The 2025 NHL draft is a huge one for the Flyers’ rebuild.
Not only does Danny Briere have a lot of high-round picks at his disposal, but he also could be creative in how he uses them.
“There are all kinds of possibilities here,” the Flyers’ general manager said in April. “I think it’s really exciting going into it. It’s powerful to have so many picks like that. I think a lot of teams will be wanting to have discussions with us to make some things happen — teams that don’t have picks or teams that want to tweak things.”
So it’s a busy time for the Flyers leading up to the draft, which will be held June 27-28. The first round is Friday at 7 p.m. ET, while Rounds 2-7 are Saturday starting at noon ET.
“There are really good players in this draft,” TSN director of scouting Craig Button said May 27 in a phone interview with NBC Sports Philadelphia. “Maybe people say it’s not a good draft; I’m not buying it. I think this draft has got lots of good players.”
The Flyers are slotted to make 11 picks, including three first-rounders and four second-rounders. Their first-round selections will come at No. 6 (own pick), No. 22 (Sean Walker trade) and No. 31 (Oilers trade).
Before the draft arrives, we’re breaking down first-round targets for the Flyers.
Next up:
Jack Nesbitt
Position: Center
Height: 6-foot-4
Weight: 186
Shoots: Left
Team: Windsor
Scouting report
Nesbitt has excellent length and smarts, which make him super effective on the forecheck and finishing in close.
With more opportunity down the stretch, the 18-year-old pivot stood out on a loaded 2024-25 Spitfires club. From February to the end of the regular season, he put up 21 points (eight goals, 13 assists) in 18 games.
For a team that had 124-point Ilya Protas and 119-point Liam Greentree, Nesbitt recorded 64 points (25 goals, 39 assists) and a plus-12 rating in 65 games. Six of his goals came on the power play, two were at shorthanded and he won 51.4 percent of his faceoffs. He added 10 points (one goal, nine assists) in 12 playoff games.
“He’s a player that, like, it’s unanimous with our group,” Dan Marr, the vice president of NHL Central Scouting, said June 11 in a phone interview with NBC Sports Philadelphia.
Nesbitt is the 15th-ranked North American skater by NHL Central Scouting. When Marr worked for the Maple Leafs as an amateur scout, Toronto drafted Nesbitt’s head coach Greg Walters in 1990. Thanks to that connection, Marr had no problem letting Walters know about his displeasure with Nesbitt’s minutes earlier in the season.
“I was getting mad at him because I didn’t think he was playing him enough,” Marr, who worked in scouting and player development for over 20 years, said. “But I give the kid credit, the kid earned more and more ice time as the season went along, they had him out in more key situations.”
The knock on Nesbitt right now would be his lack of foot speed. His ability to separate and score will need work. But he brings intriguing size down the middle and a fluid skating stride.
“We think his upside is really, really strong,” Marr said. “I think teams will step up for him. It was consensus with our group and I think it’s consensus with a lot of NHL teams. Windsor was very well-scouted near the end of the year and in the playoffs just because he continued to elevate his game as the season went along. So I think this is a player that teams will step up for. He has got so much room to grow, so much room.”
EliteProspects.com has Nesbitt at No. 48 overall, while Button has him at 38th.
“This is a guy who can really move well, he has got good hands and he has got a decent touch around the net,” Marr said. “Just his hockey instincts, with and without the puck, they’re very, very impressive.”
(Natalie Shaver/OHL Images)
Fit with Flyers
So much has been made of the Flyers potentially landing a center at No. 6. But if they were to snag Nesbitt with their second or third first-round pick, that would add some solid depth at a position of need.
His strengths are in the details of the game, so his floor at worst might be a third-line center. But his ceiling really seems to be high and he could be in for an offensive breakout as he becomes a go-to guy with the Spitfires.
The Flyers went the OHL route in the first round last summer when they took speedy center Jett Luchanko. Nesbitt would be another OHL center with some all-situation qualities.
More targets
• Hagens is ‘Matt Duchene type of player’ who could be on Flyers’ radar at No. 6
• Flyers would probably love if Barkov-like prospect is available at No. 6
• ‘Fascinating,’ 6-foot-5 center has tons of intrigue for Flyers at No. 6
• Younger brother of Flyers prospect is ‘complete’ center and option at No. 6
• ‘David Krejci-like’ center with plenty of upside would give Flyers good decision
• Could a 6-foot-6, ‘just blossoming’ defenseman be a fit for Flyers at No. 6?
• Will Flyers grab prospect with ‘really, really unique’ combination at No. 6?
• Reschny’s performance vs. 2024 top prospect should have Flyers’ eye in first round
• Flyers could have three shots at ‘dynamic, explosive skater’ on the wing
• Finding another Foerster? Flyers may have one if they draft Bear in first round
• Martone would offer Flyers ‘pretty complete package’ if he’s there at No. 6
• Flyers’ future power play QB? 6-foot-4 defenseman has ‘offensive punch’
• ‘That’s how tight it is’ — Eklund could interest Flyers among international prospects
Read the full article here
