PHLY's Top 20 Philadelphia Flyers prospects list

My coverage may be in a new place, but that doesn’t mean the regular bi-annual ranking of Philadelphia Flyers prospects is coming to an end. Welcome to the first edition of the PHLY Top 20 Flyers prospects list.

As always, the list was compiled with Alexander Appleyard, former contributor at The Athletic and longtime co-writer of our rankings, which began back in 2017. All of the organization’s players who retain Calder Trophy eligibility — under 26 years old and played no more than 25 NHL games last season (or six games or more in two separate seasons) — were included in the voting process, as we each ranked our top 25 prospects and then combined the two lists to construct a 20-player ranking.

With the organization finally committing to a full-fledged rebuild, once again, the spotlight is on the Philadelphia prospect pool, and what it might mean for the future. The Flyers’ group may not be as deep as it (wrongly) appeared to be back in the mid-2010s. But the star power at the top still makes it one of the better groups in the NHL, and with room to improve even more in the coming years, as general manager Daniel Briere looks to stockpile more picks and future assets to aid in the rebuild.

This is not an objective ranking of the Flyers’ prospects based on a mathematical formula. Alex and I used firsthand viewing, raw production and conversations with scouts, players and other hockey sources to inform our opinions. And now, onto the list.

Michkov isn’t merely the Flyers’ top prospect – he’s one of the best prospects in hockey. Blessed with slick hands, a goal scorer’s touch, and preternatural hockey sense, Michkov is the best Russian prospect in years, an offensive wizard with superstar potential. Michkov may not be the biggest or the fastest forward, but he possesses truly rare gamebreaking ability. If he reaches his ceiling, Michkov is the kind of player who could crack the 100-point mark regularly at the NHL level.

That’s not to say Michkov doesn’t come without risk. Some scouts worry about his lack of ideal size, and the fact that he lacks elite skating ability to compensate for it. There were scattered concerns regarding his attitude in the lead-up to the draft, namely his ability to function in a team environment. And, of course, there’s the fact that he remains under contract with SKA St. Petersburg through 2025-26, meaning that barring unforeseen circumstances, he won’t be able to join the Flyers for three more seasons. But Michkov likely will be worth the wait. He stands as Philadelphia’s best chance for a true franchise player, one that could actually be the centerpiece of a future Stanley Cup contender. — Charlie O’Connor

So much of the conversation surrounding Gauthier has centered around whether he’ll ultimately be a center or a wing at the next level, when the real focus should be on the fact that whichever position he plays, the 2022 fifth overall pick is shaping up to be an absolute beast of a first-line forward. Defenders don’t want to be in Gauthier’s way with a full head of steam and his sights on the net – his powerful stride, large frame and overwhelming shot make him a terror for blueliners and goalies alike. In terms of physical tools, few forward prospects in hockey match Gauthier.

It took the 19-year old a few weeks to figure out the collegiate level last year, but once it clicked, Gauthier thrived, even on an underwhelming Boston College club. As a freshman, he showed he can produce at a high level at the center position, and then at the World Championships in May, he proved he could impress against pros as well, this time on the wing. Heading back to BC for his sophomore season, Gauthier has reinforcements coming in the form of a stacked incoming recruiting class, which should give him every opportunity to tear up the college game before turning pro in the spring, and trying to establish himself as an impact scorer at the NHL level. — O’Connor

The skating concern has long engulfed Foerster — that once he reached the NHL, it would be exploited, and he would no longer be able to score goals and rack up points. Well, in eight games with the Flyers at the tail end of 2022-23, Foerster had little trouble carrying over his production, (three goals, four assists) and impressing the notoriously difficult-to-please John Tortorella in the process.

Now, Foerster is tasked with replicating Noah Cates’ NHL path – use a strong late-season audition as a springboard into the subsequent training camp, both earning an opening night job and Tortorella’s respect and admiration in the process. Foerster’s blistering shot remains his calling card, but he’s also an underrated passer, and his hockey sense shines in the defensive zone as well. As for the skating? He’s never going to be a burner, but over the past two seasons, he’s steadily improved, to the point where he didn’t look like a glaring liability during his short stint in Philadelphia last spring. Given his other enviable skills, he should be able to establish himself as a quality NHL scorer as long as he continues to clear that all-important skating bar. — O’Connor

2023-24 will be the young Swede’s first full season in North America. As arguably the Flyers top blueline prospect, a lot of eyes will be on him, but so far in his career the diminutive defenseman has thrived at every level. Entering 2022-23, he had excelled in Swedish juniors, the Allsvenskan (Sweden’s second tier pro league) and the World Juniors. Last year, he built on that in the SHL, establishing himself as a legitimate top pair blueliner, before crossing the pond for a 13-game tryout stint with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms — and impressing there as well.

Despite standing at only 5’9, Andrae is strong and stout. Even against much bigger forwards, he rarely has been overwhelmed, deploying an active stick and never shying away from throwing a hit. While not gifted with high-end speed, he is very agile, and seems to play faster with the puck on his stick due to his hands and anticipation. Expect Andrae — who possesses legitimate top-four defenseman upside — to be the Phantoms’ best defender this year and make a push for NHL games, perhaps as soon as training camp itself. — Alexander Appleyard

Last year, a torn labrum in his hip (and the subsequent surgery to repair it) had a serious impact on Brink’s development. He made his season debut in January and took some time to catch up to game speed at even the AHL level. Through 10 games he had only five points, but then seemed to find his feet and posted 23 points in the last 31 games of the year, including 10 points in the final 11 games of the regular season. Still, the Flyers chose to keep him in the minors, rather than grant him another NHL audition before 2022-23 came to a close.

Now healthy and with a full offseason of conditioning under his belt, Brink enters a pivotal season. During his brief 2021-22 NHL stint, he showed flashes of his offensive zone IQ and passing ability that made him such a standout at the University of Denver. Since then, his once suspect-skating has continued to improve and he has put on more mass, making it easier for him to attack the dirty areas — as he did regularly in college — despite his small stature. Offensively, Brink has few holes in his game, and were it not for RW being the strongest position in the Flyers’ organization, he would have a decent chance of starting the season in the NHL. As it is, he will most likely have to bide his time, excel in the AHL and when his opportunity comes, take it with both hands. Brink has top-sixer upside if he hits. — Appleyard

New Flyers president of hockey operations Keith Jones has been forthright about his belief that the team needs to work towards rebuilding its blueline corps in order to truly match up with the best clubs in hockey. To that end, the revamped front office prioritized Bonk with their second pick in Round 1 this summer, with the belief that he can be a steadying part of a new-look Philadelphia defense in the not-so-distant future.

Bonk isn’t a particularly flashy defenseman – he’s not the type of player who will be leading the rush from the back end at the NHL level, or racking up tons of points, or even quarterbacking PP1. Instead, Bonk’s calling card is his balance. At least at the junior level, he’s established himself as basically being at least good at everything: he can engineer a breakout, skate the puck out of danger, facilitate offense in a support role on the attack, and shut down opposing forwards in the defensive zone. Add in the fact that he’s a righthanded shooting blueliner, and it’s not difficult to envision him serving as the steadying long-term partner for higher risk LHDs like Cam York or Emil Andrae. Bonk might not have superstar potential. But there’s legitimate top-four upside here. — O’Connor

While many Flyers fans had likely only heard of Ersson in passing before last season, his play in 2022-23 quickly changed that. From a statistical perspective, an 0.899 save percentage in 12 NHL games and a 0.900 SV% in 42 AHL appearances seem nothing special. However, when context is applied, it is easy to understand why both the fans and John Tortorella fell in love with his game. His play in the AHL dragged a suspect Lehigh Valley blueline to the playoffs, and he led the Flyers to a 6-3-0 record, with only his final game against New Jersey — during which he received essentially zero defensive support — dragging down his full-season NHL stats. While his play was not quite up to Carter Hart levels, he was not too far behind.

Stylistically, he inspires confidence, possessing a real presence in the blue paint combined with high-end anticipation, meaning he rarely has to rely on his athleticism to make a save. He looks like an NHL goalie, and it would be a real shock if he did not develop into at least a good NHL backup within the very near future. Ersson will be given every chance to make the big club out of camp this fall. — Appleyard

Attard proved in 2022-23 that his unorthodox, hyper-aggressive style of play can successfully translate to the pro game, scoring 32 points in 68 games with the Phantoms and forming an effective partnership with Adam Ginning. And that was after impressing the NHL staff enough to make the big club out of camp, even if he ultimately didn’t dress for the Flyers until April. Attard nevertheless made an impression — particularly on the people he needs to impress to earn a full-time NHL job.

Now 24, it’s time for Attard to solidify his spot with the Flyers — and given his size, offensive talent and the fact that he’s a righthanded shooting defenseman, he’ll get every chance to do so. He’ll need to convince the organization that he can balance his aggressiveness with the kind of defensive soundness that NHL coaches demand from bottom-of-the-lineup blueliners in order to earn that job, though. — O’Connor

It’s not that the Flyers didn’t have high expectations for Desnoyers’ first pro season. But it’s unlikely anyone in the organization expected the 21-year old to lead the Phantoms in goals (three more than noted sniper Tyson Foerster) and even earn himself a four-game NHL stint. Desnoyers, in short, did exactly what he has done every season since being drafted – silence any and all of his doubters.

Yes, Desnoyers might not have the scoring upside to be an NHL top-sixer. But it’s looking more and more like he is destined to follow in the footsteps of Scott Laughton, and establish himself as a jack-of-all-trades utility player capable of playing all three forward positions, all over the lineup. Desnoyers will get a real chance to make the club out of training camp this year, and if his three post-draft seasons are any indication, expect him to rise to the challenge. — O’Connor

The Flyers knew when they took Kaplan in the third round of the 2022 draft that it would take time for him to fully develop. But he took a solid first step along that path during his freshman season at Boston University. Kaplan showed flashes of legitimate offensive skill – especially around the net and with his playmaking ability – while carving out a role on one of the Terriers’ most consistent lines.

Kaplan needs to bulk up if he wants to become the power forward that the Flyers envisioned when they selected him. So far, in a limited role, he’s showed more than enough to leave that possibility open, and he’ll look to expand upon his duties in his looming sophomore year. Kaplan might not be ready to turn pro until 2024 or even 2025. But if his development continues on a steady upward trajectory, he has the potential to be the kind of big, skilled forward that every NHL club wants. — O’Connor

While most Flyers-related talk over the past 12 months regarding KHL netminders has centered around the Ivan Fedotov situation, their young Belarusian prospect Kolosov has been quietly amassing an impressive resume in Russia. Last season, Kolosov was one of the better goalies in the KHL, with underwhelming surface level stats (0.912 SV% over 42 games), masking the fact that he gave a sub-par Dinamo Minsk side a nightly chance to win with incredible athletic ability and all manner of breathtaking saves. He helped them squeak into the playoffs and helped give the mighty SKA St. Petersburg a scare in the first round. Kolosov also cemented himself as the Belarus national team starter, and was a KHL All-Star. This year he has started strong again, with his 0.917 SV% through three games dwarfing the 0.830 of his backup, ex-NHLer Dylan Ferguson.

Stylistically? Very few modern-day goalies play like Kolosov. He is not quite at Dominik Hašek levels of unorthodoxy, but certainly not adverse to the spectacular, and has a frenetic energy at times in between the posts. Having already signed his entry-level contract with the Flyers and returned to the KHL on loan, the plan appears to be a North American debut in 2024-25. Then, Kolosov can work to prove he deserves to be in the NHL mix as a backup, and potentially far more than that down the road. — Appleyard

One of the pieces coming back to the Flyers in the blockbuster three-way Ivan Provorov trade, Grans was not merely a throw-in. The big blueliner was selected 35th overall in the 2020 draft, and up until last season had been on a clear NHL trajectory. His 2021-22 season especially had been impressive, when he had crossed the pond and put up 24 points in 56 AHL games, and also impressed on Sweden’s national team, helping them to win the bronze medal at World Juniors.

However, last season nothing went quite right for the athletic defenseman. Still part of the Los Angeles Kings organization, he was relegated down the Ontario Reign lineup, taken off the power play and proved unable to produce in a lesser role. From a physical perspective, Grans has lots of tools: he’s 6’3, strong, fast, agile and a righty shot to boot. In other words: the archetype that has NHL scouts drooling. Furthermore, he loves getting involved in the rush, passes well, has plus hands and a hard shot. So how can such a player be traded at just 21 years old? Simply put, his IQ is lacking and it leads to inconsistency. He often loses his gap, struggles with turnovers, and can lose his man in close. Still, given his impressive skillset, if he can simply cut down his mistakes, he will be an NHLer, with an upside as a potential No. 4. — Appleyard

This summer, the Flyers used their late third round pick (95th overall) on an undersized forward from the London Knights — one with the potential to be a real steal down the line. Barkey put up 83 points in 81 games in the OHL last year across the regular season and playoffs, and also impressed for Canada in the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup. Make no mistake, the only reason his name was not called by the end of the second round was the number in the “height” column of his bio. But aside from being 5’9? Barkey has everything that an NHL coach will love.

The pivot plays with an eye-catching intensity, getting in hard on the forecheck and battling for everything on the boards and around the net. He puts himself all over the ice in a manner that will remind Flyers fans of fellow Ontarian Mike Richards. Besides that, as one can garner from his production, he also has some skill to his game. His passing is impressive, and he is great at finding seams in danger areas to either make a play on the puck himself, or draw opposition defensemen to free up space for a linemate. He is also agile, albeit not the fastest in a straight line. If he reaches the highest level it will be most likely at wing, and upside wise he certainly has the potential to be a fan-favorite third liner. — Appleyard

Don’t let Bjarnason’s underwhelming numbers in his draft year fool you. There’s a reason why he was the top Canadian goalie taken in the 2023 draft – he’s a big, talented netminder who was tasked with holding down the fort for a particularly porous Wheat Kings club in his draft year.

Bjarnason should get multiple chances to represent his country in international tournaments over the next two seasons, and as his WHL club improves, his numbers should jump as well. Then, it’s just a matter of whether he can use his impressive set of tools to become a quality NHL starter. — O’Connor

The flamboyant Swedish winger seamlessly transitioned to North American hockey last season, taking full advantage of his several years of pro experience in the SHL and putting them to good use for the Phantoms. Lycksell was used in all situations and produced at an impressive clip, with 45 points in 53 games leading the team in points-per-game, earning multiple NHL call-ups as a result.

Lycksell has an intriguing mix of skill, smarts and skating — all of which are NHL-caliber — and he can dangle with the best of them. But he is not just a one-trick pony. He played most of his junior career at center, and despite being flashy in the offensive zone, isn’t lacking for defensive instincts; he works hard in his own zone and understands where he should be on ice. Lycksell also forechecks well, and uses his teammates both on the rush and during the cycle. At the NHL level last year he looked a bit more tentative than in the AHL, but if he can start to bring the swagger and intensity he showed for the Phantoms, he can carve out an NHL career as a skilled third liner. — Appleyard

Like Barkey, Ciernik has potential to have other NHL teams are berating themselves for not taking him earlier in the draft. It was somewhat of a shock that he fell all the way to the fourth round. After all, this is a player who produced 12 points in 25 Allsvenskan games last year at age 18, and was comfortably over point-per-game in the Swedish junior league.

But it is not just the stats that make Ciernik intriguing. He is an explosive skater who can blow by opponents in transition, make passes that would impress NHL players, and wire a quick release that finds corners and fools goalies. Furthermore, Ciernik is a player who seems to thrive more at five-on-five than the power-play, and for an undersized forward, is impressive in tight spaces near the net and in dealing with contact. Ciernik has the potential to be a top-six winger at the NHL level if everything goes well.

So why did he go in the fourth round? His 5’10 height didn’t help. Additionally, his defensive game needs real work, and there are some concerns over his on-ice work rate. His hockey IQ is impressive, but was too often behind the play in the defensive zone last year, leading to the worry that unless his offensive game fully translates, he might end up an NHL tweener with no defined bottom-six role. — Appleyard

A righthanded shooting defenseman with size who scored at a point-per-game pace in his final junior season? Yes, that’s certainly worth of attention. Samson may not have the upside of the defensemen higher on this list – most likely, his ceiling is more that of an effective bottom-half-of-the-depth-chart NHL blueliner – but he’s rightfully moved himself into “legitimate prospect” territory with his steady development in the WHL.

This season, Samson will be turning pro, and looking to establish himself as an every-night lineup staple for the Phantoms and confirming that he deserves to be in the organization’s future plans. — O’Connor

Finally, at long last, Tuomaala should have some developmental stability in 2023-24, as he’ll be coming over to North America full-time to play for the Phantoms. Since being drafted in 2021, Tuomaala’s development has been tumultuous – first bouncing between countries and teams in 2021-22, and then failing to stick with his original Finnish Liiga club in 2022-23 and ultimately dropping back down to the second-tier Mestis league.

Tuomaala did impress at development camp this summer, particularly in the scrimmage, when he leaned on his speed and tenacity to be a demon on the forecheck, rather than giving into the shoot-first, perimeter-player tendencies that have held him back to this point. Tuomaala is still one of the fastest skaters in the Flyers’ organization, and has the raw talent to be a quality NHLer. But he needs to take a big step forward with the Phantoms to shake off the bust label that is quickly being attached to him. — O’Connor

Six goalies were taken between pick 35 and 69 in the 2023 draft, and it was a shock that Egor Zavragin was not among those taken in the run. The Flyers themselves certainly were surprised he fell to 87 — surprised enough to use a second top 100 pick on a netminder after having already taken Carson Bjarnason at No. 51.

One of the youngest players in the draft, the agile Russian has been amongst the best goalies in the MHL – the Russian junior league – since he was 16. His 0.927 SV% at that level over 53 career games is better than future NHLers such as Ilya Samsonov and Ilya Sorokin managed, and similar to how Andrei Vasilevskiy fared at that same level. This season he is likely to see considerable time against men, in the Russian second tier pro league (the VHL), which will help to establish whether going forward his potential is as high as his junior play indicates.

In terms of skills and style, Zavragin takes up a lot of net for an average-sized goalie, partially due to his agility and quickness. His glove hand is lightning fast as well, and for a young goalie he has well-developed rebound control. He certainly has NHL potential, albeit he is likely several years away from a move to North America. — Appleyard

Knuble should have been selected in the 2022 NHL Draft, when he put up 49 points in 62 USHL games and scored four goals in four games at the Hlinka-Gretzky. This year, he made sure he would not be passed over again, with 66 points in 57 USHL games, while also lighting up the World Junior A Challenge, captaining the USA to the gold medal and putting up nine points in games games on his way to being named MVP.

So how does a high-end scorer, with NHL bloodlines and leadership ability, pass through one draft and last until the fourth round the following year? The usual combination: Knuble is under 6’0 and not an especially good skater.

While he does not have the size of his father – ex-Flyer Mike Knuble – he does share several other attributes with him. His work-rate is top-notch, he has good hands in close, he is hard to knock off the puck, and plays with an edge. Cole also has the knack of getting to “weak” areas on ice at the perfect time to snare lose pucks or get a quick shot from the slot. He is also probably a better playmaker than his dad. There is a lot to like about Knuble, but to make the NHL he will need to continue to improve his skating, and his lack of top-end skill means that most likely his upside is that of a third liner. — Appleyard