The Flyers seem primed for future success with a plethora of skilled young forwards and draft day steal Matvei Michkov coming down the line. But, their lack of blueline presence could hinder that vision, writes Tony Ferarri.
The Flyers seem primed for future success with a plethora of skilled young forwards and draft day steal Matvei Michkov coming down the line. But, their lack of blueline presence could hinder that vision, writes Tony Ferarri.
As the NHL off-season ticks on, Tony Ferrari continues to analyze each team’s prospect pool, with the Philadelphia Flyers next up.
In this series, Tony Ferrari digs into each team’s strengths and weaknesses, their latest draft class, where their positional depth chart stands, and who could be next in line for a shot at the NHL. Note that a player who no longer holds rookie eligibility in the NHL is considered graduated and no longer considered a prospect for the purposes of these exercises unless mentioned otherwise.
Introduction
New GM Danny Briere has fully committed to the rebuild. One of the most dynamic prospects in recent years falling to Philadelphia in the draft in his first draft as a GM was a gift. Matvei Michkov is the kind of game-breaking talent that teams would pray for at the seventh overall pick, and everything fell into place for Briere.
The system’s top prospect heading into the draft season was Cutter Gauthier, their top pick from the 2022 draft class. He had a fantastic freshman season at Boston College and he was a pivotal member of Team U.S.A's world junior squad at the 2023 tournament. This upcoming season, he should be an absolute menace both in college and the annual U20 event. Gauthier plays with a heaviness in terms of his physicality and his shooting ability. He looked like a man amongst boys at the World Junior Summer Showcase earlier this month. He could be a sneaky Hobey Baker candidate and may be one of the betting favorites for WJC MVP.
Tyson Foerster had a very good year last season. His AHL numbers were encouraging but his NHL call-up is what had Flyers fans buzzing. After going scoreless in his first three NHL games, he recorded seven points in his final five before being sent back to the AHL to finish the season. Foerster has dealt with injuries throughout his development but stayed healthy for the majority of last year, allowing him to showcase his fantastic shooting talent and the refined playmaking that he’s developed since his draft year.
After off-season hip surgery, Bobby Brink returned to action in the AHL just after the New Year and after an adjustment period, looked like the creative playmaker and slick passer that we’ve seen since his USHL days. Brink has had a full off-season to get stronger and train which should be a boon for his chances of playing in NHL games this upcoming season as the Flyers look to see what they have with a number of their young players.
The Flyers have some interesting depth prospects such as the speedy Jon-Randall Avon and the do-it-all complimentary player Elliot Desnoyers. They did an excellent job of supplementing their prospect pool, particularly upfront in this year’s draft as well.
On the back end, the player that has given Flyers fans the most hope is Emil Andrae. The undersized defender made his way over to North America after a solid year in the SHL. Andrae has been a leader and contributor at a number of levels, captaining the Swedish world junior squad and helping HV71 get promoted back to the SHL after a year stint in HockeyAllsvenskan. He is a smart puck-mover and crafty offensive player. Aside from his size, his mobility is a bit of a concern but he’s found success at the pro level by using his intelligence so he will look to continue doing so in North America.
Egor Zamula has had a cup of coffee in the NHL in each of the last three years but his overall play has been a bit up-and-down. Last year, he took a bit of a step back in the AHL, never quite finding the level of play from the previous year. He still managed to earn a 14-game call-up and could be in line for even more NHL duty this year. He is a tall, lanky defender who moves the puck efficiently, something Philly could use at the NHL level.
After a solid career at Western Michigan, Ronnie Attard has been very good in the AHL. He has a great ability to play at both ends of the ice and flex his might physically, while still showing off his confidence with the puck in all three zones. Attard might be the Flyers' most underappreciated prospect.
2023 NHL Draft Class
Round 1, 7th overall - Matvei Michkov, RW, SKA St. Petersburg (KHL)
Round 1, 22nd overall - Oliver Bonk, RD, London (OHL)
Round 2, 51st overall - Carson Bjarnason, G, Brandon (WHL)
Round 3, 87th overall - Yegor Zavragin, G, Mamonty Yugry (MHL)
Round 3, 95th overall - Denver Barkey, C, London (OHL)
Round 4, 103rd overall - Cole Knuble, C/W, Fargo (USHL)
Round 4, 120th overall - Alex Ciernik, LW, Sodertalje (Allsvensken)
Round 5, 135th overall - Carter Sotheran, RD, Portland (WHL)
Round 6, 172nd overall - Ryan McPherson, C, Leamington (GOJHL)
Round 7, 199th overall - Matteo Mann, RD, Chicoutimi (QMJHL)
The Flyers 2023 draft class hasn’t been talked about enough. They managed to find value throughout the draft and they wound up being the team that understood the elite-level talent that Matvei Michkov should provide once his KHL contract is up in a few years. The talent level that Michkov has is simply insane when at his best. He is an elite shooter who can pick corners and his ability to facilitate for his teammates with slick passes is special. The young Russian star is uber skilled, dekeing and dangling opponents with regularity to open himself up for his shot. Michkov’s raw speed is good but where his skating is elite is in the ability to shift and cut on his edges, staying quick and agile all over the ice.
Michkov was the wildcard of the 2023 draft class who was arguably a top-two talent in a loaded group but due to the geopolitical issues with Russian players as well as the fact that he is signed with SKA St. Petersburg through the 2025-26 season. This means that Michkov won’t be able to join the Flyers until he is 21. With that said, as the Connor Bedard’s and Adam Fantilli’s of the world are signing the big-money second contracts that limit their team’s cap space, Matvei Michkov will be playing on his entry-level contract while just entering his prime, looking to come into the NHL and prove that he is the game-breaking talent that we’ve all hyped him up to be.
Later in round one, the Flyers selected Oliver Bonk, a shutdown defender who flashes puck-carrying ability and offensive skill, albeit inconsistently. Bonk understands where to be defensively and understands when he needs to be physical and when to use his mobility and stick work to defend. He is a good breakout passer and although he isn’t the most dynamic player with the puck on his stick, he understands how to maneuver out of trouble.
Carson Bjarnason was often viewed as the top-ranked North American netminder in this year’s class. He has all of the physical tools and moves exceptionally well in the net. He can get lost at times when trying to track the puck through a crowd, but he has the athleticism to react late and make the save. The Flyers should slow play the development of Bjarnason and allow him to mature and develop his mental game to match up with his physical tools.
The Flyers went back-to-back on netminders by taking Yegor Zavragin right after Bjarnason. The Russian netminder is one of the youngest players in the draft class and was impressive at the Russian junior level, putting up a .920 save percentage. He has been one of the best goalies in Russia in recent years, and had the world been a different place, he could have gone 50 picks higher. His technique improved this past season, and although he’s not a massive netminder, he stands 6-foot-2 with crisp movements in his crease.
Denver Barkey plays with energy and pace, using his puck skill and passing ability to generate positive plays. The London Knights center earned his way up the lineup and was a pivotal piece to the puzzle for a London team that over-achieved to a degree this year. Barkey worked his way into a top-line role that helped the Knights through the playoffs as he put his pro habits and never-ending motor on display.
One of the best overage prospects in the USHL was the Flyers' next pick, Cole Knuble. He is a tactical playmaker who never stops skating. Knuble was one of the best players at the World Jr. A Championship for the Americans, showcasing his vision and passing as well as his willingness to go to the hard areas of the ice. He’s heading to the University of Notre Dame next season and should have ample opportunity to continue growing in the NCAA.
Slovak winger Alex Ciernik is one of the quickest skaters in the draft, and his experience in the Allsvenskan, the second-tier men’s level in Sweden, made him one of the most interesting prospects in the draft. Ciernik has always performed at a high level against his age group internationally, including at the World Junior Championship for Slovakia. He is a true dual-threat scorer offensively with the ability to shift his weight and gash defenders with his speed. He could be one of the steals of the draft, falling into the fourth round.
Carter Sotheran is a defender who plays a safe and responsible game. His game is simple, consistently shutting down threats and calmly moving the puck to a teammate. He is an intelligent defender who understands how to accomplish the goal of preventing offensive chances and getting the puck moving up ice. What he lacks in flair, he makes up for in substance.
The Flyers drafted Ryan McPherson from the Leamington Flyers of the GOJHL. He finished second in team scoring behind his twin brother, Connor, who went undrafted. McPherson is a solid passer who was manipulative against a very low level of competition. This was a bit of a surprise pick, with the hopes that after a year in the BCHL and some time in the NCAA with the University of New Hampshire, he can round into a functional pro.
Matteo Mann rounded out the Flyers draft class, making him the tenth name added to the pipeline. The physical 6-foot-6 defender loves to punish his opponents but often goes chasing hits for the sake of it. His defensive positioning is often thrown out of wack because he chases those hits. He can make short-distance passes to breakout but panics a bit when there is more of a complex play on hand.
Strengths
The Flyers have a plethora of wingers with a variety of different skill sets. They are one of the rare teams that have so many players projected to the wing, they can justifiably bank on the fact that Gauthier can play down the middle as he has done in the past. If they really need a winger with a big shot that can throw the body around, they have Gauthier and Foerster. They want speed and skill? Look to Ciernik. Then there's even Zayde Wisdom, a gritty winger who can do a bit of everything. All of that goes without saying that in a few years, Michkov will be joining the fold and changing everything – and he’s been playing center this pre-season in the KHL.
Weaknesses
Although they have a couple of blueliners that could make an impact to varying degrees, the Flyers lack a true impact No. 1 defenseman of the future. They did an excellent job of building up their forward pipeline at the draft this year, but they will need to have a similar influx of talent on the back end next year to continue down the road to what they hope is eventual success.
Next Man Up: Tyson Foerster, RW
The Flyers are likely going to be auditioning a number of young players this year in the NHL, but Foerster should have the opportunity in training camp to earn a full-time role. His shooting talent would be a welcome addition to the Philly lineup, as they haven’t had much success recently with young players coming up and scoring at the NHL level. He engages physically as well and could play a valuable role in the middle-six and provide a true weapon on the power play. It will be nice for many of the other Lehigh Valley Phantoms' players to have a familiar face in the NHL lineup as they get their shots with the big club as well.
Prospect Depth Chart Notables
LW: Cutter Gauthier, Alex Ciernik, Elliot Desnoyers
C: Denver Barkey, Jon-Randall Avon, Owen McLaughlin
RW: Matvei Michkov, Tyson Foerster, Bobby Brink, Zayde Wisdom, Devin Kaplan
LD: Emil Andrae, Egor Zamula, Mason Millman
RD: Oliver Bonk, Ronnie Attard, Carter Sotheran, Wyatte Wylie
G: Carson Bjarnason, Yegor Zavragin, Samuel Ersson, Alexei Kolosov
For a deeper dive into the prospect pool with player rankings, check out the Yearbook, Prospects Unlimited and Future Watch editions of The Hockey News.