defender who always covers a wide territory when he’s on the ice and commits himself to contributing in all three zones. As of right now there’s a lot of work to be done with his puck management, and he will also need to learn how to defend his zone a little tighter and with more sandpaper, but over the next two seasons he’s going to gobble up huge minutes on a good Océanic team that should challenge for a league title or two, so he’ll be in an environment that should be conducive for his ongoing learning and refinement.
9. Alexei Kolosov
The trend toward bigger puck stoppers in the NHL is well-documented by now, and the disadvantages experienced by smaller ones is undeniable, but the Flyers have to be optimistic about Kolosov because of his track record in the KHL over the past few seasons. He was the number one goalie for Minsk Dynamo for two years in a row and put forth a valiant effort during the league’s most recent playoffs, but didn't get the goal support he needed from the team in front of him. His reflexes are quite quick, and he does a good job of staying in control while being active in his crease, which are essential these days for non-giant netminders. He made the anticipated move to Lehigh Valley in the AHL late last year, but as of this writing is still deciding where he wants to play this upcoming season.
10. Samu Tuomaala
Tuomaala has had a bit of a rocky development since getting drafted, bouncing around a handful of different clubs in Finland and then surprisingly being snubbed for his home nation's representation at two straight World Juniors tournaments. However, his first full season in North America was an encouraging course correction, spending the entirety of it with the Phantoms and establishing himself as a productive top six winger for them. He's a slippery offensive creator with the ability to make defenders miss, as well as a deceptively heavy shot for a guy his size. His limitations have stemmed from his lack of strength and top-line speed. The Flyers have shown an eagerness to test out many of their prospects in NHL action, so Tuomaala could get his first look with the big club as early as next fall if he has a notable training camp and preseason.
11. Elliot Desnoyers
Desnoyers has come far in his career through hard work, will, and sheer determination. He’s not necessarily lacking in talent, but it’s those other intangibles that have taken him further than others. However, that’s a taxing way to play. His second season in the AHL was a step back from his first, which doesn’t bode well for the sustainability of his style. It’s not too late for him, but will he be able to mix in other ways of being successful?
12. Carter Sotheran
In his draft year Sotheran looked like a prospect who was on the cusp of taking a big step forward, and we saw that outcome loud and clear in 2023-24. He became more impenetrable defensively, his offensive contributions increased, and he just really came into his own overall. His progression stemmed primarily from huge increases to his confidence and comfort level. There is always value in right-shooting blueliners with mobility, size, and three-zone influence, so keep an eye on Sotheran.
13. Yegor Zavragin
The Flyers have very high expectations of Zavragin and it’s easy to see why, especially following a year over in Russia where he was nearly unbeatable on two different rosters. Playing at the VHL level, which is one step below the KHL, he was named the league’s best rookie and had the highest save percentage among regular goalies, which are both impressive feats for someone who just turned 19 in August.
14. Alex Bump
Western Michigan University is a scrappy program that fights uphill against the bigger schools in their conference and takes pride in being an underdog. In those ways, Bump fits right in. He’s a clever and diligent forward who usually finds ways to leave his mark, even though none of his physical or skill-based traits are particular standouts. With the offseason departure of some key teammates he will need to take on a much bigger role in 2024-25.
15. Jack Berglund
Sweden has really found a knack for developing big, smart, two-way workhouse centers, and Berglund is one of the newest names among those ranks. There’s nothing necessarily flashy in his game, aside from above average speed in a straight line, but he just goes out there every shift and works his tail off, helping to tilt the ice in his team’s favour. He’ll be a longtime pro for sure, much like his father Christian and uncle Carl were.