Victor Eklund (left) is the consensus top left wing in the 2025 NHL Draft. (Photo: David Reginek, Imagn Images)
With seven picks in the first two rounds of the 2025 NHL Draft, the possibilities are endless for the Philadelphia Flyers. They could use all seven picks, trade up once, trade up twice, or even trade down like they did in 2024.
At the end of the day, though, the Flyers are all about adding talent to their cupboard and building the best team possible, both now and in the future. So, how can they do that?
The 2025 draft is widely regarded as a top-heavy one, with talent beginning to drop off substantially outside the top 10-12 players, depending on what you're looking for.
The Flyers, of course, own the No. 6 pick, and then they're back on the clock with No. 22 a short while later. After those two is Pick 31, which is still subject to change based on the outcome of the Stanley Cup Finals.
The 22nd and 31st picks are the keys for the Flyers to make any trades, regardless of if they yield players or prospects. For the sake of this exercise, we'll put these two picks to work and discuss which 2025 draft prospects are worth sacrificing the draft capital for from various different draft positions.
Trading up from No. 6
Flyers GM Danny Briere already revealed Tuesday that many teams, including the Flyers themselves, are trying to trade up and climb the draft order. The Flyers also tried to do this last year, and Utah forward Logan Cooley believed they tried to do so to acquire him in the 2022 draft.
Basically, there are no surprises to be had here. The Flyers want the most talented player they can get.
Michael Misa, F, Saginaw Spirit (OHL) 6-foot-1, 183 pounds
Michael Misa is, by all accounts, the best forward prospect the Flyers could conceivably get their hands on this year.
The 18-year-old speed demon scored 62 goals, 72 assists, and a whopping total of 134 points in 65 games this year, though his three points in four playoff games and -10 rating were less encouraging.
Still, Misa's routes, speed, timing, and all-around offensive package are top notch. Misa always knows where he needs to be, when, and why. He's equal parts shooter and playmaker and would be the Flyers' No. 1 center of the future in league with Matvei Michkov on the top line.
There's no telling if he'll ever be as good as them, but names that come to mind for me are Nathan MacKinnon and Patrick Kane.
The Flyers would have to strike a deal with the San Jose Sharks to acquire the No. 2 pick in order to land Misa.
Anton Frondell, F, Djurgardens IF (SHL) 6-foot-1, 200 pounds
Anton Frondell went from potential No. 1 pick a year ago to a borderline top-10 pick this year, depending on who you ask.
A lack of consistency makes Frondell a massive gamble, as does his mostly meat-and-potatoes play style. The 18-year-old Swede is a bully in the small areas and has a missile of a shot, but he hasn't shown much as a playmaker or a puck transporter.
These holes make him one of the worst trade-up targets for the Flyers, but it's possible the team likes Frondell for the other reasons mentioned above.
It's widely believed that Frondell is in play for teams like the Chicago Blackhawks (3) and Utah Mammoth (4), but how much will it cost the Flyers to move up two or three spots? That is the golden question.
If the hype is real, the Flyers should avoid biting on the bait on this one. They would be better served standing pat and keeping their draft picks in this instance.
Caleb Desnoyers, C, Moncton Wildcats (QMJHL) 6-foot-2, 180 pounds
Briere and the Flyers love Caleb Desnoyers and his family, which includes Flyers prospect and older brother Elliot Desnoyers.
The new Moncton Wildcats captain is always one of, if not the smartest player on the ice at all times, which allows him to constantly deceive and manipulate to create scoring opportunities for himself and his teammates.
At 18, Desnoyers is already a U18 World Juniors champion, a QMJHL champion, and Hlinka-Gretzky gold medalist. He's a proven winner, smart, and hard-working - all the hallmarks of the things the Flyers outwardly preach to the public.
Desnoyers may not necessarily be the most talented on the board, but he has such a high floor as an NHLer that the Flyers may be tempted to go up and get their guy. However, they may need to jump up as high as No. 3 to get him.
James Hagens, C, Boston College (NCAA), 5-foot-11, 185 pounds
There has been some momentum to the notion that James Hagens could fall to the Flyers at No. 6, but even if he doesn't, he's good enough to justify moving up in the draft for.
The Boston College ace was once in league with Frondell as a contender for the No. 1 pick, only to be punished for not having as mind-boggling of a season as some other risers in the class.
Hagens is one of the best playmakers in the group, and while some are concerned about his size, Hagens already has a pretty average build for a skilled forward. Most guys who are 5-foot-11 and 6-foot and really skilled aren't usually deterred from NHL success by two inches off their height.
The 18-year-old center is already a two-time World Junior winner, claiming gold at the U18 and U20 levels. If they can do something about it, the Flyers would be foolish to willingly pass on Hagens.
Trading up from No. 22
Most of the players the Flyers would trade up for from No. 6, aside from Misa, are examples of playing it safe and just guaranteeing you get the guy you want. But what about after that?
Moving up upwards of 10 spots in the draft can come at a hefty cost, but one the Flyers are apparently willing to pay for the right players.
Victor Eklund, W, Djurgardens IF (SHL) 5-foot-11, 160 pounds
Some of you may be asking, 'Jon, why would the Flyers go after ANOTHER undersized right winger?'
And you are right, in a way. We'll get to that later, but Eklund is really good. Eklund, like Michkov, is much stronger than he looks, and Eklund himself even cited Flyers star Travis Konecny as an inspiration for his play style.
The Swede is a dynamic, unrelenting, buccaneering forward who will be able to do so many different things at the NHL level with the right environment around him.
Eklund and Michkov could form a formidable one-two punch along the flanks for years to come, especially if the No. 6 pick yields a bigger, shoot-first center like Frondell, one of Eklund's linemates.
Lynden Lakovic, LW, Moose Jaw Warriors (WHL) 6-foot-4, 190 pounds
Lynden Lakovic is a supremely skilled left winger, and quite a large one at 6-foot-4.
He needs to add some weight to his wiry frame, but Lakovic is already a gifted skater for his size with superb shooting and passing capabilities to match. If the Flyers are hellbent on adding size and left-shooting wingers to the organization not named Alex Bump or Nikita Grebenkin, Lakovic is their guy.
He'll need to be coached, however, as he's more of a finesse player despite the size advantages. Size is only useful if you know how to use it, and that's something that held a top prospect like Pavel Zacha back, for example, from reaching his full potential in the NHL.
You can't teach size or talent, but you can teach how to play the game, and that's a worthy bet for the Flyers.
Radim Mrtka, RHD, Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL) 6-foot-6, 210 pounds
The Flyers are almost guaranteed to be considering a defenseman in this range should they trade up, and Radim Mrtka is up there among the best in the class.
Mrtka, at his size, is a dominant physical presence and already a strong play-killer. His offense is okay and there is some potential in there, but Mrtka is more likely to become an elite insulator rather than a dominant two-way force given his tools.
The Czech rearguard would be a good add to a small Flyers defense corps, but they already have Travis Sanheim, Jamie Drysdale, Oliver Bonk, and Spencer Gill for the present and future.
Mrtka is a really intriguing prospect, but the Flyers can find better ways to use their draft assets than on another right-shot defender with a limited skillset.
Jackson Smith, LHD, Penn State (NCAA), 6-foot-3, 200 pounds
If the Flyers want a defenseman, Jackson Smith, a newly-minted Penn State commit, is going be right in their backyard for the next few years.
Smith is a tall, marauding defenseman who is so slippery and quick for his size. He's capable of creating offense in a flash, though he struggled with (and improved on) his decision-making and turnovers throughout the year.
With some polish around the edges, Smith could conceivably become the heir-apparent to Travis Sanheim and even exceed him as the Flyers' No. 1 defenseman of the future.
Smith is wildly talented, though many seem to believe he could escape the first eight or so picks in the 2025 draft. Beyond that, it's up to the Flyers to pull the trigger.
