With the completion of the 2025 World Junior Championship (WJC) that saw the United States take home gold, it’s a good time to revisit some of the Philadelphia Flyers‘ prospects and rank them based on where they stand today. Which 15 players in the Flyers’ system have the most potential for the future?
15. Cole Knuble (Notre Dame Fighting Irish; NCAA)
The Flyers selected over-ager Cole Knuble (yes, his father is exactly who you think) 103rd overall in the 2023 NHL Draft. He had a brilliant 2022-23 season in the United States Hockey League (USHL), helping him rise from undrafted status in 2022 to a mid-round pick in 2023.
Knuble debuted in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in 2023-24 and started off slow. With just two points in his first 16 contests, his production was nothing special for a player two seasons removed from his first year of draft eligibility. He put up 18 points in his last 20 games, however, making him a late bloomer in his freshman campaign.
Now a sophomore, Knuble has 19 points in 16 contests with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. He’s a solid offensive weapon who may be a sneaky bottom-six scoring option someday. Reaching the heights of his father, Mike, will be a challenge, but an NHL career from an over-ager would be an incredible feat.
14. Alex Ciernik (Nybro Vikings IF; HockeyAllsvenskan)
Alex Ciernik, now in his draft-plus-two season, has remained stagnant scoring-wise over his past three campaigns in HockeyAllsvenskan (a professional league in Sweden). Take a look:
- 2022-23: 12 points in 25 games
- 2023-24: 14 points in 26 games
- 2024-25: 16 points in 31 games
Even still, Ciernik is an intriguing prospect for the Flyers. The speedy 5-foot-10 winger has the offensive toolkit to thrive once he comes to North America. Getting back to his production for a second, his career 0.45 points per game in HockeyAllsvenskan rank 142nd out of the 794 forwards in league history with at least 20 games played before their 21st birthday. That’s ahead of NHL star Jesper Bratt’s 0.41 points per game, who also happens to be a 5-foot-10 winger.
Ciernik was projected to go in the second round of the 2023 NHL Draft by some experts but slid to the fourth (not too far after Knuble). You have to take what smaller wingers do with a grain of salt, but Ciernik is a fine piece in Philadelphia’s pipeline. Ideally, he becomes a skilled bottom-six forward.
13. Carter Sotheran (Portland Winterhawks; WHL)
In 2023-24, Carter Sotheran had a very promising draft-plus-one season. Among Western Hockey League (WHL) defensemen, the 2023 fifth-round selection finished second in plus/minus (plus-46) and in the top 25 for point-scoring (40). This excellence led to a World Junior Summer Showcase invitation in July, an honor the Canadian defender shared with some of the best prospects in hockey.
With a year to grow and develop, there was reason to believe he’d be even better in 2024-25. But that wasn’t the case at the beginning of the season. He posted five points and a minus-15 rating through his first 17 contests, which was by far the worst stretch of hockey he had seen since he was drafted. The eye test backed up the numbers.
Since then, he has 13 points and an even plus/minus rating in his last 19 games. The season as a whole still looks ugly stats-wise, but he has seen a bit of a resurgence. The 6-foot-4 right-shot defender has NHL potential, perhaps as a bottom-pairing player.
12. Ethan Samson (Lehigh Valley Phantoms; AHL)
Ethan Samson, just 21, has been an exciting riser this season. After scoring 60 points in 60 WHL games in 2022-23, the right-handed blue liner came to the American Hockey League (AHL) to play with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Last season, he had 12 points in 63 games. In his 2024-25 campaign, he already has 11 in 31 matchups. A minus-13 rating isn’t quite ideal, but the 6-foot-3 defender has shown some growth.
With 0.35 points per game, Samson ranks 22nd out of the 53 defensemen his age or younger with at least 10 games played this season. That’s ahead of two first-round picks of his draft class, Corson Ceulemans and Carson Lambos, plus second-round picks Shai Buium and Artyom Grushnikov. Samson himself was a sixth-round selection.
Though he’s not putting up crazy numbers, Samson is poised with the puck on his stick. His transitional game is particularly interesting, exemplified by the tight long-range pass shown below that led to a goal. If he can make smart decisions with the puck and further hone his offensive skills, he may have a future in the NHL.
Richard wanted everybody to know he’s BACK. 😤#LVvsLAV | #LVPhantoms pic.twitter.com/Yag15Z7TRl
— Lehigh Valley Phantoms (@LVPhantoms) December 1, 2024
Though it’d be a win for a sixth-round pick, there may be more upside with Samson than a standard seventh defenseman. He should have his name pretty high on the Flyers’ list of call-ups in 2025-26 and beyond.
11. Jack Berglund (Färjestad BK; SHL)
The 51st pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, Jack Berglund finds himself just outside the Flyers’ top 10 prospects after the WJC. He made Sweden’s roster and could have played a nice role there, but an untimely injury only days before the tournament began kept him from playing. He still has another year of eligibility, but being put on the international stage is a rare opportunity for a player. Hopefully, this will make him hungrier in 2026.
Berglund has split time between Sweden’s junior league (J20 Nationell) and arguably Europe’s best, the Swedish Hockey League (SHL). He put up 15 points in 11 junior games and three points in 17 contests in the SHL. A teenager playing in what might be the third-strongest hockey league in the world is notable, even if he’s not scoring a lot.
A prototypical two-way center, Berglund isn’t necessarily flashy but there are elements of his game to like. He projects to be a player who, at the NHL level, can win shifts more often than he loses them by taking care of the puck at both ends of the ice. Hockey is a game won on possession, and he has the tools to make that a strength.
10. Samu Tuomaala (Lehigh Valley Phantoms; AHL)
Selected in the second round of the 2021 NHL Draft by the Flyers, Samu Tuomaala has carved out a nice role for himself with the Phantoms after spending his first two seasons post-selection in Finland. The 5-foot-10 right-shot winger is sixth in AHL scoring over the past two seasons among players aged 21 and under (66 points in 99 games), making an NHL future seem all the more likely as he continues to develop.
Related: Philadelphia Flyers Have Pieces to Opt for Cheaper Depth in 2025-26
Tuomaala is a strong shooter who could be a valuable addition to the Flyers’ lineup in the near future. He’s tied for 24th in AHL power-play goals (10) since 2023-24, too, so he might be a nice option on an endlessly struggling man advantage in Philadelphia. He has top-nine forward potential.
9. Alex Bump (Western Michigan Broncos; NCAA)
Alex Bump, a fifth-round pick in 2022, has already established himself as one of the better prospects in the Flyers’ organization. He has 15 points in 18 games at Western Michigan University this season, upping his collegiate career total to 51 in 56 games since 2023-24. Jimmy Snuggerud, a first-round pick from Bump’s draft class, has 62 points in 61 NCAA games in the same time frame.
Bump is a left winger with offensive potential. He’s only scoring on 5.3% of his shots this season, which is underrating his scoring touch. Per College Hockey News, his 8.5 individual expected goals are tied for fifth in the nation and ahead of the aforementioned Snuggerud. The only sophomore with more is Ryan Leonard, who won the 2025 WJC MVP and is considered one of the best prospects in hockey.
Due to his low shooting percentage, Bump’s production doesn’t look great on paper. The reality is, he’d be over a point-per-game player if he was even an average NCAA shooter, and very productive if he were a good one. If he were shooting with the efficiency of someone like Knuble (12.1%), just as an example, he’d have 21 points in 18 games this season.
Bump has shown flashes at development camp with the Orange and Black in the recent past, and has a noticeable impact when he hops over the boards at Western Michigan. He has the makings of a middle-six player.
8. Carson Bjarnason (Brandon Wheat Kings; WHL)
Carson Bjarnason was the second player here selected to a WJC roster but who did not play. Only, he didn’t because he was the third-string netminder behind a surging Carter George and a 17-year-old Jack Ivankovic. Cheering on his Canadian squad from the sidelines might’ve stung a bit, considering this was his last year of eligibility, but that’s the hand he was dealt.
In the WHL, Bjarnason will look to continue a great statistical season. Among the 40 goaltenders with at least 10 appearances, his .913 save percentage is first and his 2.90 goals-against average is ninth. He has an 8-6-2 record. Leading the WHL in save percentage doesn’t make a netminder a shoo-in for future success like goals or points might for a skater, but his play has been worthy of praise.
The 2023 second-round pick has a lot going for him, from athleticism to vision. There’s a level of uncertainty given the position he plays, but Bjarnason could be an above-average goaltender in the NHL.
7. Oliver Bonk (London Knights; OHL)
The second of the Flyers’ first-round picks from the 2023 NHL Draft, Oliver Bonk has been one of the highest-scoring defensemen in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) since being selected. Only five fellow defenders have scored more than his 88 points in 84 games in that span. He’s a first-pairing, right-shot defender on a top-end London Knights team.
The 6-foot-2, 180-pound Bonk remains a work-in-progress, but he’ll look to ripen in the AHL with the Phantoms in the coming years before making his NHL debut, presumably. Ironically, his upside seems to be more with his defensive game than offensively, despite those totals sticking out the most.
Bonk was a returnee for Canada in the WJC, looking to avenge a Quarterfinal loss to Czechia in 2024. In 2025, however, he and his fellow countrymen suffered the same fate. In the disappointing tournament, Bonk put up two points in five games with a plus-4 rating. He didn’t have a fantastic showing by any means, but he’s a raw player who needs time to develop. Don’t be discouraged by any lack of output.
6. Spencer Gill (Rimouski Océanic; QMJHL)
Another second-round pick from the Flyers in 2024, Spencer Gill (no, his father is not who you think) is a 6-foot-4 right-shot blue liner who won’t turn 19 until next August. His production in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) is good, sitting on 0.68 points per game since 2023-24. That’s fifth out of the 128 defensemen in the league aged 18 and younger who have 10 games played over the past two seasons.
Gill sees the ice well and usually puts himself in the right spot to make a play, using his size to his advantage better than a lot of players his age. A strength of his is recognizing when to pinch offensively. Evidenced by his plus-23 rating in 33 games this season, Gill doesn’t spend a lot of time in the defensive zone—his Rimouski Océanic squad is at its best when he’s off the bench, showcasing his importance. The big two-way defender has second-pairing potential.
5. Denver Barkey (London Knights; OHL)
At just 5-foot-9, it’s not entirely surprising Denver Barkey fell to the third round in the 2023 NHL Draft to Philadelphia. Since that point, he has been one of the best point-scorers in the OHL. Teammates with Bonk, the small left-shot forward is second in league scoring over the past two seasons with 147 points in 94 contests. Since Oct. 26, he has 43 points in 24 games, including a five-assist day on New Year’s Eve.
Denver Barkey's FIFTH assist of the day was nasty 🤢 #LetsGoFlyers pic.twitter.com/P8divkG51Q
— London Knights (@LondonKnights) December 31, 2024
Even though his size may bring some pause, Barkey seems to have a decent ceiling with a relatively high floor. An excellent penalty-killer who brings the energy on every shift, he makes an impact when he’s on the ice. It would’ve been nice to see him make the WJC for Canada, but this 19-year-old has accomplished enough at the junior level to give hope for his future.
A middle-six forward seems like a fair projection here, but there is a world where Barkey can be an all-situations top-six player. He makes a difference beyond just piling up points.
4. Aleksei Kolosov (Philadelphia Flyers; NHL)
Aleksei Kolosov, a 15-game NHL rookie, has seen some ups and downs this season (more recently, the latter). The 23-year-old netminder’s .870 save percentage is subpar, to put it lightly, suggesting he’s probably not ready for the demands of the best league in the world. However, he still has a very bright future—that much hasn’t changed.
Related: Philadelphia Flyers’ Rebuild Progression Depends on Aleksei Kolosov
While Kolosov’s overall numbers are pretty disappointing, he has had a high ceiling and a very low floor. The glass half-full approach is that the “very low floor” part is kind of expected for someone his age and with such minimal North American experience. He has had starts that have stolen the Flyers points, and that’s worth focusing on.
His .909 career save percentage in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) wasn’t standout-ish, so poor consistency at the NHL level this early isn’t much of a shock. So, what is there to like about Kolosov? Athleticism has always been the most exciting trait for the Belarusian netminder, and he has shown flashes of that with the Flyers. His big-save ability could take him far, perhaps to starter-caliber someday.
3. Emil Andrae (Lehigh Valley Phantoms; AHL)
While he was sent down to the Phantoms in late December, Emil Andrae showed he could hang as a top-four defenseman at the NHL level in his 20-game stint. His results were excellent.
To avoid being redundant, all of the stats you’ll ever need to know about Andrae are included here. To add, though, the Flyers outscored the opposition 14-10 with him on the ice at 5-on-5 (58.33% goal share). If you exclude his minutes, the Orange and Black have been outscored 87-68 (43.87% goal share). It’s not as though he got these results against subpar competition, either—the Flyers played him between 19-20 minutes per game. He had superior metrics to his teammates.
Flat out, the Flyers were a better hockey team when Andrae was on the ice. Being that impactful at 22 years of age is a gift. Call it a lucky stretch of games, but seeing as he already was one this season, Andrae could be a high-end number-three defenseman for years to come. His 5-foot-9, 189-pound stature hasn’t held him back.
2. Jett Luchanko (Guelph Storm; OHL)
Jett Luchanko was taken 13th overall in the last draft, making him the highest selection on this list. He made the Flyers’ opening roster, giving him the honor of the youngest player in team history. Although he was promptly sent back down to the OHL, playing just four games, his performance wasn’t poor—he ranked seventh out of 13 forwards in expected goal share prior to the demotion.
Back with the Guelph Storm in juniors, the 18-year-old center has 20 points in 17 games, scoring at a 1.36 points per game clip since Nov. 6. Over a full 68-game campaign, that’d put him at 92 points. Not superb, but an improvement on his overall totals.
In the WJC, Luchanko was restricted usage-wise aside from the penalty kill and thus had few opportunities to make his mark. He had one point (a shorthanded goal) in five games. Despite the low output, his play was pretty solid. Though he can return next winter, he may be in the NHL with the Flyers by then and decline the invitation. His speed and playmaking ability are two major strengths that the Orange and Black may want for themselves.
Though Luchanko’s projection has never been a number-one center, he could be star rookie Matvei Michkov’s center—there’s a distinction here. The two have displayed great chemistry in a limited sample with one another, making a long-term connection possible. He’s easy to write off as a second-line player and nothing more, but Luchanko’s future could be much brighter.
1. Egor Zavragin (SKA St. Petersburg; KHL)
Taking the top spot among the Flyers’ prospects is 19-year-old goaltender Egor Zavragin. While his numbers were remarkable last season, not only do netminders go hot and cold all the time, but the next step was yet to be taken: the KHL. He has embraced the challenge and risen to otherworldly totals for someone his age.
To give you an idea of how unprecedented it is for a teenage goalie to be a regular in the KHL, only nine of them have at least 20 appearances since the league’s formation in February 2008. Among them, only five have a .910 save percentage or better in their teenage years: Sergei Ivanov (.931), Ilya Samsonov (.930), Andrei Vasilevskiy (.923), Zavragin (.923), and Ilya Sorokin (.911).
An argument could be made that Zavragin is the best goaltending prospect in the world. As it stands, he has a franchise goaltender ceiling for a team that hasn’t had one in decades. He’s under contract in the KHL through the 2026-27 season, so he’ll have a bit more time to develop.
Honorable Mentions
Alexis Gendron (Lehigh Valley Phantoms; AHL)
Alexis Gendron is an honorable mention here for his recent surge with the Phantoms. He has eight points in his last 10 games, boosting his full-season total to 15 points (10 goals, five assists) in 26 games. The 21-year-old is a smaller winger at 5-foot-10, sure, but his scoring pace is solid for a draft-plus-three player in the AHL. At that age (last season), Tuomaala had 0.62 points per game as opposed to Gendron’s 0.58, so the goal-scoring QMJHL alum might have some potential.
Heikki Ruohonen (Dubuque Fighting Saints; USHL)
The fifth player in the Flyers’ system who was invited to the WJC, Heikki Ruohonen scored four assists in seven games for Finland in their silver medal-winning tournament. The 18-year-old center was selected in the fourth round by Philadelphia in 2024, not too long after going first overall in the 2024 USHL Draft. Transitioning from Finnish to American hockey in just a few short months is a tough adjustment to make, so Ruohonen’s 12 points in 19 USHL games are probably a bit better than they sound. While his production is rather low even with that in consideration, there’s some talent to like here. He has size, good vision, and offensive upside.
Noah Powell (Ohio State Buckeyes; NCAA)
An over-ager who saw a boost in USHL production following his draft year, Noah Powell is cut from the same cloth as Knuble in that way. The 2024 fifth-round selection put up 74 points in 61 games with the Dubuque Fighting Saints in 2023-24, so the Flyers took a chance on him. While his draft-plus-two season in the NCAA isn’t going the greatest points-wise (five in 17 games), neither was Zach Hyman‘s. Let’s talk about that real quick.
Powell and Hyman share some similarities. Both were fifth-round picks, stand at 6-foot-1 and just over 200 pounds, are right-shot wingers, are goal-scorers, and put up just 0.29 and 0.22 points per game in their draft-plus-two season in the NCAA. This isn’t to say Powell is the next Hyman, but it is to outline that it’s not time to give up on him. He’s got an inspiring offensive bag.
Ilya Pautov (Krasnaya Armiya Moskva; MHL)
Taken in the sixth round of the Flyers’ last draft, Ilya Pautov was a smart gamble on skill and upside. Another in a long list of small wingers covered here, Pautov is currently in Russian juniors (Molodezhnaya Hokkejnaya Liga; MHL) and has scored at a decent clip. With 72 points in 78 games since 2023-24, he is 11th in total points scored in that time frame. It’ll be interesting to see the heights he reaches in Russia’s professional leagues and how his production translates.
Things can change pretty quickly when it comes to prospects due to twists and turns in their development. With that being said, the Flyers have some potential high-impact players at the top of the list and promising depth behind those pieces. Possessing three first-round picks and three seconds in the 2025 NHL Draft, the Orange and Black can add to this big-time over the summer.
Stats courtesy of QuantHockey
