The NHL Draft is drawing closer, and last week, prospects underwent fitness testing and talked to teams at the league's scouting combine in Buffalo as final plans and boards are getting put together ahead of the first round on June 27.
Stocks on certain high-profile names, especially as it concerns the Flyers, have been rising and falling of late as a result, which could be to their advantage by the time they're on the clock, whether that's at No. 6 overall or somewhere else in the order.
The initial list of prospects expected to be available to the Flyers from back in early May can be seen HERE, and is still valid, but with there appearing to be fluctuation on most boards right now, here's a rundown of six more names they could consider with their highest first-round pick…
C James Hagens, Boston College (NCAA)
A smooth skater and a heads-up playmaker who can really control the ice when the puck is on his stick, Hagens has been a high-profile draft prospect for the 2025 class going back the past couple of years now.
He lit up the stat sheet for the U.S. National Team Development Program with an absurd 102 points (39 goals, 63 assists) through 58 games in the 2023-24 season, then moved up to Boston College in the NCAA and was a point-per-game player as a freshman (11 goals and 37 points in 37 games).
Hagens put on a show for the U.S. at the World Junior Championship, too, posting nine points (5 goals, 4 assists) through seven games on their way to gold.
The 18-year-old's main knock is his size at a billed 5'10" and 177 pounds, and a perceived lack of physicality because of it.
However, his speed, vision, stickhandling, and instincts are what really make up his game, while keeping in mind, too, that he will likely grow into other aspects and potential weaknesses as he transitions into a pro. Plus, he'd hardly be the first undersized forward to come into the NHL and thrive anyway.
The big draw for the Flyers here is that he has top center potential, which they've long been in clear need of both for the immediate term and for the next decade down the line.
And on tape, boy, wouldn't Hagens look nice feeding the puck to Matvei Michkov for, possibly, years to come.
RW Porter Martone, Brampton (OHL)
A powerful winger with a laser of a shot and some slick passing, too, Martone was a big-time point producer in the OHL this past season with 37 goals and 98 points.
He's not the fastest skater, but he can use his 6'3", 208-pound frame to protect the puck and power his way in toward the net – and that's he willing to has kept him considerably high up on many draft boards.
For the Flyers, in the event that he's there for them when they're on the clock, the 18-year-old would fall into the realm of a best player available type of pick, considering right wing is a pretty log-jammed position for them right now.
That said, if the belief is there that Martone will be a star and you can get him, then you pick him up and figure out the opening later.
With 11 picks' worth of draft capital to work with, the Flyers should have teams calling with ways to create that theoretical pathway and vice versa.
C Brady Martin, Soo (OHL)
A 33-goal, 39-assist scorer for the Greyhounds this past season, Martin has a solid toolkit as a developing center and is a skater who really works after the puck.
The 18-year-old does seem to be a prospect who is going to need more work and time, which is why you'll generally see him in the back half of the top-10 or within the 10-15 range, but the room for a high ceiling is there, which might put more into his draft stock for some teams.
Martin wouldn't place above other top center prospects like Hagens, Anton Frondell, Caleb Desnoyers, Roger McQueen, or Jake O'Brien, though. He would be an option for the Flyers under the scenario of a move back a few spots with all of those names gone.
MORE: Is there a path for the Flyers to trade for Jason Robertson?
C/LW Carter Bear, Everett (WHL)
A 40-goal scorer this past season with some nice hands, and a nice shot, too, Bear is another center (or wing) prospect to keep an eye on, though one generally projected to fall in the 10-15 range.
Like with Martin above, Bear would be a prospect the Flyers would probably only be eyeing if they make a move that slides them back or something else drastic happens.
There should be more attractive forwards on the board for them as the order stands right now, but that's not to take away from any of Bear's talent.
D Radim Mrtka, Seattle (WHL)
Big, right-handed defenseman are always at a premium in the NHL, and Mrkta is coming in a 6'5" and 202 pounds with room still to grow.
He can move, too. Mrtka recorded 32 assists in 43 games for Seattle this past season, doing so with a good ability to push the puck up ice, jump in on the rush, walk the blue line, and being able to thread a few shots through traffic.
The Flyers need depth and talent on offense, especially down the middle, but a point about their current defensive corps that has emerged of late is that they're beginning to lack size.
The 18-year-old Mrtka would bring a big frame and some solid puck-moving prowess into the fold, but only if the Flyers opt to go a different route from the crop of talented forward prospects many expect to be right in front of them.
LW Lynden Lakovic, Moose Jaw (WHL)
One more forward to consider, albeit one who looks to fall closer to going in the middle of the first round rather than higher up. But hey, just in case.
Lakovic put up 27 goals and 58 points through 47 games for Moose Jaw in his draft-eligible season, and as a lanky 6'4", 190-pound winger, he could have the room to grow into a strong power forward over time with a game that draws him to the net already.
The 18-year-old is a down-the-list name to just keep in mind, and maybe the biggest project of anyone on the list, but if there's certainty that he can really grow, both physically and in his game over the next couple of years, Lakovic might a diamond-in-the-rough find.
*H/T to NHL Draft Pros on YouTube, who, again, always crushes it with the film breakdowns at this time of year.
MORE: The Flyers' RFA outlook
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