The Flyers certainly aren't shying away from taking Russians in this year's draft.
The Philadelphia Flyers made a pair of selections in the third round of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, selecting Russian goalie Egor Zavragin with the No. 87 selection and center Denver Barkey at No. 95.
The Flyers added Zavragin minutes after trading up to select netminder Carson Bjarnason in the second round. With Sam Ersson, Felix Sandstrom, and Ivan Fedotov already in the system, the Flyers now have quite an impressive pool of talented goalie prospects.
The Flyers selected Zavragin's Russian countryman Matvei Michkov with the No. 7 pick of the first round, so clearly general manager Danny Brière is not afraid to take a gamble on Russian prospects despite the nation's tense geopolitical climate.
Zavragin appeared in 21 games in Russia's top junior league (the MHL) last season, posting a 11-6-1 record along with a .920 save percentage and 2.49 goals against average.
He was listed at No. 12 on NHL Central Scouting's rankings of the top European goalies eligible for the 2023 draft.
Eight picks later, the Flyers selected center Denver Barkey of the Ontario Hockey League's London Knights.
The Flyers selected Barkey's teammate, Oliver Bonk, with the No. 22 overall pick Wednesday night.
Barkey is a small forward, listed at 5-foot-9 and 154 pounds.
In 61 games with the Knights last season, Barkey logged 22 goals and 59 points. He also registered 11 goals and 24 points in 20 playoff games.