The Philadelphia Flyers, as expected, were one of the busiest teams at the NHL Scouting Combine, giving some clues of their intentions leading up to the 2025 NHL Draft later this month.
Of course, the Flyers are one of many teams in desperate need of center talent, regardless of how certain individuals may fall on draft boards. But is that enough to sway their draft strategy entirely?
So far, we know that the Flyers have met with virtually every top prospect under the sun, including James Hagens, Porter Martone, Michael Misa, Anton Frondell, and Caleb Desnoyers.
Desnoyers is one of the fan-favorite projections for the Flyers, though many have their doubts that the talented center falls to the sixth pick. Fortunately, new information tells us that the Flyers can very well go and get their guy after all.
With the fourth overall pick (trade with Utah) in the 2025 NHL Draft, the Philadelphia Flyers select…
Caleb Desnoyers, C, Moncton Wildcats (QMJHL)
The Flyers have explored trading up before, and this year’s draft should be no different for them. Moving up four spots to get the second pick from San Jose might prove to be too rich for Danny Briere and Co., but there’s a world where they don’t need to move up that high to snag Desnoyers.
In this scenario, the Flyers trade a Day 2 draft pick – possibly one of their second-round picks – to Utah, along with the sixth pick, to move up with Desnoyers in range.
It’s been said that Utah covets forward Brady Martin, who has a strong likelihood of falling to six where the Flyers would’ve otherwise been.
Matthew Schaefer, Michael Misa, and James Hagens come off the board with the first three picks here, prompting the Flyers to move up and get their guy before it’s too late.
With the 22nd overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, the Philadelphia Flyers select…
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Joshua Ravensbergen, G, Prince George Cougars (WHL)
With an uncertain immediate future in goal, there is no such thing as having too many goalie options if you’re the Flyers. The jury is still out on Sam Ersson and Ivan Fedotov, and Aleksei Kolosov may or may not return to North America with the requisite drive to carve out an NHL career.
As for the prospects, Carson Bjarnason is starting his pro career this fall, while Egor Zavragin will be playing in the KHL for the foreseeable future.
Joshua Ravensbergen, a massive 6-foot-5 netminder with excellent puck tracking skills and the knowledge of how to use his large frame to his advantage, is the top goalie prospect in this draft class and should help give the Flyers the best pool of goaltending prospects in the NHL immediately.
Yes, the Flyers have needs at the skater positions, but with the team’s perpetuated issues in net, Ravensbergen would be a slam-dunk value selection late in the first round. He could very well end up becoming the best goalie the Flyers have in their entire system, NHLers included.
With the 31st overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, the Philadelphia Flyers select…
Shane Vansaghi, RW, Michigan State (NCAA)
If Shane Vansaghi was a better skater, he very well could have been a top-15 pick in this class. He’s not a better skater, but he is arguably the most tenacious player in this class with a playstyle that will immediately make him a fan-favorite in Philadelphia.
The Michigan State ace possesses perfectly adequate puck skills to justify a first-round selection and combines them with an unrelenting motor that allows him to physically impose himself against all who dare stand in his way.
Vansaghi, who was already teammates with Flyers prospect Karsen Dorwart, is the stereotypical ‘Flyer.’ How that’s taken is open for interpretation, but added explosiveness in tandem with his 6-foot-2, 210-pound frame could allow the St. Louis, Missouri, native to enjoy a long and prosperous NHL career.
Given his pugilistic style of play, the Flyers should be hoping that happens with them and not with other NHL teams.
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