July 04, 2025
Nick Tricome/PhillyVoice
Michigan State prospect Shane Vansaghi skates through drills during the Flyers' development camp on Wednesday in Voorhees.
Riley Armstrong heard Shane Vasanghi's name in a question, and the reaction was immediate.
"The truck?" The Flyers' director of player development quipped to the reporter asking.
"He's big out there," Armstrong continued.
Skates like it, too.
The Flyers' development camp this week at their training center in Voorhees has seen an influx of big bodies thanks to their 2025 draft class. First-round picks Porter Martone and Jack Nesbitt are the headliners of that group, but right there with them have been second-rounders Vansaghi, Jack Murtagh, and Matthew Gard making their own early waves during on-ice drills, and with all measuring in at 6'1" or taller.
"I really think him and Murtagh are kind of cut from the same cloth a little bit," Armstrong told the local media on Thursday of the 6'3", 216-pound Vansaghi. "Big power forward, and I think the biggest thing with them is the types of things that we're doing out there right now, he does them so hard. We always have to try and tell guys, like, 'Pretend you're in a game.' But he doesn't pretend. That's just who he is."
"I mean, there's some drills where you gotta slow it down and work on your skill," the 18-year-old wing prospect later said. "Like, some of the stuff we do out here is more about technique. But anytime I'm doing any drill on the ice, no matter if it's July or October, I try and go into it like it's Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals, and try and just compete. I think I developed that kind of mindset at a young age, and I think that kinda helped me. Every drill now, I just, it's what I do."
Which, so far, has carried over into his game.
Flyers wing prospect Shane Vansaghi looks on during drills for the team's development camp in Voorhees on Thursday.
Nick Tricome/PhillyVoice
Vansaghi, in his freshman season at Michigan State, registered six goals, 10 assists, and a plus-10 rating through 37 games, all while skating at a level in the NCAA where the older competition forced his game to mature and make greater use of his strength.
And with this past draft, it became pretty apparent that the Flyers realized they're going to need strength, and lots of it, later down the line.
That's what Vansaghi can potentially help with in a couple of years' time.
"I think with being a power forward, you look at his body away from the rink and how big he is already, playing a year at [Michigan State], too, he's kind of like a [James Hagens] type player where if he would've went back and played junior hockey, I think he would've just aboslutely dominated," Armstrong said of Vansaghi following development camp's first run of on-ice sessions on Wednesday. "So it was good that he was able to play against some older guys, bigger guys...
"He's just a big body. I think we gotta work on his hands, his skill, stuff like that to kinda bring him to the next level. But for the most part, when you have a power forward who likes taking pucks to the net, I think we were kind of scared of those areas in the past here with the Flyers. So I think adding a guy like that, he's gonna change a little bit of the dynamic in a couple of years, once he's up here."
The mentality is there to, along with an attitude that can endear itself to Philadelphia quickly.
"I compete," Vansaghi said. "I think I play a big power forward game, and I think fans appreciate that work ethic and they appreciate that kind of relentless attitude and mindset.
"I don't think I'll ever give up on a puck battle or give up on a foot race, so I think the basis of my game is just the big energy player."
Which shows up, even in drills. Armstrong felt it, quite literally.
"He caught me by surprise in a couple of drills, how heavy he is," Armstrong said Thursday.
"I don't work out every day, so he kind of went right through me pretty good," the instructor cracked.
Like he got hit by a truck.
"I'll take that," Vansaghi said with a big smile when he heard Armstrong's nickname for him the first time. "I haven't heard that yet, but I don't know, maybe he breaks it out tomorrow. He hasn't called me that yet, so...That's good, I like it."
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