Unheralded Flyers Prospect Has Taken a Massive Leap Forward

As the active NHL roster continues to struggle, now is as good a time as ever to pay attention to some top Philadelphia Flyers prospects, and even those flying under the radar. One unheralded youngster, in particular, might not be a lesser-known name for much longer.

Of course, with how poorly the Flyers have played, much of the prospect focus has been directed towards current AHLers like Jett Luchanko, Alex Bump, Ty Murchison, and Hunter McDonald.

That makes perfect sense, too, given that the Lehigh Valley Phantoms are fairly local, playing out of Allentown, Pa., and AHL games are now more accessible via streaming than ever.

Overseas, though, the Flyers have a promising prospect making some major strides, positioning himself for some NHL opportunities sooner than later.

Since he was drafted 132nd overall in the fifth round of the 2025 NHL Draft, we've seen very little of Flyers prospect Max Westergard.

The 19-year-old Finn was unavailable for development camp in July, and because Westergard is a pro player for the SHL's Frolunda HC, we didn't get to see him in action during training camp or the preseason, either.

That's fine, though, because Westergard's time is coming.

In 16 SHL games with Frolunda this season, the teenaged winger has already racked up four goals, six assists, and 10 points, while adding another goal, four assists, and five points in six Champions Hockey League games.

For the sake of comparison, Westergard was only a part-time SHLer last year, and didn't record a point in his 18 games for Frolunda. And in Champions HL competition, he managed just two assists in 10 games.

Fast-forward to this year, and Westergard has established himself as a full-time SHLer, as well as one of the best players on Frolunda.

Currently, Westergard leads all SHL D+2 skaters in scoring with his 10 points; Eddie Genborg, Theo Stockselius, and Tinus Luc Koblar, drafted 44th, 54th, and 64th, respectively, trail Westergard with eight, six, and four points.

The key here is that Westergard was snapped up by the Flyers three whole rounds later.

Size certainly plays a factor, as Westergard is 6-foot, and the other three are all 6-foot-2 or 6-foot-3.

Regardless, with the unheralded winger, the Flyers have clearly snagged a prospect already comfortably out-performing his modest draft slot.

Westergard already had blazing speed as his primary physical tool, and now the offensive production is coming in heaps, too. Oh, and it helps that he was also one of the youngest players in the entire 2025 draft class with a Sept. 3 birthday. The extended developmental runway has to be tantalizing for a Flyers front office in need of a late-round draft steal.

Westergard seems to be one of those players who just continues to produce and take advantages of opportunities when they're given, and as a result, he's quickly forcing his way onto the radar.