The Philadelphia Flyers had a literal strong start to the 2026 NHL Draft, selecting a hulking defenseman in Maksim Sokolovskii with their first pick.
That said, there is still plenty of work to do with the thinning prospect pipeline.
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One move that will help the Flyers greatly was trading down in Round 1, pivoting off the 21st pick, moving back six spots to 27, and picking up the 62nd and 120th overall picks in a trade with the San Jose Sharks.
Now, the Flyers will have the 53rd and 62nd picks in Round 2, which will allow them to either trade up for a prospect they really want, or simply stay put and also draft two prospects they really want.
Plus, Flyers GM Danny Briere implied that the team could double-dip on defense and still draft one of the top remaining puck-moving defenders in the class, like Xavier Villeneuve, who could go early in Round 2.
“There’s more out there. It doesn’t mean that we’re done, that we’re not going to draft a puck-moving defenseman. Let’s see what tomorrow brings. Hopefully, we can bring you a smaller puck-moving defenseman after losing Emil [Andrae],” Briere said.
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Villeneuve is, for me, the best remaining player when accounting for the Flyers’ needs.
Why Flyers Drafted Maksim Sokolovskii With 27th Pick
Why Flyers Drafted Maksim Sokolovskii With 27th Pick The Philadelphia Flyers explained their rationale for the surprising but exciting selection of Maksim Sokolovskii in the 2026 NHL Draft.
The Flyers met with him once already, and he is unquestionably the only defenseman remaining who screams “future power play quarterback.”
He has to get there at an NHL level, of course, but that is what you’re drafting Villeneuve for, unlike Sokolovskii, for example.
I also like William Hakansson and Ben MacBeath at the left defense spot, but it feels like the Flyers are only going to jump back in at defense if they see the Villeneuve-type upside offensively.
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At center, and forward in general, the Flyers have a glut of players to consider in the same kind of tier.
Slovak Tomas Chrenko stood out during international competitions this season, and Russians Yegor Shilov and Lavr Gashilov have more legitimate offensive upside if things break their way in development.
Or, if the Flyers want to take a page out of the Stanley Cup-winning Carolina Hurricanes’ playbook, they could go with University of Michigan ace Adam Valentini, a pacey and relentless forechecker who can do a bit of scoring.
Even After Joseph Woll Trade, Flyers ‘Would Like’ to Draft More Goalies
Even After Joseph Woll Trade, Flyers ‘Would Like’ to Draft More Goalies After adding Joseph Woll and Dan Vladar in consecutive summers, the Philadelphia Flyers still have a desire to add more goalies through the NHL Draft.
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The Hurricanes proved that a balanced lineup stocked with versatile players can get the job done, and Valentini fits that mold.
In order, my favorite remaining players:
Xavier Villeneuve, LHD
Adam Valentini, C
Ben MacBeath, LHD
William Hakansson, LHD
Brooks Rogowski, C
Ryan Roobroeck, C
Yegor Shilov, C
Lavr Gashilov, C
Markus Ruck, C
Pierce Mbuyi, W
Mathis Preston, W
Tomas Galvas, LHD
Tomas Chrenko, C
Alessando Di Iorio, C
Beckham Edwards, C
Additionally, I wouldn’t discount the possibility of the Flyers drafting a goalie at some point, though a second-round pick on one might be a bit rich.
Regardless, Tobias Trejbal is one to watch as a big right-handed Czech, as is Michal Orsulak. These are two goalies I could see the Flyers taking early or late, respectively, to add more depth at the position.
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