Cole Knuble, Jett Luchanko, Oliver Bonk, and Jacob Gaucher have been sent down to Lehigh Valley of the American Hockey League, the Flyers announced Friday.
The Flyers’ preseason roster is down to 26 names. Teams can carry up to 23 players on the active roster in the regular season. The remaining cuts are likely to be third goalie Aleksei Kolosov (assuming Dan Vladař is healthy for the opener), defenseman Helge Grans (who was injured in Thursday’s game), and Garrett Wilson. NHL opening rosters are due by 5 p.m. on Monday.
Knuble, Luchanko, and Gaucher’s line stood out in a good way on Thursday, with Luchanko, 20, using his trademark speed to make plays and Knuble scoring a rebound goal in tight, his second of the preseason.
“They’re stacking some good games together,” head coach Rick Tocchet said after Thursday’s contest. “[Knuble] is really playing well, and I thought [Luchanko] has gotten better every game, so that’s huge for us, that they’re pushing.”
Despite their performance in camp, Tocchet pointed to the competition on the roster when asked if Knuble had a shot at making the opening night roster.
“You know the numbers game, but he’s definitely pushing some people,” Tocchet said.
The Flyers would prefer for Knuble and Luchanko to play every day down in Lehigh Valley, as opposed to sticking around on the NHL roster as an extra waiting for a chance. It’s also worth noting that Knuble, Luchanko, Bonk, and Gaucher are all waiver exempt, while players like David Jiříček, Carl Grundström, and Nikita Grebenkin are not. The Flyers snuck the veteran Grundström through waivers earlier this week, but would likely be hesitant to try the same with Jiříček and Grebenkin.
Young Oliver Bonk looks to be the odd defenseman out as the Flyers begin the season.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Knuble, 22, getting sent down could be a positive sign for Denver Barkey, who Tocchet said could be an option for Saturday’s preseason game after he was injured in Monday’s preseason opener. Barkey, who is still listed as day-to-day with a lower-body ailment, has been skating in a noncontact jersey in recent days.
Bonk, 21, was in competition with Jiříček for the final defensive spot, but it looked like Jiříček, in part due to his contract situation, had the inside track for opening night since the start of camp. Jiříček also got reps quarterbacking the second power-play unit and played with Nick Seeler in Boston on Tuesday. That duo looks to be the Flyers’ third pair to start the season.
The Flyers have quickly replenished their prospect pool over the past few seasons, stockpiling draft picks and making 32 selections, including 15 in the first two rounds, over the past four years.
The proof was on display over the past week in Allentown and Voorhees, as many of the Flyers’ top prospects gathered for rookie camp and two exhibition games against the New York Rangers. With rookie camp in the rearview, we caught up with Flyers director of player development Riley Armstrong to get his takeaways from the Rookie Series and his thoughts on some of the big names in the team’s pipeline. Here are some of the highlights from that interview on the latest episode of Flyers Extra at Gameday Central.
*Note: This episode focused primarily on the team’s prospects who are not yet in the NHL
After prefacing that top prospects Porter Martone, Denver Barkey, Alex Bump, and Oliver Bonk impressed as expected, Armstrong identified center Cole Knuble, 22, as the player who stood out most at rookie camp.
“I thought he really stepped in and showed Knubes is here and he’s coming to make the Flyers, and I really think he definitely put an impact … on the game that he played in,” Armstrong said.
“Over the course of the weekend … we [as a staff] kept going back and [saying] ‘Wow, Knubes was good. He was so good.’ We kept talking about him.”
Is Jett ready for takeoff?
Maybe the most maligned prospect in the system and heavily scrutinized draft pick of the Danny Brière regime, Jett Luchanko has underwhelmed since being selected No. 13 overall in 2024.
But could better health and less moving around this season bring a much-needed bounceback for the speedy centerman?
“I think from Jett’s side [that potential] has always been there. I do think over the past couple of years that little nagging injury he’s had has finally cleared up, and I think that was a weight off his shoulders,” Armstrong said. “From my view watching him this weekend, he was more engaged or willing to run into battles and skate through checks than I have seen him in the past few years. … I felt these two games he was really attacking the play.
“You see the assist to Alex Bump on his goal in the first game, how he went through the middle of the rink. Those are things we were waiting for him to do in Brantford and Guelph last year, and I definitely think with his speed, his vision, his playmaking, I really do think he’s going to definitely pop this season.”
Armstrong also reiterated that the next step for Luchanko, who is still only 20, is continuing to become more of a dual threat offensively.
“We’ve been preaching to him, and he’s always a pass-first kind of guy, so to see him start to build that confidence and get that mindset that, ‘Hey, I’m going to be a shooter, too’ is definitely a step in the right direction,” he said.
Jiříček’s development
The Flyers are hoping they can find a way to get the best out of David Jiříček, who is on his third team since being picked sixth overall in 2022.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
The Flyers’ latest reclamation project is 2022 top-10 pick David Jiříček, who was acquired at last year’s trade deadline for Bobby Brink.
“His offensive instincts are high level. That’s a guy who can shoot the puck from the blueline,” Armstrong said. “He changed the Phantoms’ power play when he came in … he started putting the puck in the net, and [once] guys started to try and block his shot, he started sliding it backdoor to a guy for a tap-in. I think those things are natural to him.”
While Jiříček’s calling card is his offense, Armstrong believes improving his game on the other side of the puck will be key to reigniting his career in Philly.
“The other side of it is defending and his lateral movements, and things like that,” Armstrong said. “But I know he spent a lot of time this summer working on his footwork, understanding how to close quicker and trust his skating more to defend. And really, once he understands that and really believes in himself after he gets more reps in camp and into the season, I hope he starts to flourish.”
Armstrong added that he thinks making Jiříček “more comfortable” and less “scattered” after a couple years of him moving around a lot could do wonders for the 22-year-old mentally.
“I think the one thing that stood out to me in the game he played in was just how confident he is with the puck,” Armstrong said. “He’s the same age as all these guys, and he’s doing things out there that a seasoned NHL player is doing with the puck, carrying the puck, having all that confidence and poise. … I do think he’s going to come in and push for a spot.”
One area Armstrong thinks Bonk still can improve in is his shot both from the point and when he’s deployed in the “Bumper Bonk” spot on the power play.
Amico earns lofty comparison
After a mostly lost season working his way back from injury, 2025 second-rounder Carter Amico reintroduced himself to Flyers fans with a strong development camp this summer.
But just how good can the 6-foot-5, 220-pound defenseman be?
A second year removed from his significant knee injury, Carter Amico looked like a different player at development camp with his rare combination of size and skating ability.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
“After everybody got to see a healthy Amico at development camp, everybody was like, ‘Holy, how good is he going to be.’ … I think for him the ceiling, I’m projecting [but] he could be a No. 1 or [No.] 2 defenseman at the NHL level. With his size, his skating, and how he goes up and down the rink, you see the guys who can play those roles. You look at [Travis] Sanheim, and it took Sanheim a couple of years to really develop that motor that he has, but he’s up in the rush, and then he’s back closing plays, and I really think that’s what put Sanheim on the map for Team Canada and all that type of stuff — just his ability to skate. And I definitely think Carter has that.”
Pretty high praise for the 19-year-old.
What about the Jacks?
Outside of Luchanko, the Flyers’ two biggest, no pun intended, hopes down the middle lie in towering centers Jack Berglund and Jack Nesbitt.
Why did Berglund, whom Armstrong believes can have a Tomas Holmström-type impact in front of the net on the power play, and the Flyers believe it was best for him to play in Sweden this year?
“[Färjestad BK’s new coach] put him in a great spot [late last season], Cam Abbott, and it was like first-line center, first-line power play, and all of a sudden Bergy just started to take off,” Armstrong said. ”We kind of wanted him to continue that, and I think they do a lot of great things in Sweden with their young guys, as they train more, and they don’t play as many games as we do in the American League. So that ability for him to be in the gym more and also be at home for another year … and he’s going to play big minutes.”
Armstrong added that Berglund’s chances to become a top-six center hinge on his skating, which he acknowledged has improved. He also praised the 20-year-old centerman for his innate ability to keep opponents on his back and protect the puck.
Regarding Nesbitt’s decision to go to college, Armstrong cautioned that he doesn’t expect Nesbitt, 19, to be able to “stack on” muscle as quickly as Martone, but that “being in the gym for as long as they can at Michigan is huge.”
“I’m not expecting him to go in there and just light it up. I have a slower-moving path for [Nesbitt] than what Porter did.”
Breakaways
Armstrong called 2024 sixth-rounder Ilya Pautov “awesome,” and said he loves that despite his smaller stature, he’s tenacious, strong, and poised with the puck. … Goaltender Martin Psohlavec, the Flyers’ 2026 second-round pick out of Czechia, will be billeting with Armstrong’s parents in Saskatoon while he plays with the Blades. … In addition to Knuble, Armstrong name-checked defenseman Spencer Gill, who is turning pro with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, as a prospect who could pop at camp.
After a series of injuries, could defenseman Spencer Gill put himself back on the prospect map in his first year as a pro?Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
ALLENTOWN — Although it started feeling like the Flyers’ youth were living in Allentown, having been there since Friday for the start of rookie camp, they showed why everyone has a pretty good shot with an impressive set of games over the weekend.
The prospects worked hard and won Game 1 on Saturday, 3-2, before a decisive 4-1 victory in Game 2.
Here are our observations of the Flyers prospects from the Rookie Series:
Denver Barkey (left) scored in Sunday’s Rookie Series game.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Serving as captain, Denver Barkey played Sunday, and was in midseason form. The high-motor forward — “That’s what makes me an effective player,” he said postgame — was flying all night. He used his speed and quickness to effectively keep the Rangers defense on their heels as he drove to the net, notably on his goal. In the first period, Barkey streaked down the left side of the ice, receiving a feed from Oliver Bonk, his teammate of five years (four of them with London of the Ontario Hockey League), as he cut across the crease and dipped the puck around Rangers goalie Danai Shaiikov. Barkey later added an assist when he unselfishly passed up another goal to set up Porter Martone’s empty-netter.
Martone also looks ready to hit the ground running when the Flyers’ main camp opens Thursday in Voorhees, as he displayed his high-octane, edgy game on Sunday. A betting favorite to win the Calder Trophy this season as the NHL’s top rookie, Martone did have one bad turnover in the second period, leading to the Rangers’ lone goal, for which he apologized to his goalie, Marek Sklenička. He said after the game Sunday that he told the 2026 draft pick, “We’ll get it back here.” That wasn’t the only moment he was there for his teammates. He went after 6-foot-7 Rangers forward Dylan Roobroeck when he nailed Barkey. Martone, who looked more than ready for the NHL’s fast pace, posted a game-high five shots and also had an assist.
Alex Bump played only on Saturday but set the tone early following a disappointing main camp last year that stalled the start of his NHL career until March. Wanting to make an impression, Bump came out flying, showcasing his quickness and deftness with the puck, especially on the boards, his hockey IQ, and his willingness to drive to the net, finishing with two points. His goal was nice; his assist was dazzling as he sent a seam pass to Cole Knuble, who was driving to the net backdoor.
Knuble was also impressive in his one game on Saturday, showing a high-end motor akin to Barkey’s. He played physically, was active around the net, and used his feet and body well to protect the puck and create plays.
“Since the day I was drafted, I wanted to be a part of this organization,” said Knuble, who is about to begin his first full season as a pro. “I grew up loving this team, so it’s a dream come true. Every practice, every game, every offseason, that was the goal: to get one step closer to this.”
Jett Luchanko played both nights centering the top lines — Bump and Knuble were his wingers on Saturday and Barkey and Martone lined up with him on Sunday — and looked even better in Game 2. On Sunday, he was a play driver, carrying the puck up the ice and using his speed to wreak havoc in the Rangers’ defense. The recently turned 20-year-old had two assists, with his second coming on the goal by Barkey when he made a nice chip pass off the wall in the neutral zone while taking a hit.
“Showed us the flashes of what he really can become and what he’s going to be. That speed through the neutral zone and his ability to get on top of guys quickly,” Phantoms coach John Snowden said on Sunday. “… Back-to-back, too, right? His legs were still flying, and he was competitive and hard in situations. He had a little bite to his game.”
Maksim Sokolovskii continued to show this weekend why the Flyers made him a first-round pick. Despite his 6-7 frame, he is a smart, quick, fluid skater who can defend well while also creating time and space offensively. He broke up several plays on Sunday at the blue line with his long reach, while also using that same reach to protect the puck as he carried the puck around opponents. Sokolovskii had one assist in the game and has already been invited to the main Flyers camp.
Maksim Sokolovskii used his 6-foot-7 frame and reach to make plays on the puck during Saturday’s game.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Noah Powell, who Snowden called a “pretty raw, uncut diamond” that the Flyers can shape in an interview with The Inquirer back in May, may finally be coming into focus. The forward enjoys being a pest and played a hard, physical game all weekend. Oftentimes, his hits rattled the boards, and he got into it at the end of the game with the Rangers’ Jacob Battaglia before dropping the gloves with Jackson Dorrington.
“Hockey is a violent game. I’m not saying I’m a violent person, but when I get out there, I definitely do like to play a violent, vicious style of hockey,” said Powell, who noted he likes to blend Kiefer Sherwood’s motor and relentlessness with Tom Wilson’s toughness and heavy hitting to play his game.
Sklenička and Martin Psohlavec were solid on Sunday, but all eyes were on goalie Carson Bjarnason, who had a rocky first year as a pro with Lehigh Valley of the American Hockey League. The goalie, who turned 21 in June, acknowledged a learning curve with the AHL being faster and his reads needing to be quicker, but said he has put the past behind him. On Saturday, his lone start of the weekend, he looked sharp, stopping 27 of 29 shots — both goals were on a Rangers power play — while flashing the leather on several attempts. His best save came after Luchanko sent an errant pass right onto Roobroeck’s stick for a Grade-A chance in the third period.
“I thought today he looked big in the net,” Snowden said on Saturday. “He looked composed in the net, didn’t really get scrambly at times and just tracked the puck the way he needed to track the puck. If he couldn’t see through traffic at times, he stayed big and pucks hit him. Overall, I thought it was a good step in the right direction for him.”
Matthew Gard scored the Flyers’ first goal of the Rookie Series.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Breakaways
Not long after he was drafted last year, Matthew Gard did not stand out at his first Rookie Series, but 2026 was different, especially in the first of two games. The press box was buzzing about the 6-5, lanky centerman who showed some pop — he scored the Flyers’ first goal of the weekend — and smarts. … Brek Liske said before Saturday’s game that he was looking forward to not just wearing an NHL logo on his jersey but to bringing the Flyers vs. Rangers video game matchup that he used to play on NHL 15 to reality. The Flyers’ 2026 second-rounder had a fantastic series, and one scout told The Inquirer that he and Luke Vlooswyk, his defensive partner with Everett of the Western Hockey League and a fellow Flyers prospect who he played with on Sunday, are underrated. Liske scored the go-ahead goal from the goal line on the second night with less than five seconds left in the middle frame after a Spencer Gill blast hit the end boards. Liske said he learned a great deal about communication at the Rookie Series and said after the game on Sunday, “I’m going to try and bring that back with me [to Everett], get everyone talking a little more, and make sure the rinks never quiet.” … Despite missing months after undergoing surgery on an upper-body injury in late January, Ty Murchison looked great in his lone game on Saturday, showing his smooth skating, hockey IQ, leadership — he wore the “C” — and grit as he dropped the gloves and went blow-for-blow at the end of Game 1 with Roobroeck.
ALLENTOWN — Jett Luchanko carried the puck up the ice with Alex Bump and Cole Knuble on his flanks during Friday’s drills. He passed it to Bump on the right side and drove to the net as the winger sent the puck back to the crashing forward for a scoring chance.
Later in the first practice of the Flyers’ rookie camp at PPL Arena, the right-handed center cut across the slot and sent it past the glove of 2026 second-round pick Martin Psohlavec for a goal.
Known for his high hockey IQ and his speed — “His name is Jett, so he should be fast,” as Lehigh Valley Phantoms coach John Snowden said jokingly — the knock on the Flyers’ 2024 first-round pick has been his lack of goal scoring. Part of that is down to his low shot total. He’s put only 21 shots on goal across a combined 25 American Hockey League and NHL regular-season and playoff games. Last year he managed just seven goals in 38 regular-season games in the Ontario Hockey League split between Guelph and Brantford.
“I think the one thing that we all talk about is we want to squeeze that offense out of him,” Snowden said. “Obviously today seeing him shoot the puck and scoring goals from a distance in some different scenarios, that’s a huge plus.”
Snowden, who is expected to have the newly 20-year-old in Allentown for the 2026-27 season, wants to see Luchanko take chances this weekend in the Rookie Series games against the New York Rangers. He wants to see his offensive game, which he believes he has, bubble to the surface.
But the reality is that just having Luchanko on the ice is a big step. After putting on a show two years ago while skating with Matvei Michkov at the Phantoms’ arena, the centerman missed development camp and rookie camp last year because of a groin injury.
He also missed development camp this summer after undergoing a procedure on his core approximately a month prior. According to Flyers assistant general manager Brent Flahr, the issue had been lingering for a year and a half.
Flyers prospect Jett Luchanko has broken camp with the big club the last two seasons. This year, he might be better suited developing with Lehigh Valley.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
“Yeah, I feel good, ready to go for sure, and just excited to take part in his camp,” said Luchanko, who got back on the ice soon after development camp and looked like he was in midseason form on Friday.
The hope was that having the summer to prepare would help Luchanko’s confidence. After back-to-back seasons of four-game NHL stints before returning to juniors, he is a full-time pro this year. Luchanko has yet to register a point in the NHL but has nine assists in 16 AHL contests and skated in the Flyers’ final playoff game last season. It was an eye-opening experience, as he learned firsthand the intensity the Stanley Cup playoffs bring.
“We’re excited to see him turn pro. I think that’s great. … Stability will probably be a good thing for him,” Flyers general manager Danny Brièretold The Inquirer at the beginning of June. “… The big thing with Jett is he has an elite skill in skating that is almost unmatched from anyone in the organization, other than maybe Owen Tippett. So that’s always going to have a lot of value for anybody to have a player like that.”
This season, the hope is he will take the next step, and with a shortened preseason for the Flyers, the time for him to showcase his skills is now.
At development camp, Luchanko spoke about using his speed and attacking with the puck. He noted that over the summer, every time he got on the ice, he put intent into working on those skills. He flashed that on Friday.
“He’s a great player. He can fly; he’s a really good skater, so [he] opens up more space for me and he can make plays,” Bump said of Luchanko. “So just got to be ready and in the slot or be ready for when he can make a play and just put them in the back of the net.”
Reading between the lines
Although Snowden wouldn’t commit to line combinations or defensive pairings — not everyone can or will play both games this weekend (7 p.m. on Saturday and 5 p.m. on Sunday and streamed on the Flyers website) — there were some interesting looks.
Outside of Luchanko, Bump, and Knuble together on a line, Denver Barkey — who said he put on a few pounds over the summer — and Porter Martone paired up with Phoenixville native Owen McLaughlin. Like Bump, Martone and Barkey are expected to make the Flyers’ roster. Martone said Brière and his agent, Paul Capizzano, spoke, and they decided that participating in rookie camp was the best thing to get him ready for the Flyers’ season opener.
After missing out on the NHL roster initially last year, Alex Bump wants to hit the ground running in 2026-27.Isaiah Vazquez / For The Inquirer
Alex Čiernik and Noah Powell, who will be in Lehigh Valley, had 2025-second rounder Matthew Gard between them; Gard will head back to Seattle of the Western Hockey League before attending Michigan State next fall.
Ilya Pautov, a sixth-round pick in 2024 making his North American debut, skated with fellow Phantoms Riley Thompson and Devin Kaplan. Defenseman Ty Murchison, who could push for an NHL spot, was paired with first-year pro Spencer Gill, and second-year pro Oliver Bonk was with fellow London Knight Maksim Sokolovskii, the Flyers’ first-rounder in June.
It’s starting to feel like the Flyers are forever young, which is not a bad thing in a league that is continuously showing “youth’s like a diamond in the sun, and diamonds are forever.”
After years marred by a limited prospect pool, the Orange and Black have restocked the cupboard with promising youngsters who are either looking to make their mark in the NHL this season or take the next step in their development.
Compared to a year ago, the list has seen movement, with some players graduating, some moving up, and others falling. Three notable absences from this year’s list include Hunter McDonald and Helge Grans, who have aged out at 24, and Karsen Dorwart, who did not re-sign. Matvei Michkov has played too many games to qualify, as we are using 100 NHL contests as our cutoff.
With several Flyers prospects converging on Allentown and Voorhees this week for rookie camp, here’s our updated top 20 prospect rankings.
1. Porter Martone, RW, Flyers (NHL)
2025 rank: No. 1
There was some huffing and puffing when the Flyers did not take a center with the No. 6 pick in the 2025 NHL draft, but Martone, who will turn 20 at the end of October, quickly quieted the naysayers. The Calder Trophy betting favorite this year, Martone put together a dominant freshman campaign at Michigan State and made a scintillating NHL start last season. He tallied 10 points in nine regular-season games before adding five points, including two game-winning goals, in 10 playoff contests. A 6-foot-3, 208-pound winger, Martone brings size, strength, a big-time shot, playmaking ability, and an edge. He’ll play a significant role this season for the Flyers in the top six and on the power play.
2. Denver Barkey, C/LW, Flyers (NHL)
2025 rank: 8
What a start to Barkey’s pro career. After just 26 games with Lehigh Valley of the American Hockey League, he found himself in the NHL and never looked back. The 21-year-old used his high-end motor and responsible 200-foot game to stake a spot in the lineup, and posted 17 points in 43 regular-season games. Although he only put up two points in 10 playoff games, the 5-9 winger stepped up in the postseason, showing his relentless play style and willingness to be aggressive on pucks despite his small frame, especially when called upon by coach Rick Tocchet in the second round of the playoffs to play center. Barkey played so well as a pivot that some are penciling him as a bottom-six centerman instead of a winger.
3. Alex Bump, LW, Flyers (NHL)
2025 rank: 2
Where Martone and Barkey go, so goes Bump, and the 22-year-old will round out the trio of expected NHLers at rookie camp. This was the consensus belief last year, but the winger fell short and started the year with the Phantoms. The difference now? Bump has learned what happens if he doesn’t showcase his innate high-end offensive attributes and goal-scoring prowess at camp, and now has a full year of pro hockey — and a taste of the NHL — under his belt. After being recalled following the trade deadline, the Minnesotan played 23 games between the regular season and playoffs, racking up seven goals, 11 points, and a team-best shooting percentage of 21.2%.
Flyers winger Alex Bump, 22, has one of the best releases in the system.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
4. Oliver Bonk, RHD, Flyers/Lehigh Valley Phantoms (NHL/AHL)
2025 rank: 5
The top blueline prospect in the organization, Bonk showed why during his NHL debut in the Flyers’ regular-season finale and his lone postseason appearance. A well-rounded defenseman, Bonk notched his first career goal and assist in April and has the tools to be an everyday top-four blueliner in the NHL. “I think you just have to be confident and believe that you’re good enough to be there, because you are there, and that’s pretty much it for me,” he said of the experience. “Just kind of working on that and realizing that I’m a good player and I should be there.” Last season he sustained an injury early in rookie camp and didn’t suit up until December; this year, a healthy Bonk, despite a short September, should strongly push for a spot with the main club.
5. Jack Berglund, C, Färjestad BK (Swedish Hockey League)
2025 rank: 11
The Swede skyrocketed up the Flyers’ prospect depth chart this season with his impressive play in Europe, Allentown, and for his country at World Juniors, where he captained Sweden to its first gold since 2012 and was one of the tournament’s standout players. Berglund linked up with the Phantoms for five games at the end of the season, and while he will return to the SHL this season on loan, he left quite an impression. “He drove play, he was around the puck, and his ability to play below the dots with the puck is exceptionally good,” Phantoms coach John Snowden told The Inquirer in May about the 6-4, 217-pound center. “He understands how to use his body and his frame to get guys on his back and get out of situations.”
6. Jack Nesbitt, C, University of Michigan (NCAA)
2025 rank: 6
After a strong season with Windsor of the Ontario Hockey League in which he scored at a 1.05-point-per-game clip, Nesbitt is off to the University of Michigan this fall. Tall and lanky, Nesbitt said at development camp he gained 10-15 pounds after the season by hitting the gym, and the 6-5, 193-pound centerman should only get stronger with the college hockey schedule. He’ll need that extra muscle to play his game of driving to the net and creating time and space with his body. Nesbitt has nifty hands for someone his size and is a player the organization believes has a long runway to develop as he grows into his frame.
The Flyers have high hopes for towering center Jack Nesbitt.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
7. David Jiříček, RHD, Flyers (NHL)
2025 rank: NA
The upcoming season will be a big one for the 6-4 blueliner who is on his third team despite being drafted just four years ago. A coveted right-shot defenseman with size, puck skills, and a booming shot, Jiříček is a bit of a project but will likely get a chance right away this season at the NHL level since he is no longer waiver-exempt. He impressed with the Phantoms after being acquired at the trade deadline — getting a chance to play at all strengths — and made his Flyers debut in the season finale. The Czech defender is someone Snowden says has “all the tools” to transition to the NHL, and the expectation is his “absolute missile” of a shot will get a chance to bolster the Flyers’ dismal power play.
8. Maksim Sokolovskii, LHD, London (Ontario Hockey League)
2025 rank: NA
When the Flyers selected Sokolovskii 27th overall in June, it turned a few heads. But watching the 6-7 defenseman play the body and skate like someone a foot shorter at development camp, it showed why he may prove to be a steal. Sokolovskii is still growing into his game as a mean shutdown blueliner, but the upside is tantalizing. Now that he’s no longer constrained to focusing only on his defensive game, he’s already shown in preseason action for London that he has an untapped offensive side. The 18-year-old, who will be at rookie camp this week, also showed that his confidence has skyrocketed evidenced by his heads-up plays through the neutral zone and in the offensive end for the Knights.
Here is another view of Maksim Solokovskii’s 1st Assist Yesterday against Erie. What a skater he is. @Flyers_Clips
9. Yegor Zavragin, G, Metallurg Magnitogorsk (Kontinental Hockey League)
2025 rank: 4
When will Zavragin come to the U.S.? It likely won’t be any time soon, as the goalie’s contract was extended by a year when he was traded to Metallurg of the Kontinental Hockey League in June. Last season the netminder split time between the KHL and the VHL, Russia’s second-highest league, but this season he should stick in the top flight. Zavragin, 21, has posted a .918 save percentage in 56 career KHL games, and in his first start of this season with his new team, he stopped 16 of 17 shots in a 2-1 win.
Russian netminder Egor Zavragin is the Flyers’ No. 1 goaltending prospect.Sipa USA via AP
10. Carter Amico, RHD, Boston University (NCAA)
2025 rank: 13
If anyone on this list has made the biggest transformation in the past year, it is Amico. This time last year, the 6-5 defenseman was still rebuilding his game after suffering a broken kneecap that sidelined him for most of his draft year. This past season, he left Boston University halfway through to get more playing time with Muskegon of the United States Hockey League. After a productive spell with the Lumberjacks, the Maine native will rejoin the Terriers this season, and if what he showed at development camp this past summer with his smooth skating and ability to close is any indication, it’ll be a good year. “He looks like a different player; he really does,” BU coach Jay Pandolfo told The Inquirer in June. “It was great for him to go there [to Muskegon] and just find his game again.”
11. Brek Liske, RHD, Everett (Western Hockey League)
2025 rank:NA
Taken in the second round in June by the Flyers, Liske is a versatile, well-rounded defenseman who needs to keep building his game, and he will do so this year alongside fellow Flyers prospect Luke Vlooswyk with Everett of the Western Hockey League. The son of a diehard Flyers fan from Manitoba, Liske is a strong skater and plays with confidence and smarts in his own end while adding some offensive punch. According to Flyers assistant general manager Brent Flahr, “he’s got some swagger,” and it has shown on and off the ice, notably when he was elevated to the top pair alongside projected 2027 No. 1 pick Landon Dupont amid the Silvertips’ run to the Memorial Cup final.
Brek Liske (left) will team up with fellow Flyers prospect Luke Vlooswyk this season with the Everett Silvertips.Courtesy of Luke Vlooswyk
While Amico and Berglund may have risen several spots, Luchanko fell considerably after a disappointing year in junior in which he scored just seven goals. There’s no denying there is talent within Luchanko, notably his speed and hockey IQ, but it was a tough slog for the center who was traded from Guelph to Brantford in the OHL and played sparingly for Canada at World Juniors. Luchanko has played in nine NHL games (including playoffs) but has yet to notch his first point. Expected to be a full participant at the rookie and main camps after undergoing core muscle surgery in June, this will represent a big year for the 20-year-old as he looks to get back on the trajectory that made him a lottery pick in 2024.
After two disappointing seasons at the junior level, Jett Luchanko, 20, is entering a massive season for his development.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
13. Spencer Gill, RHD, Phantoms (AHL)
2025 rank:7
Since getting drafted in 2024, the 6-4 Gill has dealt with several major injuries — a broken ankle two years ago with Rimouski of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League and a wrist ailment that required surgery last year with Blainville-Boisbriand — that limited his playing time. But now the 20-year-old will turn pro and is projected to spend this season with Lehigh Valley, where he can expand his 200-foot game and get acclimated to the speed of pro hockey. “I really love the way he was able to kill the play effectively in the D zone along the boards. Once he put his hands on someone, that player was not going anywhere,” Armada coach Alexandre Jacques told The Inquirer in June, noting the blueliner is good offensively at the blue line and [at] getting shots on goal “ … I think where he needs to improve to play at the pro level, and he knows it, is explosion of his first few steps backward and forward. So, if he’s able to improve that, which I know the Flyers have been working really hard with him … I think you can become a good player for the team.”
Projected to be a bottom-six forward, Ruohonen had a solid freshman season at Harvard, chipping in 19 points in 28 games while also playing for Finland — wearing an “A” — at World Juniors. A shutdown forward and pass-first center, he is hard on the puck and has started to sprout his wings offensively. It’ll be interesting to see how he does this upcoming season under a new coaching staff for the Crimson
15. Nikita Grebenkin, LW/RW, Flyers (NHL)
2025 rank: 10
The 23-year-old Russian spent his first full season in the NHL in 2025-26, serving as a pest and a powder keg regardless of where he slotted in the lineup. He scored his first NHL goal in an early-season nail-biter the Flyers won in overtime, finished with 14 points in 55 games, and dropped the gloves a few times in defense of his teammates. Grebenkin has an infectious personality, and it translates to the ice, making him invaluable on and off the ice. The winger suffered an upper-body injury in late March that kept him out of the lineup for the rest of the regular season and playoffs, but if he can bring some pop and energy this season, he could become a mainstay in the bottom-six.
16. Cole Knuble, C/RW, Phantoms (AHL)
2025 rank: NR
Despite being one of Flahr’s favorites in the system, the son of former Flyers forward Mike Knuble may not have drawn eyes in the past. But at this year’s development camp, the 22-year-old looked like a man on a mission to stand out. The forward, who has been playing more center, showed off his improved skating, a good motor, aggressiveness, high hockey IQ, and vision as he followed the advice from his dad: “He used to say, ‘If you have 12 eggs in your pockets, they should all be broken.’”
Cole Knuble is a prospect that the Flyers have long been higher on internally compared to the consensus rankings.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
17. Carson Bjarnason, G, Phantoms (AHL)
2025 rank: 9
As Snowden put it, it was a roller coaster season for the goalie who made the jump to the pros and suited up for the Phantoms for most of the season — he had a short stint in Reading of the ECHL — and posted 14-11-3 with a 3.43 goals-against average and .877 save percentage. A confident kid who should hit the ground running in Year 2, he will split this net in Allentown with Aleksei Kolosov. “It’s a good league, and you can’t guess; you have to understand the situations, and I thought he had a little bit of a stretch where it became pretty hard for him,“ Snowden said. ”But Brady [Robinson, Lehigh Valley’s goaltender development coach] did an incredible job with him, continuing to push him and teach the moments of where we’ve got to clean up.”
Another player who has snuck up the rankings is Quinn, who is coming off a 73-point season with the Remparts. He had 25 points on the power play and was tied for 10th in goals (34) and 17th in points in the QMJHL. Former Flyers forward Simon Gagné, who is now the general manager for Québec, expects a big year from the 5-11, 184-pound center he calls a force before he heads off to Northeastern University for 2027-28. “Quinners, more, maybe I’m going to say more passer … [but] he could surprise you,” Gagné told The Inquirer in June. “He’s got a really, really good wrist shot. He knows how to score a goal as well. He’s really a skilled player, really good high IQ, and is flying on the ice.”
19. Ty Murchison, LHD, Phantoms (AHL)
2025 rank: NR
Murchison hasn’t been quiet about his growth this past year. In his first full season in the pros — it lasted only 32 games due to an upper-body injury — he left impressions across the organization. So much so that in December he made his NHL debut and stuck around for three games, skating an average of 15 minutes a night. At 6-2, he plays a big, physical game while also being efficient with the puck, and is a strong skater despite a late start on the ice because he was a roller hockey player in his youth. “I think Ty Murchison is a guy you should keep on the radar,” Snowden said. “Obviously, an injury shortened his season, but he was trending in an incredibly good direction.”
Before transitioning to the ice, Ty Murchison got his start on rollerblades.Courtesy of Murchison family
20. Jack Murtagh, C/LW, Boston University (NCAA)
2025 rank: 12
Like most true freshmen, Murtagh struggled to find his footing in college hockey going up against bigger, stronger players. The Upstate New Yorker called his season at BU “a little bit inconsistent” and a “little bit rocky.” He learned he cannot take a single shift off, and the expectation is that the 6-1, 198-pound forward will put up more than the 11 points in 35 games he managed last season. “He needs to be consistent, shift after shift, game after game, like those are the big things for younger players, just learning to be consistent in everything you do,” Pandolfo said. “ … That’s the one thing that he’s gotten better at over the course of the season, and we expect him to have a really big jump in his play coming into his sophomore year.”
10 more to watch (alphabetical order)
Alex Čiernik, LW, Phantoms (AHL), Matthew Gard, C, Seattle (WHL), Max Laatikainen, RHD, Sport (Finnish Liiga), Ilya Pautov, LW, TBD, Noah Powell, RW, Phantoms (AHL), Martin Psohlavec, G, Saskatoon (WHL), KJ Sauer, C, Edmonton (WHL), Max Westergård, LW, Frölunda (SHL), Shane Vansaghi, RW, Michigan State (NCAA), and Luke Vlooswyk, RHD, Everett (WHL)
For the second straight year, Jett Luchanko missed Flyers development camp. And now we know why.
Speaking to the media after the Flyers finished development camp with a spirited three-on-three tournament — won by the team led by Denver Barkey — assistant general manager Brent Flahr revealed that Luchanko had a procedure performed on his core about a month ago.
“It’s been lingering for about a year and a half. It’s been a problem,” Flahr said. “So he’s back. He had it done — I don’t even know the timeline — probably a month ago.
“… He’s working out lots [in the gym], and should be skating within a week, and he’ll be ready to go. It shouldn’t affect him anymore.
“He doesn’t like to make excuses, but at the same time, his speed, skill set; there’s lots there. Hopefully, a full summer to train and train properly this year will really help him build his confidence.”
The expectation is that Luchanko will be ready for training camp in September.
Flyers leadership has expressed optimism about Jett Luchanko’s role this season. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
The news comes a few days after director of player development Riley Armstrong said Luchanko “had a little lower-body thing going on.” The next day, Luchanko spoke to the media and said he was feeling and progressing well without revealing the extent of the issue or that he had a procedure. He did confirm it had been lingering.
A first-round pick in the 2024 NHL draft, Luchanko has skated in eight NHL games over the past two seasons after breaking camp with the Flyers each season. He has yet to register a point in the NHL, but counting playoffs, he notched nine assists in 16 games at the end of the 2024-25 season with Lehigh Valley of the American Hockey League. Luchanko made his NHL playoff debut in May, playing Game 4 against the Carolina Hurricanes.
He will officially be a full-time pro this upcoming season.
“We’re excited to see him turn [fully] pro. I think that’s great. … Stability will probably be a good thing for him,” Flyers general manager Danny Brière told The Inquirer at the beginning of June.
“We expect a big summer out of him, and he’s got to get ready. The big thing with Jett is he has an elite skill in skating that is almost unmatched from anyone in the organization, other than maybe Owen Tippett. So that’s always going to have a lot of value for anybody to have a player like that.
“Now it’s our job to try to help him and round out his game to make it in the NHL. But what I would expect is probably for him to play a year in Lehigh Valley.”
Center Jack Berglund, who was drafted in the second round in 2024, also did not participate in on-ice activities at camp this week. He was held off the ice because of how much hockey he has played this year, including 40-plus professional games in Sweden, World Juniors, World Championships, and a five-game stint with the Phantoms.
Barkey played in the three-on-three tournament on the small ice at the ’67 Arena rink at the Flyers Training Center after not participating in the five-on-five scrimmage Thursday night. He wanted to play but had “a little kind of hip flexor,” per Flahr, so he was held out of the full ice scrimmage.
Goalie Martin Psohlavec, one of the Flyers’ second-round picks this past June, sustained an adductor injury during the three-on-three tournament. Flahr doesn’t expect it to be too serious but said they’ll probably keep him in Voorhees for another week. The Czech goalie performed well during the week and held the opposition scoreless during his time in net on Thursday.
Flyers add Foote
The Flyers continued to fill out their roster in Lehigh Valley on Friday, signing 25-year-old winger Nolan Foote to a one-year, two-way contract, according to a league source. Foote will earn $850,000 in the NHL and $300,000 in the minors.
If the name Foote rings a bell, it should. Nolan is the son of longtime NHL defenseman and two-time Stanley Cup champion Adam Foote. The elder Foote, who served as Vancouver’s head coach last season, previously worked as an assistant under Rick Tocchet with the Canucks.
Nolan, a 2019 first-round pick of the Tampa Bay Lightning, has largely played in the AHL since turning pro, amassing 245 games over six seasons. He has played 42 career NHL games, tallying seven goals and 10 points.
Last season with Charlotte of the AHL, Foote had 14 goals and 32 points. He also got into 12 games with the Florida Panthers late in the season and had one goal.
Jett Luchanko will not be on the ice for any of the Flyers’ development camp this week.
“He had a little lower body thing going on,” director of player development Riley Armstrong said Monday. “Should be back skating next week, and he’ll be ready for training camp, though.”
The injury is a “lingering” one, Luchanko said, that has impacted him for a “couple of years,” but he declined to go into specifics about the injury or his recovery.
“It’s been dealt with, and I should be good for training on the ice next week,” the young center said. Luchanko missed last year’s development camp and rookie camp with a nagging groin ailment.
He doesn’t expect the injury to impact his offseason training, outside of holding him out of on-ice activities at development camp. This offseason is critical for the Flyers’ 2024 first-round pick, who has aged out of the Ontario Hockey League and will be fighting for a full-time NHL roster spot for the first time on a team with a lot of depth up front.
Luchanko, who turns 20 in August, made the NHL roster out of camp each of the last two seasons, but played just four games each year before getting sent back to the OHL. Including playoffs, he has not logged a point in any of his nine NHL appearances. He tallied seven goals and 43 points in 38 games in juniors last season split between the Guelph Storm and the Brantford Bulldogs.
“We expect a big summer out of him,” general manager Danny Brière told the Inquirer ahead of the draft. Luchanko is an elite skater, but is still looking to develop his all-around offensive game.
Luchanko should be “good to go” to get back in the gym next week, he said. The center said he wants to spend the summer working on “attacking with the puck, using my speed as much as I can.”
Jack Berglund, a second-round pick of the Flyers in 2024, will also miss on-ice activities at development camp.
Berglund’s exclusion is viewed more as precautionary after he played a lot of hockey this year, according to Armstrong. In addition to playing 40-plus professional games in Sweden, the center participated in the World Juniors, World Championships, and had a brief spell in the American Hockey League with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
Grebenkin skates
Nikita Grebenkin was a welcome sight on the ice during development camp Tuesday. Grebenkin played 55 games for the Flyers and scored four goals and added 10 assists, serving as a bottom-six spark plug after being acquired the previous season in the Scott Laughton trade. He missed the final months of the season following an upper-body injury in March.
Flyers right wing Nikita Grebenkin skated Tuesday, potentially a positive sign regarding his rehab from an upper-body injury.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Briére said at the end of the Flyers’ season that Grebenkin’s injury could keep him out for the start of next season.
There was no official update on Grebenkin’s health, but seeing him on the ice could be a positive sign for his training camp availability. Grebenkin was also wearing No. 17 on his helmet, possibly his new number after Luchanko, who previously used the number, switched to 77.
Back to school
East Lansing is turning into Little Philadelphia with the number of Flyers prospects moving through that program. Porter Martone played one season at Michigan State last year, becoming one of the school’s highest-ever drafted players and ranking in the top 10 nationally with 50 points.
“Having Porter there was unbelievable,” Flyers prospect and fellow Spartan Shane Vansaghi said. “Right from Day 1, the first day I met him, just the nicest kid, really good teammate, and one of those guys that you just want to have on your team, you want to play for, and really good in the locker room. He fit in really well at Michigan State, and got along with everybody, and I think everyone really liked him.”
Now, fellow Flyers prospect Matthew Gard is also committed to Michigan State, starting in 2027, and said that Martone and Vansaghi’s endorsements of the school’s player development helped him make his decision. Gard said they spoke especially highly of the strength coaches, who Martone is headed back to East Lansing to work with again this summer.
Flyers prospect Jack Nesbitt will be headed to the University of Michigan next season.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
There’s no rivalry brewing yet with 2025 first-round pick Jack Nesbitt, who will start at Michigan in the fall, but he’s not ruling it out.
“We’ve been chatting a little bit, no rivalries yet,” Nesbitt joked. “I’m sure when we see who’s going to go farther, I’m sure there’ll be some chirping. We’re good right now, but I’m sure there’ll be something in the future.”
Breakaways
Flyers prospects Carter Amico and Jack Murtagh were selected for the Team USA World Junior Summer Showcase, putting them on the early list of prospects in contention to make the American team for December’s World Juniors in Alberta.
