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As Daniel Briere and the Philadelphia Flyers look forward to 2025-26, they can take solace in knowing they had a solid offseason. The Flyers owned nine draft picks in the 2025 NHL Draft, including two in the first round. While they did not have a perfect draft, it was a solid group of selections for the team.
The Flyers have had a history of making solid selections in the NHL Draft. This includes current players, such as Travis Sanheim, in the 2014 draft, and Travis Konecny the next year. Other current players such as Cam York and Tyson Foerster have also come via the draft. This would be the third draft with Briere as the general manager. His first pick was Matvei Michkov, who has played 80 games, having 26 goals and 37 assists at the NHL level. Now the Flyers look to repeat the success they had with Michkov this year.
The Flyers made five selections in the first 50 picks of the draft, with all nine of their selections being in the first six rounds. This is how they grade out.
The Flyers had an eventful first round
With the sixth overall selection in the 2025 NHL Draft, Philadelphia selected Porter Martone, a winger out of Canada. Martone was seen as a potential top-five pick in the draft, falling to sixth to Philly. He has spent the last three seasons playing in the OHL, spending time with the Sarnia Sting and Mississauga Steelheads, who have become the Brampton Steelheads. In that time, he has scored 89 goals, with 115 assists in just 178 games. Further, he has been solid in the playoffs, scoring 21 points in just 17 playoff games. He also broke the record for the most points by a Canadian in U18 Championship history, which was once held by Connor Bedard.
The future Michigan State Spartan has both great size and strength, making him both ideal on the boards and in front of the net. He has been described as the best pure-winger in the draft. The Canadian is a physical presence on the ice who has excellent vision and work ethic. He does need to improve in speed and shot selection, but that could come in his time at Michigan State.
The Flyers would make a trade in the draft as well, moving up to the 13th selection by sending the 22nd and 31st overall picks to the Pittsburgh Penguins. With that selection, they chose Jack Nesbitt. He has spent the past two seasons playing with the Windsor Spitfires of the OHL. After having just 18 points in his first season, he would score 25 goals and add 39 assists last year.
The forward is another physical winger who has a plus shot overall. He is also a solid defender, who will be a good two-way forward in the NHL. Regardless, his speed and skating ability are a concern, and he was slated as a later first-round pick. As attractive as his physical tools are, this may have been a slight reach.
Philadelphia made great second-round selections
The Flyers had the draft capital to make a first-round trade, considering they also owned four selections in the second round. The first pick of the second round would be pick number 38, and Philly would take Carter Amico, a defender from the United States. The initial concern about the new Flyer is injury. He missed most of 2024-25 with a knee injury, but expects to return before the start of the season.
Regardless, his mobility and size make him an attractive prospect. He is strong in one-on-one situations and solid on defense. The blue liner can struggle to make solid passes, but overall, if he returns well from his knee injury, he was a low-risk pick that could pay dividends. He will also get time to heal, as he is expected to play for Boston University in 2026-27.
Two picks later, the Flyers took another winger from the United States, selecting Jack Murtagh. If he plays more than one year in college, he will be joined by Amico at Boston University. He has a solid, quick shot and strong skating skills. Playing for the U.S. National U18 team, he was dominant, scoring 22 goals with 31 assists in just 56 total games. That places him tied for fourth on the team in points, while playing fewer games. There is a small concern he has reached his offensive cap, but regardless, with physical development, he will be a bottom-six forward.
With the 48th pick of the draft, the Flyers would take Shane Vansaghi out of Michigan State. As a freshman, and one of the youngest players in the NCAA, he was solid, playing mostly on the third line. He scored six goals and ten assists in his first year with the Spartans. While he needs to develop his offensive game, his playmaking ability and strong defense make him a quality pick. He has also completed a year of college, and he will not turn 19 until this upcoming season. At a young age, there is room for him to grow on offense.
The fourth and final pick of the Flyers in the second round was Matthew Gard from Canada. The 6-foot-5 center from the WHL is a physical presence on the ice. There are varying opinions on where he should have been drafted, with some seeing him as a late second-round pick, but others having him well into the third round. Regardless, his size and ability in front of the net are fantastic. He is also great on the draw and will be solid in the NHL as a center when shorthanded. He does have a limited ceiling and will most likely not develop into a top-six forward, but his size and defense will make him a checking-line forward in the NHL.
The rest of the draft and final Flyers draft grade
In the fifth round, Philadelphia would have two selections. With the 132nd pick, they took Max Westergard. The Swedish forward is much more of a finesse player when compared to other draft picks from the Flyers. While he is a finesse player with great vision and a high IQ, he does still need to develop physically. He played four games at the senior level SHL last year and could play another year there to develop further. With his skill and IQ, he has the ability to be a middle-six forward in the NHL. Still, he needs to develop his defensive game and the ability on the boards to truly make an impact at the next level.
With their second pick in the fifth round, the Flyers selected Luke Vlooswyk, and defender out of Canada. He just finished a season with the Red Deer Rebels of the WHL, scoring three goals and adding 14 assists. He also posted a plus-eight plus/minus rating. His teammate, Gard, was a second-round pick of the team. While his offensive skills do not pop on a regular basis, his defense is sound. He plays solid in the defensive zone, but can struggle getting the puck out of the zone. He has described himself as a versatile player, but his offensive acumen still needs to improve. Still, the Flyers got a player who could play NHL minutes in the fifth round of the draft, which should be seen as a solid win for them.
With their sixth-round pick, number 164 overall, the Flyers took Nathan Quinn, a center out of Canada. He was projected as a mid-round prospect, so this may have been a solid steal for Philly. The Canadian has continued to grow in hockey IQ and off-puck play yearly, but his shot has not grown. He is one of the smaller prospects that the Flyers took, but also plays at a size larger than he actually is. Most likely, he will not make it to the NHL, but with some of his tools, he could break through and see time as a bottom-six forward, which would make him an amazing pick in the sixth round.
Overall, the Flyers got bigger and tougher. They drafted multiple players whose best traits were their size and physicality. They did add some finesse with a player like Westergard. Still, this draft added size and grit. Their first pick was amazing, but trading up to get Jack Nesbitt was a slight reach. Nesbitt may have been available with one of the picks they traded away, but there would have been a risk waiting. His rare combination of size and skill could have resulted in someone else taking him. The Flyers added a lot in this draft, and if half of them become NHL players who contribute, everyone will hail this as a win.
Flyers' best pick: Porter Martone, First Round, 6th overall
Flyers' worst pick: Jack Nesbitt, First Round, 12th overall
Final draft grade for the Philadelphia Flyers: A
