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PHILADELPHIA, PA - JULY 18: A close up view of the Philadelphia Flyers logo on a video board on July 18, 2025, on the exterior of the Wells Fargo Center, in Philadelphia, PA. (Photo by Erica Denhoff/Icon Sportswire)
With the 21st overall pick in Friday, June 26th’s first round of the 2026 NHL Draft, the Philadelphia Flyers could do absolutely anything. The problem with mock drafts focusing on teams drafting in the late teens or later is that there are so many possible draft targets.
So, instead of taking another shot in the dark on who the Flyers might select with the 21st overall pick, we’re looking at a consensus ranking. Call it a crowdsourcing of experts, if you will.
We took draft rankings from draft experts like Elite Prospects’ Cam Robinson, TSN’s Craig Button, Sportsnet’s Jason Bukala, and several others to compile 10 2026 NHL Draft Rankings. Then, we took each player’s average ranking and made a consensus draft ranking to see who could fall in the Flyers’ range on draft night.
Porter Martone, who was selected 6th overall by the Flyers, was ranked as high as the 2nd-best player in the 2025 draft class and averaged around the 4th-best prospect. Jack Nesbitt, who was selected 12th-overall by the Flyers, was ranked as high as 15th (among NA skaters) by NHL Central Scouting, and averaged around the 18th prospect.
While they may not always be spot on, consensus rankings can give you a good idea of where a player could fall on draft night. So, let’s look at an expert consensus for the 2026 NHL Draft.
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Out of reach
We all know the Flyers will not have a chance at Gavin McKenna,Ivar Stenberg, Caleb Malhotra, or any of the top-6 defensemen. The same can be said for centers Viggo Bjorck and Tynan Lawrence, without a trade-up, of course.
Then again, the Flyers did move up for Nesbitt in 2025, so that can never be fully taken out of the equation.
We know the Flyers have a need for centers and defensemen in the pipeline. Ryan Lin, one of my favorite prospects in this draft class, seems to be climbing higher and higher each day, and falls at No. 11 in the consensus rankings. That is well out of reach for the Flyers.
Swedish center Alexander Command, who has met with the Flyers, seems to be well out of reach as well at No. 14.
When picking in the back-half of the draft, sometimes the best strategy is to select the best player available, even if it’s not a position of need. In the Flyers case, that could be a winger. Skilled wingers Oscar Hemming and Adam Novotony fall at No. 15 and 16 in the consensus.
Then, you have the “just out of reach” players in center Oliver Suvanto and defenseman Xavier Villeneuve at No. 17 and 18.
Potential Flyers Draft Targets
After 18 on the consensus, you start to get to the players that could fall in range for the Flyers. You could start with the 19th-ranked player on the list, two spots before the Flyers’ pick. Let’s take a look at the players ranked 19-25 on the expert consensus rankings.
19. Malte Gustafsson, LHD, HV71 (SHL)
Malte Gustafsson, falling a few spots to 21, could be a dream come true for the Flyers. The 6’4″ defenseman is a mobile, two-way defender who plays a very well-rounded game. He had a goal and 5 points in 6 games at U18’s and 3 assists in 27 SHL games this past season. Gustafsson also had 4 goals and 18 total points in 19 U20 Nationell games for HV71. As an LHD, Gustafsson could be a solid partner for Oliver Bonk for a long time.
20. Nikita Klepov, RW/F, Saginaw (OHL) (Michigan State Commit)
Nikita Klepov is a goal-scorer. The Flyers could use some pure scorers in the pipeline. Klepov had 37 goals and 97 points in 67 OHL games. He plays with some risk, which causes some reckless turnovers. There are also some concerns with his defensive effort, which will cause him to fall back into the Flyers’ range.
21. J.P. Hurlbert, LW/F, Kamloops (WHL) (Michigan Commit)
J.P. Hurlbert is another pure scorer. 42 goals in 68 WHL games is mightily impressive. Hurlbert is a much better defensive prospect than Klepov, but still not a great defender. He has an elite scoring touch both as a goal-scorer and playmaker. Some scouts are concerned about his strength and skating, and whether he can keep up in the NHL. Because of that, Hurlbert, who can play center, projects as a winger in the NHL.
22. Liam Ruck, RW/F, Medicine Hat (WHL)
Liam Ruck and his brother Marcus took the WHL over by storm last season. He led the high-scoring twin duo with 45 goals in 68 games. Ruck thrives in the middle ice and in front of the net. What separates him from his brother Marcus is his playmaking. Ruck is also a player who seems to be projected higher than his consensus ranking.
23. Elton Hermansson, RW/LW, MoDo (HockeyAllsvenskan)
Another winger to the list. Elton Hermansson is a player the Flyers have apparently met with, per Cam Robinson.
There is no denying his talent. Hermansson has a massive shot, skilled hands, is elusive with the puck, and is good without the puck. He had 11 goals and 21 points in 38 HockeyAllsvenskan games as a 17/18 year old. Pretty impressive production.
24. Ilia Morozov, C, University of Miami (OH) (NCAA)
Ilia Morozov was a breakout freshman at the University of Miami (OH) playing in the NCHC as a 17-year-old. At 6’3″, he has NHL size and is a very smart player. Morozov finds all of the high-danger spots, is defensivley reliable, and is an overall well-rounded player. Concern around the player is his skill, and if it can be enough for him to be a middle-six center.
25. Maddox Dagenais, C/F, Quebec (QMJHL)
Maddox Dagenais has quickly become one of my favorite prospects for the Flyers in this draft. Dagenais is a 6’4″ hard-worker with a high motor. For a massive forward, Dagenais has great speed and is a very physical player. He’s a solid forechecker and plays good defense. He has top-six potential, but most scouting reports have him lower due to the excess risks taken on the ice. Dagenais plays center in the Q, but some scouts see him more as a winger at the next level.
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Just Outside Of the Flyers’ Range
This is more or less considered the honorable mentions range for the Flyers with the No. 21 overall pick. These would be the players falling anywhere from 26 to 32.
Among these players is Moncton (QMJHL) defenseman Tommy Bleyl, who could be an option for a puck-moving, offensive defenseman if the Flyers do miss out on a chance for a Lin or Villeneuve. Penn State commit Yegor Shilov falls at No. 28 on our list, which seems to be on the higher side for his projections. Still, the offensively gifted player should not be entirely taken off the table.
Finnish defenseman Juho Piiparinen is another puck-mover, but he does so with a 6’3″ frame and some added physicality.
Lastly, we have towering center, No. 30 Brooks Rogowski. Rogowski could be one of the biggest risks with a massive reward in this draft class. It’s a risk taking the 6’7″ centerman, who played at a just under point-per-game pace in his second full season in the OHL. He is expected to be headed to Michigan State in 2027. If the risk pans out, you could have an absolute monster on your hands. But do the Flyers reach about 9 spots for a high-risk, high-reward player?
Who is your favorite 2026 NHL Draft prospect in the Flyers’ range?
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The post Flyers Draft Targets: Scouting Averages, Who Is In Range & Who Is Out of Reach appeared first on Philly Hockey Now.
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