June 04, 2026
Kirby Lee/Imagn Images
The Flyers will call their next name to the draft stage later this month.
The NHL Draft is coming back around fast, and the Flyers will be back on the clock again before you know it.
But this time, they'll start in the back half of the first round, following a playoff breakout after several years of using the draft to steadily rebuild.
The Flyers' process, though, is far from over, and general manager Danny Brière has been sure to keep stressing that.
Keeping the prospect pipeline stocked and moving is still important. The draft is still important, and so there's a lot of value, still, in that 21st overall pick at the end of the month.
Here is an initial look at five prospects the Flyers might consider using it on...
Dagenais is big (6'4" and 196 pounds), can drive to the net, and can step into a shot.
The 18-year-old was a 30-goal and 62-point scorer for the Quebec Remparts this past junior season, and did it through his physicality and willingness to shoot.
The Flyers have been looking for the former out of their prospects dating back to last summer's draft. But they really need the latter, too, when it comes to the power play and overall offensive production in general.
Dagenais is one of the more greener prospects in the class, but with patience and steady development, he would be a nice fit for the Flyers down the middle, in what is still one of their major areas of need.
Check out Dagenais' tape below, with some mostly French highlights:
Goljer is a right-handed defensive prospect, which is always in demand across hockey, with some smooth lateral skating and heads-up passing that could yield some nice puck-moving upside.
Goljer is still 17 (his birthday is on Sunday), and while his numbers don't jump right off the page – four goals, 11 points, and a minus-17 rating through 43 games played this past season – he stuck to his defensive responsibilities well and then flashed some ability to jump in on offense while playing at the Slovak pro level.
At a listed 6'2" and 194 pounds, Goljer should also be able to hold up as the game gets more physical, especially as he presumably fills out his frame.
MORE: Flyers future draft picks, for 2026-2030
Hurlbert flies down the ice looking to score.
The Allen, Texas, native and former U.S. National Development product made a jump to Kamloops in the junior Western Hockey League for this past season, and relentlessly got after the puck with a shot he could place anywhere for a 42-goal and 97-point campaign.
The 18-year-old is a right-handed shot, but plays as a left winger, which keeps his forehand in toward the net and thus consistently leaves him as a scoring threat when paired with his ability to look up and read the ice.
Hurlbert is committed to play college hockey at Michigan next season, where he'll join current Flyers center prospect Jack Nesbitt.
The NCAA should do wonders for his game, refining it against stronger competition, while affording him the opportunity to get much stronger in the gym from his 6'0", 183-pound stature.
The college schedule played a big role in star rookie Porter Martone getting himself ready to jump right into the NHL when it came time back in March. The Flyers are hoping it will do the same for Nesbitt, and while he won't be in a similar rush, that should be the goal for Hurlbert, too.
The Flyers prioritized big, tough skaters in the 2025 draft, and if they want to stay with that mold, Suvanto would definitely fit it as a center.
The 17-year-old (turning 18 in September) already comes in at 6'3" and 209 pounds, and should only be putting on more muscle as he goes over the next several years.
He comes with all of the wanted traits out of a big center: strong in the corners, tough in the faceoff circle, protective of the puck, and while he may not get high marks on his skating, he always seems to have himself in the right place at the right time – keeping in mind, too, that skate is something that can continually be developed and something that the Flyers have been very willing to work on long-term with their prospects.
Suvanto spent most of the season as a pro in Finland's Liiga, and while he had two goals and 11 points through 48 games, he was a kid playing against men, and still carried a plus-3 rating through the year.
Below is a clip that shows Suvanto's game pretty well during international junior play against Canada. He stays on the puck to eventually jar it loose behind the Canadian net and change possession, then stays with the play, wheeling out to the front of the net to punch home a rebound that falls right to him:
One of the youngest players in the 2026 NHL Draft Class Oliver Suvanto models his game after Alexander Barkov
— The Prospect Don (@TheProspectDon) May 3, 2026
Oliver said he is prides himself with his ability to protect the puck. The 6'3 209lbs
2G 9A 11P in 48GP in Liiga
Where do you have Oliver Suvanto ranked? https://t.co/YFYzdIcCTD pic.twitter.com/hpsjx4JNEw
Suvanto's stock has been rising as the draft draws closer, though, so he very well could end up going somewhere in the 10-20 range before the Flyers get a chance at him at 21. It's just not a guarantee yet.
The 18-year-old Hextall is a smart, responsible center and can be a pretty sly playmaker.
He posted 20 goals, 58 points, and a plus-8 rating through 59 USHL games for the Youngstown Phantoms this past season, and is set to go to Michigan State next year, where he'll join another current Flyers prospect in winger Shane Vansaghi.
Hextall, right now, projects as a safer pick, where he has a pretty solid shot at being a steady NHL player in a few years' time, but maybe not a high-end or star-level one. It still never hurts to have a player like that in the pipeline, though, even if he isn't a total game-changer.
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