2023-24 NHL Prospect Pool Breakdown: Philadelphia Flyers

Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports

Relax, Flyers Nation. It’s all going to pay off soon.

Philadelphia has one of the deepest prospect pools in the game, with a high-end prospect at every position. Matvei Michkov is one of the best in the game today, and he’s just getting started. Cutter Gauthier and Tyson Foerster are going to be fantastic; Emil Andrae is a solid defensive prospect; and Alexei Kolosov and Samuel Ersson both have bright futures in net.

Seriously, the depth is incredible. With so much roster turnover in recent years, the Flyers have accumulated some excellent assets. Some were high picks, and others were later-round or free-agent steals. Everything combined gives the Flyers a prospect pool worth being envious about – but there’s still work to be done.

Luckily, the team had what appears to be an outstanding draft, just based on projected potential. Michkov is an incredible talent, and Oliver Bonk is a potential top-four defenseman. Carson Bjarnason and Yegor Zavragin were two of the better goalie prospects taken. Add in a strong overager in Cole Knuble, and some good value picks in Alex Ciernik, Carter Sotheran, Ryan McPherson and Matteo Mann, early polls (me) give the Flyers two thumbs up.

The Flyers are looking long-term. And after years – decades, really – of misery, there’s legitimately a reason to get excited about this franchise again. But this year, start getting familiar with the names near the top of Daily Faceoff’s draft rankings.

Biggest Strength

It’s rare to have two high-end forwards with first-line potential. How about two? Michkov and Gauthier are two of the best prospects in the game, and they’re going to call Philly home soon enough. Gauthier should be able to slot in perfectly come 2024-25, while Michkov has a KHL deal until 2026. By then, the Flyers will have added a few other key pieces to make this group dangerous. But with these two leading the way, the Flyers are in good hands.

Biggest Weakness

This is nitpicking, but the Flyers don’t have a top-pairing defenseman in the system. Andrae and Bonk have the makings of second-pairing defenders, while Grans, Zamula and Ronnie Attard might have to battle for third-pairing designation. Luckily, the 2024 NHL Draft is filled with quality defensemen, so they can fix that quite easily if they don’t just end up going the trade route.

TOP 10 PROSPECTS

Grade: A+

1. Matvei Michkov, C/RW, 18 (SKA St. Petersburg, KHL)

Drafted: No. 7, first round in 2023

The Flyers got the biggest steal of the 2023 NHL Draft, watching Michkov fall to No. 7 after all the concerns about his future. Playing on the worst team in the league, he finished with 20 goals in 27 games to finish fourth in team scoring. Six of the team’s nine wins came with Michkov in the lineup, and his 0.74 points-per-game during his time with Sochi is the best by a U-19 in league history – beating out Evgeny Kuznetsov, Eeli Tolvanen, Vladimir Tarasenko, Kirill Kaprizov and Artemi Panarin, among others. Add in a great preseason wit SKA St. Petersburg and his move back to center, and he’s in an excellent spot. Michkov is special, but since he has a KHL deal until 2026, so the fanbase needs to be patient.

2. Cutter Gauthier, C/LW, 19 (Boston College, NCAA)

Drafted: No. 5, first round in 2022

Gauthier is going to obliterate the college ranks as a sophomore, right? The 19-year-old had 37 points in 32 games at BC while also putting up 10 points at the world juniors. It started to click that Gauthier had what it takes against pro players by scoring seven goals and nine points in 10 games at the men’s IIHF World Hockey Championship in May. Gauthier elected to return back to Boston, with a chance to chase a national title, the Hobey Baker and a World Junior Championship with the United States. Gauthier would be a No. 1 prospect on most teams in the NHL. He’s Philly’s No. 2. Absolutely nuts.

*Tyson Foerster (Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports)*

3. Tyson Foerster, RW, 21 (Philadelphia Flyers)

Drafted: No. 23, first round in 2020

Foerster has one of the best shots in the Flyers’ system, and it was on full display last year. Foerster had seven points in eight games in the NHL, helping the team go 4-0-1 in his final five contests before closing the season back with the Phantoms. He just missed the 50-point mark with Lehigh Valley, but would have easily done so had he not received the call-up. The skilled winger should challenge for a middle-six scoring role next year, giving the team some muscle at 6-foot-2 and 194 pounds.

4. Bobby Brink, RW, 22 (Lehigh Valley, AHL)

Drafted: No. 34, second round in 2019

After an outstanding junior season with the University of Denver in 2021-22, Brink closed out the 2021-22 campaign with four assists in 10 games with the Flyers. The 5-foot-8 forward missed around 30 AHL games this past year due to injuries, but 28 points in 41 games is nothing to turn your nose at. Brink has excellent hockey sense, and the offense speaks for itself. His size will be a limiting factor, but his pro numbers suggest he can overcome it.

5. Emil Andrae, D, 21 (Lehigh Valley, AHL)

Drafted: No. 54, second round in 2020

The Swedish blueliner turned heads last year, recording eight points to lead Sweden in scoring at the 2022 world juniors. He turned that into a great season in the SHL with 26 points in 51 games while playing around 19-22 minutes a night. That’s a big deal for a young prospect. He capped the year off with some good performances with the Phantoms, where he’ll return for 2023-24. Despite some competition in the pipeline, Andrae looks a step above the rest right now.

*Oliver Bonk (Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports)*

6. Oliver Bonk, D, 18 (London, OHL)

Drafted: No. 22, first round in 2023

The son of former NHLer Radek Bonk, Oliver played a ton of minutes this year thanks to his strong own-zone play. He’s capable of creating damage in the O-zone, too. He fits the mold of a modern-day defender who can do some of everything. A lot of eyes in London will be on 2024 NHL Draft prospect Sam Dickinson, but Bonk could see extra responsibility with Logan Mailloux moving on. That alone will make London a place to watch this year.

7. Helge Grans, D, 21 (Lehigh Valley, AHL)

Drafted: No. 35, second round in 2020 by Los Angeles/traded to Philadelphia in 2023

Grans was acquired by the Flyers in the Ivan Provorov, instantly giving the Flyers a boost on the blueline. Grans spent the past two years in the AHL with Ontario, recording 33 points in 115 games. The 6-foot-3, 205-pound defender has great size, skates well and has a good shot. He needs to put that altogether more consistently if he’s going to take his game up another level.

8. Alexei Kolosov, G, 21 (Dinamo Minsk, KHL)

Drafted: No. 78, third round in 2021

Kolosov earned significant attention after posting a .912 save percentage in 45 games with Dinamo Minsk, a team with questionable defense at best. The Belarusian defender is agile, has a quick glove hand and never gives up on a play. He’s missing ideal size at just 6-foot-0, but it’s notable that he already has 73 KHL starts to his credit at 21 years old. Some in the Flyers’ organization think Kolosov might have NHL starter potential – and he’s already under NHL contract, for what it’s worth.

*Samuel Ersson (Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports)*

9. Samuel Ersson, G, 23 (Lehigh Valley, AHL)

Drafted: No. 143, fifth round in 2018

The 23-year-old split the last season between the NHL and AHL, putting up solid numbers with the Flyers. He had a 6-3-0 record with a shutout in 12 games, including six wins in his first seven games. Ersson spent most of the year with Lehigh Valley, going 24-17-1 with a shutout over 42 contests. His play in 2022-23 gave reason for hope, even if his surface-level stats weren’t great. The Swedish netminder faced a ton of shots on a normal basis, something that likely won’t change in 2023-24. If Cal Petersen ends up faltering, Ersson could assume the backup position.

10. Egor Zamula, D, 23 (Lehigh Valley, AHL)

Undrafted, signed as free agent in 2018

This is a make-it-or-break-it year for Zamula, who has three seasons of pro hockey under his belt. He got into 14 games with the Flyers last year and had a generally solid experience. His AHL results, though, have been a mixed bag. He doesn’t have much offensive upside in the NHL, but he’s a capable puck-mover with good size.

Other Notables: Carson Bjarnasson, G (19), Yegor Zavragin, G (18), Ivan Fedotov, G (26), Cole Knuble, RW (19), Ronnie Attard, D (24), Zayde Wisdom, C (21), Jon-Randall Avon, C (20), Elliot Desnoyers, C/LW (21), Massimo Rizzo, C/LW (22), Ryan MacPherson, C (18), Bryce Brodzinski, RW (23), Alek Ciernik, RW (18), Alex Bump, LW (19), Denver Barkey, C (18), Devin Kaplan, RW (19), Matteo Mann, D (18), Carter Sotheran, D (18), Brian Zanetti, D (20), Owen McLaughlin, C (20)

Previous 2023-24 NHL Prospect Pool instalments

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