Flyers draft updates: Division foes making moves; prospects Philly could take with top pick; mock draft, rumors
Flyers general manager Danny Brière enters the 2025 NHL draft with three first-round picks, including No. 6.
- What you should know
- The 2025 NHL draft kicks off tonight in Los Angeles at 7 p.m. Philly time, and the Flyers have three picks, including No. 6. Here's what you need to know.
- Here's the Inquirer's final Flyers mock draft and 13 prospects that could make a lot of sense for the team tonight.
- Predicting the sixth pick, how Trevor Zegras impacts Flyers’ plans, and more from a Reddit AMA with the Inquirer's Jackie Spiegel.
- Ahead of tonight's draft, the Flyers met with top-ranked winger Porter Martone. They also met with James Hagens last week.
- The Flyers also traded for Trevor Zegras earlier this week. Here's five things to know about Zegras and his video-game moves.
2024 first-round pick Jett Luchanko surprisingly made the NHL team last season and played four games, becoming the youngest Flyer ever to do so in the process.
// Timestamp 06/27/25 4:44pm
Gameday Central: Top options, sleeper picks, and more
Ahead of the draft’s first round, Inquirer Flyers writer Jackie Spiegel sat down with FloHockey draft and prospect analyst Chris Peters on Gameday Central to discuss the team's options with the sixth pick, sleeper prospects to watch, and much more.
// Timestamp 06/27/25 4:21pm
Report: Blue Jackets trade for Charlie Coyle and Miles Woods
Teams across the Metro continue to make moves. After missing out on Noah Dobson to Montreal, the Blue Jackets added centers Charlie Coyle and Miles Wood from the Avalanche, trading away a 2027 second, a 2025 third, and forward prospect Gavin Brindley.
The Flyers and general managaer Daniel Brière have three first-round picks tonight.
// Timestamp 06/27/25 2:16pm
Reports: Islanders trade Noah Dobson to the Canadiens
// Timestamp 06/27/25 1:13pm
Could Flyers be in the mix as Islanders look to trade Noah Dobson?
Islanders defenseman Noah Dobson’s name has been thrown around in trade rumors for the last few weeks, and over the last 48 hours it is looking more and more likely that he will be dealt.
Insider Frank Seravalli reports that the Islanders have shifted their approach from seeking roster players to draft picks in a potential trade for Dobson.
Could the Flyers be in the mix here? While Montreal and Columbus are reportedly very interested in the 25-year-old defenseman, the Flyers would have the best pick package of the three if they wanted to get involved.
Dobson would also check off a huge box for the Flyers, as he is a true No. 1 power-play quarterback and greatly aid one of the league’s worst units. The 6-foot-4 blueliner is a restricted free agent and is seeking a new contract in the $10 million a year range. We wrote about Dobson and nine other defenseman the Flyers could target earlier this week.
// Timestamp 06/27/25 11:47am
Final NHL mock draft: Here's who we have the Flyers taking tonight
Pick No. 6
Jake O’Brien, C, Brantford (OHL): If Caleb Desnoyers, Anton Frondell, and Porter Martone are gone — in that order — my gut instinct is that O’Brien is next on the Flyers’ list. Although James Hagens has been in this spot on previous mock drafts, and Brady Martin is another strong possibility, the addition of Trevor Zegras on Monday appears to shift things a little, and the 18-year-old O’Brien (his birthday was June 16), brings high-end skill and size down the middle at 6-foot-2.
Pick No. 22
Logan Hensler, RHD, Wisconsin (NCAA): The bottom half of the draft is littered with high-quality defensemen, and although I’ve gone with Blake Fiddler here in the past, it was only because the thought was Hensler would be gone already. So, if he’s there, and Kashawn Aitcheson, Penn State commit Jackson Smith, or Cameron Reid, are all gone, I do think the Flyers snag him. They could also, as several draft analysts have alluded to, take big Russian winger Daniil Prokhorov, but Hensler may be too good to pass up.
Pick No. 31
Henry Brzustewicz, RHD, London (OHL): I know John Tortorella is no longer here, but his words around the trade deadline about needing right-shot defensemen still ring true. And while “Henry B.” did not meet with the Flyers in Buffalo at the scouting combine, no one should take that to mean he’s 100% out the door. They’ve seen him plenty, as the blueliner was teammates with Oliver Bonk and Denver Barkey in London. The 6-f1 D-man, who played a little with Bonk but primarily with CHL defenseman of the year Sam Dickinson, can play all three zones, has a heavy shot, and has incredibly “high-compete” level.
Flyers mock draft 4.0: James Hagens or Jake O’Brien at No. 6? Will they grab a goalie in Round 2?// Timestamp 06/27/25 10:15am
Whomever the Flyers draft, don't expect to see them anytime soon
While much has been made about the Flyers’ potentially landing their No. 1 center with the sixth pick, it is important to remember that whomever they select is likely a year, or two, or even three away from helping the NHL club.
This is especially true in a 2025 class that might not have a single player who starts off in the NHL next year. Projected top pick Matthew Schaefer and top-ranked forward Michael Misa probably have the best chance of getting to the NHL quickly, but Schaefer only played 17 games in juniors last season due to injury, while the high-scoring Misa might also need another year of seasoning.
In terms of Flyers targets, Boston College center James Hagens is probably one year away as most feel confident that he’ll turn pro after his sophomore season, while the likes of Caleb Desnoyers, Brady Martin, Porter Martone, and Jake O’Brien are all one to two years from competing for an NHL spot.
The Flyers’ 2024 first-round pick Jett Luchanko surprisingly made the NHL team last season and played four games, becoming the youngest Flyer ever to do so in the process, but that was more just a logistics thing and to get him that experience and evaluate what he needed to work on. The plan was that he would always return to juniors before hitting the 10-game mark.
Matvei Michkov, the team’s top pick in 2023, stayed in Russia for another season after his draft year, while fellow 2023 picks Oliver Bonk, Denver Barkey, and Carson Bjarnason are all set to turn pro next season. The Flyers hope to land that No. 1 center and franchise cornerstone on Friday night but his debut with the Flyers will have to wait for at least a year.
// Timestamp 06/27/25 8:50am
6 prospects that could make a lot of sense for Flyers' top pick
Caleb Desnoyers, C, Moncton Wildcats (QMJHL)
By far, Desnoyers is the most well-rounded center in this class and the one everyone says will stick at that position in the NHL. He is a proven winner and just led Moncton to the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League championship — with two bad wrists. There’s a good chance he won’t be there at the sixth slot, hence the mid-range draft meter, but if he is there, the Flyers will surely snag the 6-foot-2 younger brother of current Lehigh Valley Phantom Elliot Desnoyers.
Draft meter: 5
Jake O’Brien, C, Brantford Bulldogs (OHL)
With the top three all but predetermined and, in all likelihood, Desnoyers off the board, O’Brien sounds like the next guy on the list for the Flyers. The Ontario Hockey League-based center is 6-2 and has immense skill in terms of his passing and vision on the ice. Is he a complete, 200-foot player like Desnoyers? No, but he is just 18 and has tremendous upside.
Draft meter: 9
Brady Martin, C, Soo Greyhounds (OHL)
The hardest decision for the Flyers at No. 6 could be between Martin and O’Brien. Unlike O’Brien, Martin brings the boom. He’s a strong center at 6 feet and 186 pounds who lives for the big body checks while being a team player. There’s a lot to like about Martin, who has high-end skill and one of the strongest work ethics in the draft class, thanks to his experience working on his family’s farm.
Draft meter: 8
Porter Martone, RW, Brampton Steelheads (OHL)
With the addition of Zegras down the middle, could the Flyers shift gears and aim for the top winger in the class? If so, Martone would be the guy. The hyper-focused winger brings size at 6-3, 204 pounds, high-end skill, and is a proven leader as he is not only the captain in Brampton but has worn the “C” for Hockey Canada. He needs to work on his skating, but he has elite playmaking skills, can score, and, like O’Brien and Martin, has major upside.
Draft meter: 6
James Hagens, C, Boston College (NCAA)
Yes, as multiple sources have confirmed to The Inquirer, the Flyers did meet with the Boston College product last week in New Jersey. But these meetings happen all the time, so all bets are off on whether Hagens is the guy they take if available at No. 6. Here’s the thing, the 5-11, 186-pound Hagens is dynamic and one of the best skaters, playmakers, and scorers in the class, and while Brière and Flahr said they don’t have an issue with size, the consensus is that they may lean toward one of the bigger guys with their top pick.
Draft meter: 6
Roger McQueen, Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL)
The only other option at No. 6 for the Flyers appears to be McQueen, who some draft experts say could have been the No. 1 pick — if not for his back injury. There is a major risk with taking McQueen, but a considerable reward if his injuries are behind him. The Flyers have done their due diligence and also conducted a medical interview with the 6-5 center for Brandon — yep, the junior team of Carson Bjarnason led by former Flyer Marty Murray — so they may think it is worth it in the end. But, of course, looming over this is how the last time the Flyers took a Brandon center with some injury question marks, it didn’t go well (Nolan Patrick).
Draft meter: 6
Flyers draft: Rating 13 potential first-round targets for the Orange and Black// Timestamp 06/27/25 8:25am
When do the Flyers pick tonight?
The Flyers will be busy Friday night.
Thanks to some wheeling and dealing, Philly has three picks in the first round of the draft — 6, 22, and 31.
Overall, the Flyers have 10 draft picks this weekend, including three in the second round and one in the third, at least before any wheeling and dealing takes place.
Here’s a breakdown of their picks and where they came from:
The Flyers have three picks in tonight’s 2025 NHL draft. Here’s what you need to know.// Timestamp 06/27/25 8:20am
Flyers met with Porter Martone ahead of the NHL draft
The Flyers seem to be doing their due diligence leading up to the 2025 NHL draft.
After The Inquirer reported that James Hagens met with the team in the Philly area last week, Porter Martone confirmed on Thursday to reporters in Los Angeles that he also made a visit to the Garden State this week.
Martone is considered the top winger in this draft class, and with the addition of Trevor Zegras on Monday — and the intention of, at least to start, having him down the middle — the Flyers could shift gears and not take a center. That said, Martone is a right winger, which the Flyers already have an overabundance of in their top six.
But what right-wingers Bobby Brink, Travis Konecny, and Matvei Michkov don’t have is Martone’s size. The hyper-focused winger brings a big frame at 6-foot-3, 204 pounds, high-end skill, and is a proven leader.
Martone is the captain in Brampton of the Ontario Hockey League and has also worn the “C” for Hockey Canada. He needs to work on his skating, but he has elite playmaking skills, can score goals, and has major upside.
This past season, Martone tallied 37 goals and 98 points in 57 regular-season games for Brampton, tying another possible Flyers pick at No. 6, Jake O’Brien, for seventh on the OHL scoring charts. He added nine points (four goals, five assists) in six playoff games.
The Flyers met with top-ranked winger Porter Martone this week ahead of the NHL draft// Pinned
// Timestamp 06/27/25 8:15am
2025 NHL Draft: Start time, channel, how to watch and stream
The Sixers are off the clock, now it’s the Flyers’ turn.
The 2025 NHL draft kicks off tonight at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, and Philly has three picks in the first round tonight and 10 picks overall.
The NHL draft runs two days, with the first round starting tonight at 7 p.m. on ESPN and ESPN+.
Rounds 2-7 begin Saturday at 11:30 a.m. on the NHL Network and ESPN+
John Buccigross will host the draft for ESPN for the fourth straight year, joined by NHL analyst Kevin Weekes, senior NHL writer Emily Kaplan, and reporter Leah Hextall.
In a new wrinkle, team executives, coaches, and scouts will join tonight’s draft virtually from their home cities (the Flyers will be working down the shore in Atlantic City), while the top prospects will take the state at the Peacock Theater in downtown Los Angeles alongside commissioner Gary Bettman.
Here’s everything you need to know to watch or stream the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft:
- When: Friday, June 27
- Where: Peacock Theater, Los Angeles
- Time: 7 p.m. Eastern
- TV: ESPN
- Streaming: ESPN+
2025 NHL draft: First-round draft order
// Timestamp 06/27/25 8:10am
©2025 The Philadelphia Inquirer. Visit inquirer.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
