The first night of the 2025 NHL Draft is over. There were several surprises, including both of the selections made by the Philadelphia Flyers. However, with three picks in the second round and one in the third round today, the Flyers could add to their prospect haul with some more future stars. Let's see what players are still available for the Flyers to potentially select today with their top four remaining picks, barring a trade, of course.
Goaltenders
This is not a strong draft for goaltenders. Still, there are a few guys that the Flyers could end up taking a chance on. Alexei Medvedev and Jack Ivankovic are probably the best two goalies on the board.
Ivankovic was considered, along with Joshua Ravensberger, to be the top goalie prospect in this draft. The difference is Ravensberger stands a hefty 6'5", and Ivankovic is 5'11". Despite his size, the 18-year-old is great at being able to see through screens and making side-to-side movements to snag the puck. To select him, the Flyers might have to use a second-round pick.
Likewise, Medvedev had a great rookie season in the OHL for the London Knights, the same team as Oliver Bonk and Denver Barkey. I'm sure Briere could get some great inside info on him from his teammates. He is also 17 and could be someone they save and develop for a few seasons first. The Flyers could use up their final second-round pick on him, but there is a pretty good chance he slides into the third round, where he could be selected.
Defenders
There are quite a few defenders the Flyers could take in the second or third round. After all, defense is a spot the Flyers are a bit iffy on. Some of the best defenders left are: Carter Amico, Blake Fiddler, Simon Wang, Kurban Limatov.
Amico probably could have been a first-round selection had a knee injury not taken away his season. He appeared in just five games this year for the US Development Team. If we are looking for 90s-00s comparisons, he'd be the next potential Chris Therien. At 6'4", Fiddler is in the same size range. Fiddler is more of a shutdown defender. He doesn't contribute too much to the offense, as of yet, but is a solid, defensive-minded blueliner.
Wang is an interesting prospect out of China. He is 6'6" and 210 lbs. Despite his size, he is fast for a defender and has drawn some comparisons to Victor Hedman. If drafted, he would be just the fourth player drafted from China, proving that hockey truly is an international sport.
Limatov is a fast, rangy defender. He's a big, physical blueliner from Russia, which should delight Flyers fans. However, he has some temperament issues. Think of Radko Gudas. Maybe he could mature a bit and tone it down and become a big, brutal defender instead of a penalty liability.
Centers
The Flyers could also still use some centers. Two of the best available are Milton Gästrin and William Moore.
Gästrin appears to be more of a defensively-minded center. He can also spend time at the wings, especially on the left side, another area the Flyers could use a forward at. He has yet to show any sort of offensive flash, but could in time develop some firepower. If anything, he could develop into a solid bottom-six forward.
Moore was, at one point, a potential first-round draft candidate. His biggest issue seems to be his inconsistent nature. In the first half of his season with the U.S. National Under-18 Team, he scored 12 goals and 11 assists in 32 games. To close the season out, he scored 15 goals with 21 assists in the last 32 games of the season with a stunning 27% scoring rate on his shots. Is he that good? Does he just need to mature a bit and hone in skills? Not sure, but he could be worth an early second-round pick to find out.
Wingers
The Flyers are a bit loaded at right wing and could use some help on the left side. Malcolm Spence, Cameron Schmidt, and Jack Murtaugh could be great options.
Spence is a speedy forward who gives his all. He scored 32 goals this year for the Erie Otters with 41 assists and is the sort of guy you could see Carolina selecting with the 34th pick. Some see him as a third-line winger at best, but he's got spark. Under the right circumstances, he could turn out to be something special. It's kind of surprising that he made it past the first round.
Schmidt can flat-out score. He put up 71 goals in the last two seasons in the WHL. He's a fast, speedy left winger who can elude defensive playmakers. So, why didn't he go first round? He's a smallish forward at 5'7". So far, the Flyers have been building towards size. He doesn't fit that profile. However, he's fast and elusive and is a scoring machine. That can't be ignored. Like Spence, the Flyers should consider him with one of their early second-round picks.
Then there is Murtaugh. He's another product of the US National Development team. He's just 17 and hasn't scored much for Team USA. However, his skill set makes him a great transitional player. He makes few mistakes and has a high hockey IQ. He can be someone who can protect the puck and make a play happen. He's raw yet, but could be the kind of person the Flyers turn into something great.
Alexander Zharovsky is the only right winger I'd consider at this point in the draft. After all, the Flyers are currently overloaded at that position. Zharovsky is someone who burst onto the hockey scene later on this season after a hot year in the KHL juniors. He kind of came out of nowhere and is an intriguing prospect. He could be someone the team takes a chance on with a late second round or with their third round pick.
A lot of where the Flyers decide to go depends on who is falling into their laps and who is being picked ahead of them. Hopefully, the Flyers can have another successful day on Day 2 of the draft.