Welcome back.

It’s time to kick off Daily Faceoff’s second annual NHL Prospect Pool Breakdown, looking at the best all 32 teams have to offer. We’re highlighting the top 10 prospects for every franchise, their biggest strengths and weaknesses and so much more.

The criteria for being labeled a “prospect” are simple: players generally have to have played in 50 or fewer NHL games or spent more time outside of the NHL than in it last year. Skaters over 23 years old are not included, with goaltenders needing to be 25 or under.

Today, we’re looking at the Philadelphia Flyers.

Since this time last year, the Philadelphia Flyers lost Cutter Gauthier after the coveted college forward decided he didn’t want to sign with the club.

And yet, the Flyers still boast one of the best prospects in hockey in Matvei Michkov. And he might even be much better down the line, too. It feels like nothing has been simple when it comes to getting the team’s top prospects to commit to Philadelphia, but their Russian star is already making a big impact on the marketing side and he hasn’t even played a single NHL game.

So it’s truly an exciting time for a franchise that needed a victory. Last year saw the fanbase get teased all year long, only to miss out on the playoffs in the final week of the regular season. They missed out on drafting probably where they should have, but they bet on upside and selected a forward that many think could outperform pre-draft rankings in Jett Luchanko.

The Flyers still have quite a few flaws and are a few years away from being truly competitive. But adding Michkov to the lineup will make them must-watch in 2024-25.

Biggest Strengths

After everything that happened on the Carter Hart front, having a good backlog of goaltenders to choose from is huge. Ivan Fedotov will team up with Samuel Ersson with the big club this year, while Alexei Kolosov is scheduled to make the move to Lehigh Valley for the full season (or so, we believe). And then there’s Carson Bjarnason, who has a shot at being Canada’s No. 1 goaltender for the World Juniors, and Yegor Zavragin, who was excellent in his native Russia this past season. All you need is one of them to hit, but all are solid keepers with some decent potential, although it’s not clear if any of them look like a true No. 1.

Biggest Weakness

The Flyers need a bit of size, especially on the blueline. There’s plenty of skill and speed in this group, but they’ve drafted quite a few smaller players in recent years, and some of their goalies prospects are on the smaller side, too. It’s not a…. BIG issue, but adding some muscle and grit could give the pipeline a bit more of a rounded feel to it.

Fast Facts:
NHL GM: Daniel Briere
Dir. of Player Development: Riley Armstrong
AHL Affiliate: Hartford Lehigh Valley Phantoms
ECHL Affiliate: Reading Royals

*Emil Andrae (Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports)*

TOP 10 PROSPECTS

1. Matvei Michkov, RW, 19 (Philadelphia Flyers)

Acquired: Drafted seventh overall, first round in 2023

Michkov Mania is in full effect. He has made the trek over to Philly and is set to kick off his NHL rookie season much earlier than anyone expected after getting released from his KHL deal. Michkov was loaned back out to Sochi this past year and had another fantastic campaign. He had 19 goals and 41 points in 47 games, which would have put him fifth in scoring on SKA. His 0.87 point-per-game rate would have beaten everyone on SKA, too. He played more than he would have in St. Petersburg, for sure, but it still shows just how good of a Draft+1 year he had at a young age in a league that isn’t kind to U-20 kids. Simply put, Michkov would be a No. 1 in many drafts, but the question marks last year – plus some guy named Connor Bedard – meant that wasn’t happening. Now, he’s as much of a favorite as anyone to win the Calder Trophy.

2. Oliver Bonk, RHD, 19 (London, OHL)

Acquired: Drafted 22nd overall, first round in 2023

Besides the unfortunate moment that saw the puck bounce off him and in to eliminate Canada from the World Juniors, it was a near-perfect season for the 2023 first-rounder. He played a major role with London, scoring 24 goals and 67 points in the regular season en route to an OHL championship. I also thought he looked good at the Memorial Cup, registering points in all four games – including two in the final against Saginaw. The 6-foot-2 defender commands attention on the ice, and while he can clearly score, he grew up projecting as more of a shutdown defender. The fact he’s as rounded as he is right now is such an incredible sign for his development, and for the the Flyers for believing in him.

3. Jett Luchanko, C, 18 (Guelph, OHL)

Acquired: Drafted 13th overall, first round in 2024

*Jett Luchanko (Steven Ellis/Daily Faceoff)*

Was Luchanko taken earlier than I think he should have gone? Yes, I had him as the 36th-ranked prospect. Do I think it’ll pay off? I do, especially after a good showing at the World Junior Summer Showcase. I was initially concerned about his size – 5-foot-11, 170 pounds. I would like to see more muscle on him. However, after he put up more than 50 assists this year, I’m really impressed with his vision and hockey IQ. Luchanko excels in creating opportunities on the power play, primarily as a playmaker. He also has a great shot, although I wish he would use it more often. I see the talent and understand the interest in his brain, and I trust the Flyers’ scouting staff on this one, given the talent they left on the board.

4. Emil Andrae, LHD, 22 (Lehigh Valley, AHL)

Acquired: Drafted 54th overall, second round in 2020

Andrae had a strong first year in North America, registering 32 points in 61 games as a key piece of the Phantoms’ D-core. He also skated in four NHL games, showing a bit of skill and high hockey IQ. Andrae really grew on me after a strong showing at the 2022 World Junior Championship, putting up eight points in seven games on a Swedish team that had no business challenging for a medal given how they struggled to score. I don’t think he’ll be a minute-muncher in the NHL, but he’s dynamic and knows how to produce with the puck. I hope he gets more NHL time this year.

5. Alexei Kolosov, G, 22 (Lehigh Valley, AHL)

Acquired: Drafted 78th overall, third round in 2021

There have been plenty of rumors swirling around where Kolosov will be playing in 2024-25, so let me clear something up: Kolosov is a dang good goaltender. How good? I’m not fully sure yet. He’s a smaller goalie at 6-foot-0, but he’s so athletic and fluid and doesn’t overcommit often. Kolosov did a lot on a Dinamo Minsk team that struggled defensively and with two years as an undisputed starter, and another while splitting duties, he’s played quite a bit of pro hockey already. The NHL is a different beast, so it’ll take some time getting used to life in North America. If he plays for the Phantoms, he’s the best goalie they have. If he doesn’t, I do feel like he doesn’t have much to gain back in the KHL. We’ll see what happens.

6. Massimo Rizzo, C, 23 (Lehigh Valley, AHL)

Acquired: Traded by Carolina Hurricanes in 2023

*Massimo Rizzo (Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports)*

It’s still wild to me that the Hurricanes traded Rizzo to Philly for David Kaše, who is about to begin his fourth year in Czechia, and a fifth-round pick. From a performance standpoint, Rizzo has played well above the 216th spot he was selected in back in 2019. No college player had more points over the past three years than Rizzo, and now he’s set to take his exploits to the pro game. For a player drafted in the seventh round, there’s no question there’s high upside. Rizzo’s skating has always been just average at best, but he has added some more fluidity and top-end speed over the past few years. Physically, I’m not sure about his NHL future. Rizzo is only 5-foot-10, and it can show against stronger competition, but I think he has the skill to at least force himself into the conversation.

7. Denver Barkey, C, 19 (London, OHL)

Acquired: Drafted 95th overall, third round in 2023

If we’re going just off of how selection camp went, Barkey’s omission from Canada’s World Junior team was the biggest flaw, in my opinion. He brought so much energy to every shift, and it came in a year that saw him eventually post 102 points in the regular season and another 27 in 18 playoff games. The 5-foot-9 forward does so much with the puck, and I think he will be one of the smaller players who can make it work, thanks to his hard work ethic. He just wants to win and will do whatever it takes to make that happen. I still think Barkey needs to add some muscle to make himself more adaptable to the NHL, but I think he has what it takes to be quite the NHLer.

8. Carson Bjarnason, G, 19 (Brandon, WHL)

Acquired: Drafted 51st overall, second round in 2023

The Flyers already had a crowded crease when they selected Bjarnason, but it gave them another high-caliber option. The 6-foot-3 goalie has ideal size, and he’s had two solid seasons for a Wheat Kings team that doesn’t always give him quality defending to work with. Bjarnason is set for a big year, where he’ll hop to push Brandon far in the playoffs and might be the frontrunner for Canada’s starting gig at the World Juniors. It’s all about taking things one step at a time, but with his frame, athleticism and general good play over the past two years, Flyers fans are excited about Bjarnason’s potential. He’ll likely play in the AHL in 2025-26 and take things from there.

9. Jack Berglund, C, 18 (Farjestad, SHL)

Acquired: Drafted 51st overall, second round in 2024

*Jack Berglund (Steven Ellis/Daily Faceoff)*

I really believe in Berglund, someone who I think will be a good role NHLer. He’s got a 6-foot-3 frame, is big at 209 pounds and can muscle his way past anyone. That size has allowed him to adjust to SHL games with ease while also bullying around his own age group in U-20 action. Berglund has done a solid job offensively internationally, but those have come in spurts. Most recently, I liked him at the World Junior Summer Showcase in Plymouth. For me, he fits the mold of a bottom-six center perfectly – he’s defensively responsible, he’s strong and can move well, too.

10. Yegor Zavragin, G, 18 (HK Sochi, KHL)

Acquired: Drafted 87th overall, third round in 2023

The Flyers love their European goaltenders, don’t they? Zavragin is coming off a big year split between the VHL and MHL, although he’s still looking for his first KHL duty. That’ll come with Sochi on loan after SKA St. Petersburg acquired him in May, so he’ll get plenty of opportunities to face a ton of shots and try and lead his team to wins. Compared to the other two goalies on the list, there’s still a lot of wait-and-see for Zavragin given his lack of playing time last year – but he was so damn good in the VHL playoffs, facing over 40 shots in two of his three games against AKM Tula.

Other prospects: Alexis Gendron, RW (20), Samu Toumaala, RW (21), Elliot Desnoyers, C (22), J-R Avon, C (21), Zayde Wisdom, C (22), Ilya Pautov, RW (18), Noah Powell, LW (19), Heikki Ruohonen, C (18), Alex Ciernik, RW (19), Cole Knuble, RW (20), Ryan MacPherson, C (19), Alex Bump, LW (20), Devin Kaplan, RW (20), Santeri Sulku, LW (20), Owen McLaughlin, C (21), Spencer Gill, RHD (17), Austin Moline, RHD (18), Matteo Mann, RHD (19), Carter Sotheran, RHD (19), Ty Murchison, LHD (21), Brian Zanetti, LHD (21), Hunter McDonald, LHD (22), Helge Grans, RHD (22), Ethan Samson, RHD (20)