Welcome to the Philadelphia Flyers Top 25 Under 25 ranking, Winter 2026 edition. Over the next couple of weeks, we\u2019ll be putting out our ranking of the, well, top 25 players in the Flyers organization who are under 25 years old. A total of 13 writers at Broad Street Hockey submitted ballots and here is the consensus ranking.<\/p>\n
More and more of our rankings are being revealed and now we\u2019re getting into the real meat of it. From here on, it really seems like it involves players who could play a role on the Flyers in the coming years. That, or have at least an elevated chance compared to more long-shot prospects or college graduates playing pro hockey at 23 years old.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s get to it. And this time it\u2019s talking about a trio of 19-year-olds.<\/p>\n
19) Heikki Ruohonen<\/p>\n
Primary Team:\u00a0Harvard University, NCAA
2025-26 Stats:\u00a03 G, 13 Pts in 21 GP
Rank in Summer 25 Under 25:\u00a0Unranked
Age:\u00a019
Acquired:\u00a04th-round pick (107th overall) in 2024 NHL Draft<\/p>\n
Jacob (Ranked #22): The World Junior performance that Ruohonen was able to put together showcased the very best of his skillset. No one part of his game really stands out, but he stays ahead of the play and can play all three situations. He still lacks the x-factor skill that could propel him into NHL contention as soon as next year, but there is no doubt that he is ahead of schedule in his development as of right now. The rest of his freshman season at Harvard should be very interesting to watch.<\/p>\n
Joe (Ranked #15): I\u2019ve been a believer in Heikki \u201cThe Ruiner\u201d Ruohonen for a while, ranking him 16 in our summer iteration of this list (and if he makes it to the NHL, we\u2019ve gotta work to make that nickname stick). He\u2019s having a fine rookie season at Harvard, but it\u2019s his World Junior performance that stands out: he wore an \u201cA\u201d for the Finnish team, potting three goals and nine points in seven games\u2013leading the Finns in scoring\u2013and helping the team finish fourth in the tournament. For a fourth-round pick, that\u2019s pretty good, and there are a lot of qualities to his game where you can see Ruohonen becoming a reliable, bottom-six center who plays with pace. He\u2019s probably still a year or two from turning pro, but that\u2019s okay\u2013the Flyers can wait.<\/p>\n
Another day another Heikki Ruohonen assist \ud83c\uddeb\ud83c\uddee#LetsGoFlyers<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/MNqvht7Gf0<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Flyers Clips (@Flyers_Clips) January 5, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Brad (Ranked #16): Ruohonen is really intriguing to me because, in my opinion, it\u2019s hard to pinpoint a real weakness in his game: he just seems to be solid all around. He\u2019s not the fastest skater, but he\u2019s not lagging behind. He\u2019s shown some offensive creativity, especially at the WJC, and isn\u2019t allergic to shooting the puck. He can be relied on defensively and, while he doesn\u2019t hit everything that moves, he\u2019s not averse. While certainly not a guarantee, he has a real shot at making the NHL, and if all goes well, he could end up being a third center who kills penalties and can maybe play up the lineup in a pinch. On the higher end of potential outcomes, I\u2019m picturing Noah Cates, but a little more physical, and maybe not on the stats folks\u2019 Selke ballots. Ruohonen could definitely be a riser by this time next year.<\/p>\n Cole (Ranked #16): Ruohonen\u2019s really been a breakout in the Flyers system this year, and he\u2019s really raised his chances of making it to the big club at some point down the line. After his draft, Ruohonen\u2019s motor was never the question, it was everything else that needed to catch up. Well, over the course of the season at Harvard and at the World Juniors, he\u2019s really made strides. He\u2019s gotten so much stronger along the boards, is attempting and successfully completing creative offensive plays, and is reliable defensively. Since his breakout at the World Juniors, he\u2019s registered 8 points in 9 games at Harvard and his offense continues to tick upwards. Lots to like, even if his upside is ultimately an effective bottom-six center.\u00a0<\/p>\n 18) Spencer Gill<\/p>\n Primary Team:\u00a0Blainville-Boisbriand Armada, QMJHL Joe (Ranked #19): It\u2019s such a drag that Gill suffered an injury early in the season; it makes it difficult to judge what kind of player he\u2019s going to be. He\u2019s signed an ELC, too, so the NCAA route is closed to him next season. There\u2019s still a lot of potential in the player\u2013he\u2019s a solid passer, has size, and is a coveted right-shot defenseman\u2013but we\u2019re left to measure his progress in only the 2024-25 season when he was still with Rimouski, before the trade to the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada. He\u2019s quite young for his draft class (a mid-August birthday), so the runway\u2019s still there, at least, but Gill\u2019s going to be a project.<\/p>\n Brad (Ranked #19): As Joe said, Gill is a really difficult prospect to rank right now. With his size, position, and puck moving abilities, there\u2019s a lot to like about him. However, the amount of time he\u2019s missed is concerning, and who knows how missing that much time could affect his development. Blainville-Boisbriand did say that Gill is expected to return to the lineup this weekend, so hopefully he\u2019ll be able to show us something and finish the season strong.<\/p>\n Jacob (Ranked #17): When Gill was selected in 2024, he immediately became one of the Flyers prospects that intrigued me the most. His ability to make up ground and deliver a good first pass at his 6 \u20184 frame would make him a tantalizing prospect if he was just able to stay on the ice. Injuries have hampered his development, and there is a chance that Gill may be lagging behind when compared to some other names in the Flyers system, but his skillset is so varied for a defenseman of his size, that he will stay on my version of this list indefinitely regardless of his injury history.<\/p>\n Cole (Ranked #19): I\u2019ve been a massive fan of Spencer Gill since the Flyers drafted him in 2024, but man he can\u2019t catch a break. Gill has been raved about in each development camp, and pretty much anytime Brent Flahr and the Flyers have seen him. Prior to his major injury this season, Gill was poised to be the breakout defenseman in the system this season. His combination of raw physical skills, smart use of his reach, and puck-moving abilities have all the makings of an NHL quality defenseman. I\u2019d even argue there\u2019s No. 4 upside with Gill, but that will all go to the wayside if he can\u2019t figure out how to stay healthy.\u00a0<\/p>\n 17) Shane Vansaghi<\/p>\n Primary Team:\u00a0Michigan State University, NCAA Brad (Ranked #18): Vansaghi hasn\u2019t had the bump in offensive production that we were hoping to see from him this season, but there is still a solid foundation here. He makes the majority of his impact on the forecheck and along the boards, with occasional offensive flashes. He plays a very heavy game, and with good defensive instincts, he\u2019s a player with a really high floor. Until his offensive game picks up, his ceiling feels limited, but I do believe there\u2019s an NHL player here. One interesting note on Vansaghi is that about midway through the season he switched wings (from right to left) and this switch hasn\u2019t seemed to hurt his game at all. If anything, he\u2019s been playing better since the change, with one of his better showings coming against Penn State two weeks ago. With the Flyers stacked on the right, Vansaghi having the flexibility to play either wing is certainly a plus.<\/p>\n #Flyers<\/a> prospect Shane Vansaghi scored in MSU\u2019s 4-3 OT loss vs. top-ranked Michigan.
2025-26 Stats:\u00a00 G, 0 Pts in 2 GP
Rank in Summer 25 Under 25:\u00a018
Age:\u00a019
Acquired:\u00a02nd-round pick (59th overall) in 2024 NHL Draft<\/p>\n
2025-26 Stats: 3 G, 9 Pts in 26 GP
Rank in Summer 25 Under 25:\u00a017
Age:\u00a019
Acquired:\u00a02nd-round pick (48th overall) in 2025 NHL Draft<\/p>\n
pic.twitter.com\/6naxo4v9yw<\/a><\/p>\n