With the NHL Draft on our doorstep, we still don't know what the Flyers management might be planning to do with the pick, but we know they're actively participating in trade discussions. They've also been busy talking to some draft prospects. Friday will be incredibly interesting, and might just signal the direction that the Flyers are planning on heading during the 2026-2027 season.
The Flyers only have four picks in this year's draft, and we don't know how many of those they'll be making. They have a first, second, fifth, and a seventh-round pick. Conservatively, we can expect them to end up with about four new prospects. Now, there will be some expectations for this class for sure, but if you're looking back, it will be easy for them to surpass the heights of the 2021 draft class.
That draft class was brought in by Chuck Fletcher. Now it was handicapped a bit by the lack of a first-round pick, which Fletcher had sent to Buffalo for Rasmus Ristolainen. Still, Fletcher and Co. made six picks, each with hopes that they'd make the NHL.
So far, they've been very, very wrong.
The entire 2021 draft class has played a combined 24 NHL games. Between those six players, only two of them have made the NHL, and it looks unlikely that the other four players are going to join them any time soon. In fact, those two might not even make it back to the NHL. Let's go through the suspects.
2nd Round Pick - Samu Tuomaala
It felt like Tuomaala was knocking on the door for the Flyers, but after hitting a plateau in the AHL with the Phantoms, he was traded for Christian Kyrou and played with the AHL's Texas Stars. As long as he stays with Dallas, he's probably blocked unless he becomes a point a game threat.
3rd Round Pick - Aleksei Kolosov
He's played 21 NHL games! The clubhouse leader did most of his damage in the 2024-2025 season, and it is likely to remain that way. With Joseph Woll now backing up Dan Vladar, any wiggle room for Kolosov to sneak up to the NHL is gone.
4th Round Pick - Brian Zanetti
The Swiss-born defender went back to Switzerland when it was time to turn pro. He now plays for HC Lugano, his hometown team. We're very unlikely to see him back on North American ice again.
5th Round Pick - Ty Murchison
Murchison got into three NHL games last season before a season ending inury spoiled his fun. The Flyers' defensive depth was hurting last season, with Adam Ginning being next to useless, and both Emil Andrae and Yegor Zamula perennially in the doghouse. Murchison got a shot.
He played pretty well, but he's limited offensively, and with the defensive depth looking better thanks to players like David Jiriek, Christian Kyrou and Oliver Bonk, Murchison needs a long list of things to befall the organization before he gets another call up.
6th Round Pick - Ethan Samson
After a few seasons with the Phantoms, Samson was traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning and reported to their AHL affiliate in Syracuse.
Samson has some offensive talent and decent size, but his defensive game just doesn't quite measure up. In the 2024-2025 campaign, he had the worst +/- of any LHV defender.
7th Round Pick - Owen McLaughlin
A long-term project, McLaughlin actually went through four years of NCAA hockey and a year of juniors after being drafted. Now, finally in the pros, he dipped his toe in at the ECHL level with the Reading Royals.
Even if he can move up to the AHL this season, he's still a long shot to make the NHL.
If this is the last you hear about any of these guys, well, don't be surprised. Don't be surprised either when the 2026 draft class does much better.
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