Ranking the Flyers' top 20 prospects led by Porter Martone

With Matvei Michkov no longer eligible and the Flyers making nine picks in June’s NHL draft, a lot has changed when it comes to the team’s prospect pool.

Ahead of this week’s rookie camp, Inquirer beat reporter Jackie Spiegel updated her organizational prospect rankings. Here are her top 5:

1. Porter Martone, RW, Michigan State (NCAA)

After being selected with the Flyers’ top pick in the 2025 draft, at No. 6 overall, Martone is considered one of the top prospects in the game. Ranked No. 9 by Scott Wheeler, a prospect and draft analyst with The Athletic, in his annual top 100 drafted prospects list, Martone brings “size, strength, power, shot, playmaking, puck skill” in a 6-foot-3, 208-pound body. After racking up 98 points (37 goals, 61 assists) in 57 regular-season games for Brampton of the Ontario Hockey League, the 18-year-old Martone will play at Michigan State this season.

2. Alex Bump, LW, Flyers (NHL)/Lehigh Valley Phantoms (AHL)

The 21-year-old is coming off a monster season that saw him notch 47 points (23 goals, 24 assists) in 42 games and cap off his time at Western Michigan with the school’s first NCAA championship. Bump then packed his bags for Lehigh Valley of the American Hockey League, where he registered three points in two regular-season games before adding two goals in seven playoff games. The 2022 fifth-round pick is known for his high-end scoring and shooting ability, as well as his competitiveness and fearlessness when driving to the middle of the ice. Bump continues to rise up this list, and following an impressive development camp, The Inquirer projects him to break camp with the Flyers.

3. Jett Luchanko, C, Guelph Storm (OHL)

The newly turned 19-year-old is in limbo right now. Will the speedy and detail-oriented center make the Flyers out of training camp for the second straight year? Or will he go back to juniors? Skating on a bad Guelph squad in the OHL this past season, Luchanko still put up 56 points (21 goals, 25 assists) in 46 games. He followed that up with an impressive cameo in the AHL, chipping in nine assists in 16 games for the Phantoms, including six helpers in the playoffs. The Flyers want him to be selfish and shoot more, but the question is, where will he continue his development?

4. Egor Zavragin, G, SKA St. Petersburg (Kontinental Hockey League)

Another player with an August birthday, Zavragin didn’t turn 20 until Aug. 23, and is already making a name for himself in the Kontinental Hockey League. Playing in goal for Sochi and then SKA St. Petersburg, the teenager combined to go 20-14-3 with a 2.50 goals-against average and .917 save percentage in 43 regular-season games. He still has two years left on his deal in Russia, but the future of the Flyers’ net is on his and Carson Bjarnason’s shoulders.

5. Oliver Bonk, RHD, Phantoms

The top defensive prospect in the system, Bonk was adamant at development camp that he is focusing his summer on making the Flyers. If he doesn’t hit that goal, there is no doubt the 20-year-old will be there soon enough. Bonk is strong in his end while also chipping in offensively — will “Bumper Bonk” be revitalized at the pro level? The 6-2, right-shot blueliner is coming off a season where he helped London of the OHL win the Memorial Cup, tallying 14 points in 17 playoff games.

A lot can happen in a year, especially when it comes to NHL prospects. The Flyers are a testament to that.

Matvei Michkov, the team’s No. 1 prospect a year ago, has graduated from the ranks after an impressive rookie season, while nine new players, led by No. 6 overall pick Porter Martone, were added to the mix in the 2025 NHL draft. The end result is a much-improved and deeper talent pool that ranks among the best leaguewide.

That influx of talent, which includes six players who were drafted in the top two rounds of June’s draft, has naturally resulted in significant movement when it comes to our rankings. With the dust now settled from the draft and several Flyers prospects converging on Voorhees this week for rookie camp, here’s a look at Jackie Spiegel’s updated top 20 prospect rankings.

1. Porter Martone, RW, Michigan State (NCAA)

2. Alex Bump, LW, Flyers (NHL)/Lehigh Valley Phantoms (AHL)

3. Jett Luchanko, C, Guelph Storm (OHL)

4. Egor Zavragin, G, SKA St. Petersburg (Kontinental Hockey League)

5. Oliver Bonk, RHD, Phantoms

6. Jack Nesbitt, C, Windsor Spitfires (OHL)

Selected 12th in June’s draft, Nesbitt is not just filling a need down the middle — he’s also filling the need for size. At 6-5, he’s a big body who can also put up points. He caught the eye of everyone at development camp with his skill and ability to drive to the net, but he needs to fill out his frame more and, like most Flyers prospects, work on his skating. He will return to a powerhouse Windsor club after posting 64 points (25 goals, 39 assists) in 65 regular-season games and 10 in 12 playoff contests.

7. Spencer Gill, RHD, Blainville-Boisbriand Armada (QMJHL)

Gill’s season may have ended in disappointment after he broke his ankle in early March, but it allowed him to add weight to his 6-4 frame. He’s bulked up to 215 pounds, and it showed at development camp. New Flyers coach Rick Tocchet also took notice, pointing out during a recent appearance on the Nasty Knuckles podcast, “I was watching him out there, long … good hands.” Gill was traded to Blainville-Boisbriand of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League after the season, and the two-way defenseman will get more time at the junior level to work on his defense. His game has opened eyes not just in Philly but beyond, as he was invited by Canada to the recent World Junior Summer Showcase.

8. Denver Barkey, C/LW, Phantoms

What Barkey lacks in height, he more than makes up for in heart, determination, and drive. Was he 100% when he returned in the Memorial Cup after suffering a high-ankle sprain in the OHL finals? No. But he was London’s captain, and after the Knights lost in the championship game in 2024, he wasn’t going to allow that to happen again, scoring a pair of goals in this year’s finale. It’s this mentality — and being one of the last cuts for Canada at World Juniors the last two years — that will push the 5-10 forward, well, forward. “Just continuing to use people that don’t believe in me, and they kind of doubt me, just use it as fuel to my fire and motivation every day,” he said at development camp. Barkey’s hard-working style and skill will give him a chance despite being just 171 pounds.

9. Carson Bjarnason, G, Phantoms

Goalies are always hard to gauge, but the Flyers have two young stars-in-the-making with Zavragin and Bjarnason — which is why they haven’t drafted a netminder since they snagged them 36 picks apart in 2023. In his last season of juniors, Bjarnason was in net for 22 of Brandon’s 38 wins in the Western Hockey League’s regular season. He finished tied for second in the WHL among goalies with at least 30 starts in save percentage (.913) and ninth in goals-against average (2.93). A cool, calm goalie, he battled through a meniscus injury in the latter half of the season, and will make his pro debut this fall.

10. Nikita Grebenkin, LW/RW, Flyers/Phantoms

Fans are excited to see what the future holds for Grebenkin, and so are the Flyers. The Russian winger was acquired from the Toronto Maple Leafs in the deal for Scott Laughton at the trade deadline and had seven points in 11 regular-season games for the Phantoms before adding another four points in seven playoff contests. He brings a high-compete level, a ton of energy, and is strong on the puck, whether on the wall or when driving to the net. Riley Armstrong, the Flyers’ director of player development, recently told The Inquirer that, aside from Bump, Grebenkin is another name to watch during Flyers training camp. “I really do think he has a good shot [of making the team],” he said.

11. Jack Berglund, C, Färjestad BK (Swedish Hockey League)

The 19-year-old has shot up the depth chart the past few months, capped off by an eye-opening performance at the World Juniors Summer Showcase. A second-round pick in 2024, Berglund had seven points (four goals, three assists) in five games during the Minnesota showcase — serving as captain for Sweden. That came after he attracted attention at development camp, when he looked big and strong (6-4, 209) as he consistently drove to the net. After missing time last season with a broken hand, the Swede is expected to be a top center for Tre Kronor at World Juniors and is slated to play in the SHL, the highest men’s league in Sweden.

12. Jack Murtagh, C/LW, Boston University (NCAA)

The upstate New York kid is enrolled at Boston University, and who better for him to learn from than former NHLer and two-time Stanley Cup champion Jay Pandolfo? A versatile forward, Murtagh played three games at the Summer Showcase for the U.S., posting an assist. He stood out at development camp with his shooting and passing, and as Flyers assistant general manager Brent Flahr said at its conclusion, even when “he’s not scoring, he can impact games.”

13. Carter Amico, RHD, Boston University (NCAA)

Amico will be joining Murtagh and Flyers 2021 seventh-rounder Owen McLaughlin at Boston University . The blueliner hasn’t played a game since early November after recovering from a broken kneecap, and, while Pandolofo said they will go slow with ramping him up, the upside is high. One of the big men drafted in June at 6-5, 225 pounds, he’s a big-time presence on the blue line with his agility, range, and propensity for bone-crushing checks.

14. Helge Grans, RHD, Flyers/Phantoms

The 6-4, 205-pound defenseman made his NHL debut last season and did not look out of place across six games for the Flyers — even drawing praise from the hypercritical former bench boss, John Tortorella. Could he be someone who cracks the lineup in October? The odds are in his favor, with Rasmus Ristolainen expected to miss the start as he continues to recover from elbow surgery. But the Flyers want to see consistency from the 23-year-old. “He has the size, the range, the puck-moving ability, and the sense to play,” Flahr said. “Now, it’s being able to do it every night.”

15. Heikki Ruohonen, C, Harvard (NCAA)

There is a lot to be impressed by with the Finn, on and off the ice. He opted for the college route to set himself up beyond his hockey days, but there is no denying Ruohonen has his sights set on fulfilling his childhood dream of playing in the NHL. A fourth-round pick in 2024, the Helsinki native looked good at training camp, showing off his high-compete level and two-way game. He followed it up with a solid showing at the Summer Showcase. Skating on Finland’s top line, he had a goal and four assists in five games, including the capper that handed Sweden its first loss all week.

16. Shane Vansaghi, RW, Michigan State

If there’s anyone on this list who has the built-in Flyer mentality of strength, hard-compete, and toughness, it’s this second-round pick from June; just ask Armstrong, who got taken out by the “Mac Truck” at development camp. Vansaghi brings the boom — he laid several on his future Flyers teammates in early July — and has the ability to get fans out of their seats with both his skill and physicality. The Michigan State sophomore is already built for the NHL and knows how to use that 6-3, 216-pound body. Adept in front of the net, Vansaghi is expected to rise up the Spartans’ depth chart this season.

17. Karsen Dorwart, C/LW, Flyers/Phantoms

Signed last spring as a college free agent at the end of his season with Michigan State, Dorwart made his NHL debut in Montreal and skated in five games for the Flyers. He didn’t register a point, but the Oregonian did not look out of place, getting time on the fourth line and the power play. Expected to start with the Phantoms, there is a chance the forward — who can play wing or center — could make the Flyers lineup again after putting together a solid development camp. Skating on the winning squad, Team Brière, Dorwart brought speed, strength, and a nose for the net. He has a tireless motor, is an underrated passer, and consistently wins puck battles at both ends of the ice.

18. Hunter McDonald, LHD, Phantoms

It’s no surprise that McDonald makes the top 20; the New York native has only gotten better and better since being a sixth-round pick in 2022. Listed at 6-4, 207 pounds, the defenseman plays a big game, has a booming shot, and is not afraid to lay the body on the opposition. A defensive defenseman, the 23-year-old looked good last season playing for the Phantoms — and at development camp, where he went at it with Gill during the three-on-three scrimmage — and could be a dark horse in training camp to make the Flyers.

19. Noah Powell, RW, Arizona State (NCAA)

When asked for an under-the-radar prospect to watch this season, Armstrong immediately said Powell. Selected last year in the fifth round, the 6-2, 205-pound forward looked even bigger on the ice at development camp and was playing a big-man’s game as he continues to grow into a power forward role. He absolutely leveled Bump during the three-on-three scrimmage and was consistently laying the body in between drives to the net. Powell will play at Arizona State this season, and while he needs to keep working on his skating, Armstrong said, “I think there’s a lot of potential there, a little bit of work and some grind to his game, and I think once he gets into the lineup, I think he’s going to bring a lot that the Flyers fans are going to like.”

20. Matthew Gard, C, Red Deer Rebels (WHL)

Selected in the fifth round by the Flyers in June, Gard is another big dude. Listed at 6-5, the Manitoban plays a physical game and likens his style to that of Winnipeg Jets forward Adam Lowry. Gard is more of a defensive-minded pivot but still put up 36 points in 66 regular-season games last year for Red Deer and projects as a bottom-six center.

Others in the system (in alphabetical order): Alex Čiernik, Jacob Gaucher, Alexis Gendron, Adam Ginning, Devin Kaplan, Cole Knuble, Aleksei Kolosov, Austin Moline, Ty Murchison, Ilya Pautov, Nathan Quinn, Massimo Rizzo, Tucker Robertson, Ethan Samson, Santeri Sulku, Samu Tuomaala, Luke Vlooswyk, Max Westergård

Ranking the Flyers’ top 20 prospects led by Porter Martone

Tags: