The Philadelphia Flyers desperately need their 2025 NHL draft class to be highly productive if their rebuild is going to show progression. They took some big swings (Porter Martone [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers/latest-news/breaking-flyers-take-name-at-sixth-overall]) and some gambles (Jack Nesbitt [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers/latest-news/flyers-trade-up-select-jack-nesbitt-at-no-12]) while adding some needed size [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers/latest-news/flyers-prospect-pool-gets-a-big-boost-at-the-nhl-draft-literally]. How it all turns out down the road will help define a franchise that has been stuck in neutral for way too long. Brent Flahr, assistant GM, has had a mixed record since the Flyers [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers] hired him in December 2018 and have had him heading their draft board since 2019. Hired by then-GM Chuck Fletcher, Flahr has overseen seven drafts with the Flyers, including this year’s. During that time, he has had some good draft selections (Tyson Foerster in 2020), some puzzling ones (Cam York [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers/players/cam-york-reflects-on-a-tumultuous-flyers-season-i-know-i-can-be-better] over Cole Caufield in 2019) and some that turned out superbly (Matvei Michkov in 2023). He also made a wise choice, but as it turned out, set back the franchise by selecting Cutter Gauthier [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers/latest-news/flyers-can-thank-cutter-gauthier-for-new-left-wing-prospect] in 2022. Gauthier looks like a future star. [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/anaheim-ducks/latest-news/anaheim-ducks-forward-cutter-gauthier-announced-to-nhl-all-rookie-team] The problem is he forced the Flyers to trade him because he didn’t want to play in Philadelphia. Here’s a look at the Flahr-led drafts during his Flyers tenure: 2019 This will forever be known as the draft in which the Flyers bypassed Caufield. Twice. In hindsight, the decision isn’t as disastrous because of Bobby Brink’s development. Still, the decision to bypass Caufield [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens/latest-news/canadiens-caufield-speaks-to-the-media] stings. Caufield was an electric scorer going into that draft, but the Flyers questioned his lack of size at 5-foot-7 and 170 pounds. He has proven his stature didn’t matter. The right winger, drafted 15th overall, has been a big-time scorer for the Montreal Canadiens [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens] ever since he became a full-time player in 2021-22. In the past four seasons, he has scored 23, 26, 28 and 37 goals for the Canadiens. Instead of drafting Caufield, Fletcher made two deals and got two players early in the 2019 draft: York and Brink [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers/players/bobby-brink-found-his-groove-with-the-flyersand-then-some]. The latter is a smallish player regarded as Caufield lite. York is still developing but has been mediocre, while Brink had 12 goals and 41 points last season, both career bests. Would you rather have York and Brink over Caufield? Probably not. Flahr gets a C-minus in this draft. 2020 Flahr took right winger Foerster at 23rd overall. Defenseman Emil Andrae [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers/players/why-the-time-is-now-for-emil-andrae-to-cement-his-place-in-the-flyers] was taken 54th and has a chance to be a regular. You can quibble that the Flyers should have taken right winger JJ Peterka instead of Foerster, but the latter has been very solid. Peterka, a German, was taken 34th overall by the Buffalo Sabres [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/buffalo-sabres] and has scored 28 and 27 goals over the past two seasons, respectively. Foerster scored 20 goals as a rookie and 25 goals last season. Give Flahr a B-plus for his first-round pick in this draft. 2021 The Flyers didn’t have a first-rounder in this draft but selected Samu Tuomaala in the second round and goalie Aleksei Kolosov in the third. Among the players who were available when Tuomaala was chosen 46th overall: Matthew Knies [https://thehockeynews.com/news/latest-news/double-play-tavares-knies-extensions-give-maple-leafs-financial-clarity] (29 goals this past season with the Toronto Maple Leafs [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs]), Logan Stankoven (14 goals) and productive defenseman J.J. Moser. Tuomaala has been up and down with the AHL Lehigh Valley. Flahr gets a C in this draft. The Calgary Flames And The League Among The Winners And Losers From The 2025 NHL Draft [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/eea12c9d-97d0-4389-9277-be5a00732149.webp] The Calgary Flames And The League Among The Winners And Losers From The 2025 NHL Draft It almost feels impossible to designate winners and losers on the day that the NHL draft goes down. The whole point of the NHL draft is to build for the future, and with the inexact science that is the NHL draft, no one really knows who won and lost the day the picks are made. [https://thehockeynews.com/news/latest-news/the-calgary-flames-and-the-league-among-the-winners-and-losers-from-the-2025-nhl-draft] 2022 For the Flyers, this draft included Gauthier (fifth overall) and Alex Bump (fifth round, 133rd overall). In fairness, Gauthier didn’t tell the Flyers he didn’t want to play for them until a few months after the NHL draft, so Flahr and the rest of the draft board should be absolved. If they had known, the Flyers might have chosen center Marco Kasper, who went eighth to the Detroit Red Wings [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/detroit-red-wings]. That would have changed the dynamics of where the center-needy Flyers are today. In his first full season, Kasper had 19 goals last year and blossomed into the Red Wings’ No. 2 center. Give Flahr a B-plus for this draft. 2023 This is Flahr’s best draft. By far. Besides taking star-in-the-making Michkov [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers/latest-news/flyers-matvei-michkov-joined-by-2-rivals-on-nhl-all-rookie-team] with the seventh overall pick, the Flyers added to their future nucleus by drafting Oliver Bonk (first round, 22nd overall), Carson Bjarnason (second round), Denver Barkey (third round) and goalie Egor Zavragin (third round). Bravo, Mr. Flahr. He gets an A-plus for this draft. 2024 Speedy center Jett Luchanko (13th overall) was the Flyers’ top pick, and the jury is still out on him after a strong OHL [https://thehockeynews.com/ohl] season in 2024-25. He doesn’t turn 19 until Aug. 21. Flahr’s grade for this draft is incomplete. Porter Martone and Gary Bettman (Kirby Lee-Imagn Images) [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/275bcf5e-e126-4f02-a702-798b72ecc79a.jpeg] Porter Martone and Gary Bettman (Kirby Lee-Imagn Images) 2025 The Flyers chose right winger Martone sixth overall, and the power forward has drawn comparisons to the hard-nosed Tkachuk brothers, Matthew and Brady, so it’s hard to argue with the pick. That said, Philly desperately needed a future No.1 center, and bypassing James Hagens raised some eyebrows. Philadelphia fans will watch closely the development of Martone and Hagens. Flahr’s biggest gamble was trading two late first-round picks [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers/latest-news/flyers-jack-nesbitt-trade-complete-with-2-penguins-draft-picks] to the Pittsburgh Penguins [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins] to move up to No. 12, where the Flyers selected 6-foot-5 center Nesbitt. Most draft experts rated in the mid-20s to high 30s – Ryan Kennedy had him ranked 20th [https://thehockeynews.com/news/final-2025-nhl-draft-rankings-ryan-kennedy-s-top-100#:~:text=20.%20Jack%20Nesbitt%2C%20C%2C%20Windsor%20(OHL)], while Tony Ferrari had him 51st [https://thehockeynews.com/news/latest-news/2025-nhl-draft-rankings-ferrari-s-final-top-80#:~:text=51.%20Jack%20Nesbitt%2C%20C/LW%2C%20Windsor%20(OHL)%2C%206%2Dfoot%2D4%2C%20186%20pounds%C2%A0]. He is regarded as a future third-line center. Flahr’s grade for this draft won’t be known for a few years. He did add size – lots of size – and talent later in the draft, so the hope is that not getting a future No. 1 center won’t haunt him. Get the latest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News [https://news.google.com/publications/CAAqBwgKMK-q0gsw7sXpAw?hl=en-CA&gl=CA&ceid=CA%3Aen] and by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here [http://eepurl.com/i7OC4I]. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.
