The 2026 World Junior Championship (WJC) has met its conclusion. With six Philadelphia Flyers prospects participating, eyes were all over their guys.
Related: Flyers’ Top 10 Prospects: December 2025 Edition
In this edition of Flyers’ Top 10 Prospects, we’ll look at how these players’ stocks—as well as the others in the system—have risen and fallen in the last month and change.
1. Porter Martone, RW, Michigan State University (NCAA)
Previous ranking: 1
Expectations were high for Porter Martone entering the WJC. On the stats front, he mostly delivered, tying for second in goals with six and eighth in points with nine.
But all in all, it was a mixed bag for the 2025 sixth-overall pick. Martone was impactful at times and unnoticeable at others—the points are somewhat misleading. Especially since this was his last year of eligibility as a 19-year-old player, some analysts were left underwhelmed.
At the end of the day, though, a seven-game tournament doesn’t redefine who Martone is. He has been fantastic in college this season and has the hockey sense and skill to become a superstar in the NHL.
2. Egor Zavragin, G, SKA St. Petersburg (KHL)
Previous ranking: 2
Egor Zavragin has started a lot fewer games in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) this season than he did in his last, but his ranking will be safe at No. 2 for a while.
His .919 save percentage across 12 games is impressive for a 20-year-old. Furthermore, he has smoked the competition in Russia’s second-tier pro league (VHL) with a .960 save percentage and 1.13 goals-against average in seven games.
Zavragin’s athleticism and poise between the pipes are elite traits. As it stands, he is the future starter for the Orange and Black.
3. Jett Luchanko, C, Brantford Bulldogs (OHL)
Previous ranking: 3
Now, Jett Luchanko didn’t have the most dazzling WJC of all time, finishing with just one point and a minus-1 rating. But as I said with Martone, that shouldn’t damage his credibility.
By my eye test, Luchanko has really shone in transition. It’s his draft-plus-two season, so you’d expect him to play well in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), but the signs have been promising even with that in mind.
I see Luchanko as a potential middle-six center for this Flyers group. Given the team’s strength on the wing, his skill set could translate nicely to the NHL.
4. Denver Barkey, LW, Philadelphia Flyers (NHL)
Previous ranking: 5
Since the last ranking, Denver Barkey has been called up. Three points and a plus-1 rating through eight games may look modest on paper, but the 20-year-old has really impressed.
Not too long ago, I observed some fans worrying about how a 5-foot-10 winger would translate to the next level. Well, Barkey has brought the energy every night, just like he always has. While he’s not a complete product due to his age, the process has been encouraging.
Barkey’s work ethic, combined with his skill, could make him dangerous once the experience is there. He’s the fourth-best prospect in the organization, in my opinion.
5. Alex Bump, LW, Lehigh Valley Phantoms (AHL)
Previous ranking: 4
In his rookie American Hockey League (AHL) campaign, Alex Bump has shown flashes of brilliance. He sits second among Lehigh Valley Phantoms in points, with 20 in 28 contests.
The numbers alone are pretty good, but Bump has evolved his game. He’s just as potent in transition and still loves to fire pucks on the net, except with an added physical touch. The result has been an exciting young force, poised to do some damage in the NHL.
6. Carson Bjarnason, G, Lehigh Valley Phantoms (AHL)
Previous ranking: 9
Carson Bjarnason has had a fantastic rookie season for the Phantoms. His 8–3–3 record, .912 save percentage, and 2.50 goals-against average show he’s fitting in perfectly.
For a 20-year-old, those are the numbers of a future starter. Granted, he has more or less split games with Aleksei Kolosov and isn’t the No. 1, but the results are exciting.
Zavragin and Bjarnason have taken big steps since being drafted in 2023. They could form an elite NHL duo.
7. Shane Vansaghi, RW, Michigan State University (NCAA)
Previous ranking: 6
Shane Vansaghi was invited to the WJC, but he was hardly utilized. Nevertheless, he remains one of the better prospects in the system.
Vansaghi plays a mean game and couples that with the skill to create and finish scoring chances. At this stage, I don’t think he’ll reach top-six heights, but he could be a nightmare third-liner. His physicality is off the charts.
8. Jack Murtagh, LW, Boston University (NCAA)
Previous ranking: 7
Jack Murtagh has a few parallels to Vansaghi: second-round pick in 2025, playing in college this season, and producing around the same clip. Their play styles are a bit different, however.
Murtagh is more of a Barkey type. He doesn’t have the same hockey IQ, but he works hard to get pucks and simply creates. His shot is one of his better traits.
I think Murtagh could be a middle-six forward, but that’ll become more apparent with time. He won’t be 19 years old until Aug. 22.
9. Jack Berglund, C, Färjestad BK (SHL)
Previous ranking: N/A
Okay, so this may seem a tad hypocritical. “How can you not punish Luchanko for a disappointing WJC tournament but reward Jack Berglund for a good one?” Let me explain.
I’ve recently had the epiphany that it’s not really fair to judge Berglund’s play in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) at face value. It’s arguably the toughest hockey outside the NHL there is, and it’s hard for a 19-year-old to make an impact.
Luchanko, for example, is still a great prospect, even if his NHL stints have been forgettable. That’s hardly different from Berglund in the SHL—playing against guys in their physical primes as a teenager is not a proper litmus test.
The WJC was really the first time Berglund got a chance against his age group, and he was fantastic. With 10 points and a do-or-die shootout tally in the semifinals, he captained Sweden to its first gold medal since 2012.
10. Jack Nesbitt, C, Windsor Spitfires (OHL)
Previous ranking: 10
For me, Jack Nesbitt remains at 10th. That may not sound great for the second-highest-drafted player eligible, but my analysis before the Flyers even selected him was that he was a bit raw. That remains true today.
Nesbitt has 31 points in 29 games this season on a strong Windsor Spitfires team in the OHL, which is about where he finished last season on a per-game basis (64 points in 65 games). I’d like to see his physical and transition game develop, as he could be a solid middle-six center if they do. He has the smarts to be a useful NHL player.
Honorable Mentions
Now for some honorable mentions. My three for this edition of Flyers’ Top 10 Prospects are: Oliver Bonk, Spencer Gill, and Heikki Ruohonen.
Bonk hasn’t come flying out of the gate since returning from injury for the Phantoms, but that’s okay. I think he can be a bottom-pairing defender in the NHL with room for more—he was a first-round pick, after all.
Gill has been injured for most of the season, so he’s a hard player to judge. He’s a big defenseman who moves well.
Ruohonen was terrific for the Finns in the WJC, driving play from the center position. He could be a full-time NHLer someday, and perhaps a pretty good one.
The Flyers could use another game-breaker or two, but the prospects have done their job so far this season. Let’s see if they can close it out.
