The Flyers will have the sixth overall pick in the NHL Draft next month after Monday night's lottery knocked them back two spots.
The slide wasn't ideal at face value, but looking down many of the projected draft boards, it's hardly the end of the world either.
The Flyers need centers, and although they may be kept away from the 2025 class' top-rated ones in Michael Misa and James Hagens, they still should have a few good prospects to pick from by the time they're on the clock.
But as a still-rebuilding group, they just need talent in general, too, and shouldn't be short on options there.
Here's a look at six names who should be on the Flyers' radar approaching Round 1 of the draft on June 27, working from center prospects down, but in no particular order otherwise…
C Anton Frondell, Djurgården (Sweden)
Frondell has been branded as the top two-way prospect of the draft class, but look at his tape, and you'll see some very promising upside in his offensive game, particularly as it suits the Flyers.
He has a quick and precise shot that he can tee up on a power play, can pull out some silky moves with the puck on his stick, can take advantage of open space, and with his frame at 6'1" and nearly 200 pounds, he can throw the body around a bit, too.
His big detractor is just that he might not wow anyone with his skating, but that still has plenty of time to develop and can be compensated for in other ways, like with good positioning and scheme fit.
Frondell put up 11 goals and 25 points through 29 games for Djurgården in Sweden's second-tier of professional hockey (HockeyAllsvenskan) this past season, and did so as a 17-year-old – he just turned 18 on Wednesday.
He's NHL Central Scouting's No. 1 ranked international skater approaching the draft next month.
If Jett Luchanko is to bring speed up the middle, Frondell would bring shooting, and maybe that's the eventual complement at the top of the lineup for the Flyers' No. 1 and 2 centers.
C Caleb Desnoyers, Moncton (QMJHL)
A heads-up playmaker, Desnoyers put up points in bunches in the Q this season, with 84 of them through 56 games (35 goals and 49 points).
The 6'2" centerman can find the back of the net on his own accord, but his real gift is in creating and drawing open space across the ice, which frees up lanes for his teammates.
The 18-year-old's vision, anticipation, and passing do well to carry play up the ice and generate offense, but he is raw elsewhere in his game, mainly in skating and physicality.
But if the Flyers are looking for a mind that can keep up with and feed the puck to Matvei Michkov within a couple of years, Desnoyers wouldn't be a bad choice if he's there at No. 6.
Desnoyers is Central Scouting's seventh-ranked North American skater, and for what it's worth, he's also the brother of Elliot Desnoyers, who is already in the Flyers' system down with the Phantoms in the AHL.
C Roger McQueen, Brandon (WHL)
OK, so McQueen's a big centerman at 6'5", 197 pounds, and will presumably grow into that frame over the years.
He's also really skilled and pretty inventive in using his size to his advantage when you watch him on tape, as you'll see in the Elite Prospects breakdown below.
McQueen was just shy of a point-per-game player last season, with 51 points in 53 games, but exceeded that clip this season and was rated No. 8 among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting
Here's the problem, though: It was only 20 points across 17 games.
McQueen missed a lot of time with a back injury this past season. More specifically, he had a pars fracture, aka spondylolysis, which can be caused by repetitive stress in the lower back, though it can be quite common of an injury.
Not that it makes the potential risks any less concerning for an NHL franchise, especially when it comes to the Flyers, who took Nolan Patrick second overall as the high-profile but injury-riddled center out of Brandon going on eight years ago.
They got burned.
McQueen has talent, and promise, but if the Flyers are in a spot to take him, they have to be absolutely sure of his health. Because if they're wrong, the consequences from that could set them back years again.
C Jake O'Brien, Brantford (OHL)
O'Brien isn't the fastest skater, but he's shifty, brings some serious playmaking ability and pinpoint passing to the table, and can run a power play, which is an element the Flyers are still very much in need of.
He's also one of the youngest players in the draft class, much like Luchanko was last year when the Flyers took him 13th overall. O'Brien is 17 and won't turn 18 until June 16, a couple of weeks before the draft.
At 6'2" and 172 pounds, he will need to get stronger, and other aspects of his game – like shooting, his aforementioned skating, and puck protection – are going to need work, but he arguably has the most room for growth over the next few years and maybe the highest ceiling of any of the projected first-rounders this summer because of it.
O'Brien comes in as the fourth-ranked North American skater by NHL Central Scouting.
LW Victor Eklund, Djurgården (Sweden)
The Flyers need centers, but if it becomes a matter of best player available by the time they're on the clock, hey, Eklund would not be a bad pick-up in the slightest.
The 18-year-old winger, who was Frondell's linemate over in Sweden, brings some sharp skating, a clean shot, and some crisp passing, too.
He put up 19 goals and 31 points through 42 games playing second-tier pro this past season, is the second-ranked international skater right behind Frondell by NHL Central Scouting, and since he plays from the left side, he could add to the Flyers' future forward corps without totally jamming up the pipeline at the wings.
D Jackson Smith, Tri-City (WHL)
Similarly, Smith could be worth a look outside of center, too, but a step back on the blue line instead.
He's a terrific skater who has been able to jump up on rushes and take the puck end-to-end in juniors, and at 6'4" and 194 pounds, he would inject some size back into the Flyers' defensive pipeline, especially as he grows further into his frame and uses that eventual strength to win more battles.
The 17-year-old already appears aware enough of his size as is, having used it to throw out some mean checks, as you'll see in the tape below.
NHL Central Scouting has him as the 13th-ranked North American skater, but he definitely has the tools to contribute one day as an NHL-level defenseman.
Smith racked up 11 goals and 43 assists for 54 points with Tri-City this year.
*H/T to NHL Draft Pros on YouTube, who always crushes it with the film breakdowns at this time of year.
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