The Philadelphia Flyers‘ unequivocal best years came when they were at their boldest. Rather than a defined plan, they were opportunistic—the Bernie Parent, Mark Howe, Eric Lindros, and John LeClair/Eric Desjardins trades come to mind. These moves buoyed two Stanley Cup wins and several other appearances in the Final. While those days are long gone, assertiveness still wins championships today. The Florida Panthers are living proof.
Possessing seven of the first 50 picks in the 2025 NHL Draft, make no mistake: this is the Flyers’ time to return to the glory days. Standing pat may suffice, but they have the assets to take full control of their future.
Related: Flyers Mock Draft 1.0: How to Spend Seven Top-50 Picks
One way the Flyers can make a splash is through the trade market. Marco Rossi has emerged as one of the biggest names out there, and for good reason—the 23-year-old projects as a long-term center option for any team’s top six, and at a reasonable reported cap hit of $7 million for the next seven seasons. The Minnesota Wild may budge here because, instead of committing to Rossi, they can accrue both draft picks and cap space via trade. The latter is especially necessary, given franchise cornerstone Kirill Kaprizov’s soon-to-expire contract.
But that’s not the only option the Flyers have. Rather, it may make more sense for them to trade up to land two high-upside prospects instead of just one (which they will get at No. 6, but almost definitely nowhere else). Which players, who may fall within a feasible trade-up range, are worth the sacrifice?
Jackson Smith, LD, Tri-City Americans (WHL)
His decision-making is questionable at times, but Jackson Smith is an exciting package. The left-shot defenseman is incredibly mobile, a strong puck-mover, and has a projectable two-way game. He’s also 6-foot-4 and 199 pounds, able to use his body to win puck battles. However, he went just 12th overall in The Hockey Writers‘ mock draft. Something similar could happen in the real one.
Related: THW 2025 Mock NHL Draft Round 1: Our Writers Make Their Picks
The Athletic‘s Corey Pronman interviewed several scouts and executives to gather their thoughts on this year’s class, and one of his questions was specifically insightful for projecting Smith’s draft spot. They were asked who they believed was the second-best defenseman behind the clear No. 1 option, Matthew Schaefer. The most popular answer was Radim Mrtka (three out of six picked him), with Kashawn Aitcheson getting a shoutout, too (from ‘NHL Draft Confidential 2025: What insiders think of Matthew Schaefer, goalies and more,’ – The Athletic – June 9, 2025).
Smith’s practically a non-option at No. 6, and he’ll probably be gone by the time the Flyers are ready to pick again at No. 22. If they really like the player, and he slips enough, a trade-up would be totally reasonable. They’d gain a big, talented defenseman who has top-four potential (perhaps even top-pair) without using their first pick. An excellent bang-for-your-buck move, assuming the team is high on him.
According to PuckPedia’s “Perri Pick Value Calculator,” the Flyers’ 22nd-overall pick (via the Colorado Avalanche) and first two choices of the second round would be enough to land them No. 12. While purely hypothetical, pulling something like this off could prove beneficial in the long term.
Lynden Lakovic, LW, Moose Jaw Warriors (WHL)
At 6-foot-4 and 200 pounds, you may be surprised to learn that Lynden Lakovic is not a power forward. In reality, he makes an impact through his shot, skating ability, and deceptiveness. His size is key for maximizing those skills, but he doesn’t use it in the traditional sense. This makes him divisive among scouts and, consequently, a trade-up candidate.
When Pronman asked scouts which player they felt was being overrated the most by the public, one named Lakovic. “His compete is an issue, doesn’t get to the middle and lack of physical engagement, and his hockey sense is ordinary. He’s more of a late first-rounder than a top-15 pick.”
Still, Lakovic has been most commonly mocked in the teens (our crew included). Despite missing almost a third of the season, he led the Moose Jaw Warriors in points with 58 in 47 games. His team went a dismal 15–45–8, a factor that should be considered. With top-six tools and intriguing production, the Flyers may be huge fans of Lakovic.
In my experience, fans are split on whether the Flyers need more wingers to contend. Some believe a top-six unit of Matvei Michkov, Travis Konecny, Tyson Foerster, and Owen Tippett is enough. Personally, I think they could use an extra body in there (the latter two didn’t reach 45 points this past season), and Lakovic fits the bill. If the team likes his game, that’d be a high-upside play.
As for what it’d take to trade up, the Smith package should be the expectation, for simplicity. The Flyers could get away with giving up less, seeing as even most of the public doesn’t have Lakovic going at or higher than No. 12.
Roger McQueen, C, Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL)
This one is not like the others we’ve examined. Roger McQueen, once seen by some as the top prospect in this year’s class, is being projected by most to go soon after the Flyers’ sixth-overall pick. But if he slips enough, it may be both possible and in the Flyers’ best interest to trade up for the Brandon Wheat Kings’ high-upside center.
The 6-foot-5, 198-pound McQueen was limited to just 17 games for the Wheat Kings this past season, accumulating 20 points. A back injury cost him a majority of his draft year, substantially lowering his stock in the process. But in a June 3 interview, he told NHL.com that the injury dated back to before the start of his 2023–24 campaign—it’s something that’s been bothering him for a long time. According to McQueen, he’s feeling 100% now. Moving forward, he’ll be tasked with making up for missed time.
There’s risk involved here, but that’s why McQueen could fall to a good trade-up spot in the first place. With elite hands and puck protection as one of the largest top prospects in recent memory, he can be a unicorn at the NHL level. If the Flyers can get a player like that without using their No. 6 choice, it’d be quite the feat.
Teams that may be willing to budge are the Seattle Kraken, Buffalo Sabres, and Anaheim Ducks (who pick between eight and 10). The agreed-upon juggernauts of the class will almost certainly be gone, and these once-rebuilding clubs could use a boost to compete for the playoffs. The Flyers can grant them a unique combination of ready-now talent and draft picks to simultaneously keep their prospect cupboards strong.
This is just speculative, but perhaps one of Cam York, Tippett, and Rasmus Ristolainen, along with the Flyers’ two late first-round picks and a second-rounder, for good measure, may suffice. Philadelphia has enough assets to make those teams really ponder trading down, especially if they’re lukewarm on the prospects in that range. It’s a long shot, but the Orange and Black could theoretically make this happen.
Victor Eklund, LW, Djurgårdens IF (HockeyAllsvenskan; Since Promoted to SHL)
Finally, there’s Victor Eklund. It shouldn’t come as a shock anymore, because this is a regular occurrence with undersized players, but a scout interviewed by Pronman cautioned of a potential draft-day plummet for the 5-foot-11, 169-pound winger who’s generally beloved by the public. “He’s a small winger without elite offense, those types tend to fall. He’s top 10 on almost every list, but I can almost guarantee that won’t happen on draft day.”
If the scout’s analysis is correct, the Flyers may want to seize the opportunity. While small, Eklund is one of the highest-motor players in the class, also possessing elite vision and a good shot. He displayed these traits in a professional league, only adding to his upside. Eklund had a point-per-game rate of 0.74, becoming the sixth draft-year prospect to put up over 0.60 across 20 or more games in HockeyAllsvenskan. The others are Elias Pettersson, Anton Frondell, William Nylander, Alex Wennberg, and David Pastrňák.
A skilled, hard-working winger plus a presumed center at sixth overall would be a nice haul for Philadelphia. If Eklund falls outside the top 10, you could be looking at the aforementioned Smith package to move up—very manageable given their surplus of picks. The only question is if the Flyers are as enamored with the tools as the public is.
At the 2025 NHL Draft, the Orange and Black can rekindle the boldness that defined them for many decades. But should they?
