The Philadelphia Flyers 2025 Off Season Thread

[lasgop8]

After 79-41-13 run with Oilers, could Woodcroft be option for Flyers?

Should the Flyers be interested in giving Jay Woodcroft his next shot as a head coach?

www.nbcsportsphiladelphia.com

 

[awaz]

Fortunately, 4 of the 5 teams picking ahead of us in this draft are in the western conference, but it definitely sucks that the fucking Islanders stole the top overall pick. Utah jumping us is a bummer, but at least it wasn't the Pens, Bruins, Rags or Jackets. Could've been horrific. Hopefully we can trade up or find a prospect that eventually sticks in the Nhl out of our 2nd round picks.

Yep. The commercial break between the 3rd and 4th ball for #1 was a mix of excitement that the Flyers had an 18.5% chance and dread that the Pens also had an 18.5% chance.

 

[awaz]

Yes. Take the center we like at #6 and then trade up into the top 15 to still get one of the top defenders of this draft. We have plenty of ammunition to at least do that much with 7 out of the top 48 picks. Either way, there's a lot of room to get creative here, depending on our draft board when it's our turn to select.

Agree with all of this. They have a ton of flexibility here. Add in that there seems to be some smoke around York too and they can really do a lot of different things at the draft if they so choose. Even if they don't make any trades, 7 picks in the top 48 adds a ton to the farm.

These 6 weeks will define Briere's GM tenure.

 

[chy1127]

Take the best Center on the board. Very deep year for them. At least one of Hagens (probably gone), Desnoyers, Frondell or O'Brien will be there at # 6. From what I am reading, all of these guys should be top 6 forwards. I would really like to get Hagens and then Desnoyers. If Hagen is there at # 4, there is a possibility to move up as Utah probably doesn't need a center. Puckpedia has it costing #6 and our own 2nd round pick.

 

[awaz]

Take the best Center on the board. Very deep year for them. At least one of Hagens (probably gone), Desnoyers, Frondell or O'Brien will be there at # 6. From what I am reading, all of these guys should be top 6 forwards. I would really like to get Hagens and then Desnoyers. If Hagen is there at # 4, there is a possibility to move up as Utah probably doesn't need a center. Puckpedia has it costing #6 and our own 2nd round pick.

You and las both on that Hagens train. I wouldn't mind moving up a couple spots to get him if he's there. Especially if the cost is just a 2nd. I'm just weirdly not that pro-Hagens even though he fits what I've been pounding the table for all these years.

I think it's a combination of the size and Pronman saying "he can stay on the outside too much". Just worried about him being Frost 2.0.

 

[lasgop8]

Take the best Center on the board. Very deep year for them. At least one of Hagens (probably gone), Desnoyers, Frondell or O'Brien will be there at # 6. From what I am reading, all of these guys should be top 6 forwards. I would really like to get Hagens and then Desnoyers. If Hagen is there at # 4, there is a possibility to move up as Utah probably doesn't need a center. Puckpedia has it costing #6 and our own 2nd round pick.

This is the plan i love.

 

[lasgop8]

You and las both on that Hagens train. I wouldn't mind moving up a couple spots to get him if he's there. Especially if the cost is just a 2nd. I'm just weirdly not that pro-Hagens even though he fits what I've been pounding the table for all these years.

I think it's a combination of the size and Pronman saying "he can stay on the outside too much". Just worried about him being Frost 2.0.

Player rankings from the Athletic: He's tier 2 rank 3:

James Hagens​

C2

---

Boston College
Height:
5' 10.5"
Weight:
177 Ibs
DOB:
Nov. 3, 2006

Profile
Hagens, after two years as the top dog at the NTDP and two record-setting international events at U17 and U18 worlds, entered this season as a front-runner to go No. 1. His draft year was good without being a star-making campaign, though. He played to a point per game as a freshman at BC and was a driver of positive results who often played over 20 minutes for the Eagles. At the World Juniors in Ottawa, he was also the No. 1 center on a gold medal-winning Team USA, leading their forwards in ice time (20:33), and was their fourth-leading scorer with nine points in seven games. I’m still very high on Hagens but some scouts wanted to see him score more and get to the net more than he did in college (there were a couple of games against bigger, older, heavier college teams where it hasn’t come as easily as it has against his peers). For a while, I thought he and Misa were neck-and-neck as the top forwards in the class, but I think a gap emerged as the season progressed. Still, Hagens is a top-five pick all day for me.
Hagens’ game is about skating and playmaking. He’s extremely breezy as a skater, making his patterns look easy out there. To use a hockey cliche, he’s on top of the ice, he’s agile and his stride and edges are dynamic, light, mobile and adjustable, with legitimate speed and quick acceleration through his crossovers and cuts (he often beats guys on angles and loses them on cutbacks). He’s got high-end touch and handling and real finesse as a passer or in playing pucks into space for himself. He’s very aware of spacing and timing on the ice and does a good job hitting his spots off the puck to present an option in motion to teammates as well as finding teammates when they’re open with his vision through layers. He’s got an impressive small-area game and an even more impressive game in open ice, with an ability to take his first touch and put opposing defenders on their heels when he gets the puck. He makes a lot happen in transition with his ability to flow up ice and make plays at pace, because the puck just sticks to his stick and he moves with control of rare quality. He’s got phenomenal dexterity and reflexes catching passes into his first touch. He’s crafty and has a game that mixes delays with one-on-one skill that pulls defenders in and then beats them. He’s got drive and wants to take charge on the ice. As soon as he gives it, he’s dashing to get open. He tries things and has the skill to pull off bold decisions when he makes them. His game has detail. He’s got some sneaky jam and competitiveness, with more of a willingness to put his nose in dirty areas than some scouts give him credit for, in my opinion. He’ll engage in battles. He’s an impressive athlete, with natural strength for 5-foot-10/11 that certainly isn’t overpowering but allows him to stay on pucks. He’ll also stand his ground post-whistle. He’s well-conditioned and doesn’t tire over the course of games or shifts. He’s slippery off the cycle and has a nifty release (I expect the goals will come next year). But it’s his combination of skating, skill and craft that defines him.
Hagens profiles as a top-of-the-lineup, play-creating center in the NHL with a similar profile to Utah’s Logan Cooley. I remain a big believer in him and his game.

 

[chy1127]

You and las both on that Hagens train. I wouldn't mind moving up a couple spots to get him if he's there. Especially if the cost is just a 2nd. I'm just weirdly not that pro-Hagens even though he fits what I've been pounding the table for all these years.

I think it's a combination of the size and Pronman saying "he can stay on the outside too much". Just worried about him being Frost 2.0.

I don't think I would move up for Hagens as I am liking everything I have read about Desnoyers. Seems like he has a high end and would fit in well.

 

[lasgop8]

I don't think I would move up for Hagens as I am liking everything I have read about Desnoyers. Seems like he has a high end and would fit in well.

From the Athletic Tier 2: Rank 5:

Caleb Desnoyers​

C3

---

Moncton
Height:
6' 1.5"
Weight:
178 Ibs
DOB:
Apr. 11, 2007

Profile
Desnoyers was the No. 1 pick in the 2023 QMJHL Draft after a run to a silver medal at the Telus Cup (Canada’s under-18 championship) and captaining Quebec at the Canada Winter Games. He was one of the top young players in the Q as a rookie last season, regularly playing 20 minutes per game as a forward for a good Wildcats team, and wore a letter for the gold medal-winning Canada White at under-17s as well as for Team Canada at the Hlinka. I thought he had a tough time as a center in a limited role at U18 worlds (despite registering five points in five games) last spring and his numbers didn't pop out of the gate this season, but he has been one of the best players in the QMJHL for the six months and has really elevated his game — and, importantly for scouts, his production — as the top forward on the top team in the QMJHL. That has been stamped yet again by an outstanding playoff run that has seen him play to two points per game, too. He’s a good-sized center with room to add muscle, and scouts love him as a projectable top-six center who plays a smart, detailed, well-rounded two-way game with good skill, smarts and poise.
Desnoyers is competitive and has great habits. He’s committed to playing defense, supporting pucks, staying in good positions and not cheating for offense. He gets glowing reviews as a kid and winner that people gravitate around. He’s opportunistic and gets open really well. He involves himself in play, he can carry and hold pucks or play off his linemates in give-and-gos, he’s got a real feel for the game offensively and he’s consistently impactful. While he’s not a dynamic skater or individual creator, I see plenty of skill and have seen him make plenty of plays (including a Michigan goal and a ton of high-IQ plays in tight/in traffic) and he’s a better skater than his older brother Elliot, a Philadelphia Flyers prospect, was at the same age. He's firmly in the top-five conversation now for NHL clubs, and while he doesn’t have the skill or skating of Misa or Hagens, if he can add a little more pace, he’s going to have a long career as an important center who contributes to winning on good teams. He has had a very comparable QMJHL career and impact to Nico Hischier and Pierre-Luc Dubois, who were both top picks. He’s more Hischier than PLD, too.

 

[eaglesnut]

From the Athletic Tier 2: Rank 5:

​

Caleb Desnoyers​

C3

---

Moncton
Height:
6' 1.5"
Weight:
178 Ibs
DOB:
Apr. 11, 2007

Profile
Desnoyers was the No. 1 pick in the 2023 QMJHL Draft after a run to a silver medal at the Telus Cup (Canada’s under-18 championship) and captaining Quebec at the Canada Winter Games. He was one of the top young players in the Q as a rookie last season, regularly playing 20 minutes per game as a forward for a good Wildcats team, and wore a letter for the gold medal-winning Canada White at under-17s as well as for Team Canada at the Hlinka. I thought he had a tough time as a center in a limited role at U18 worlds (despite registering five points in five games) last spring and his numbers didn't pop out of the gate this season, but he has been one of the best players in the QMJHL for the six months and has really elevated his game — and, importantly for scouts, his production — as the top forward on the top team in the QMJHL. That has been stamped yet again by an outstanding playoff run that has seen him play to two points per game, too. He’s a good-sized center with room to add muscle, and scouts love him as a projectable top-six center who plays a smart, detailed, well-rounded two-way game with good skill, smarts and poise.
Desnoyers is competitive and has great habits. He’s committed to playing defense, supporting pucks, staying in good positions and not cheating for offense. He gets glowing reviews as a kid and winner that people gravitate around. He’s opportunistic and gets open really well. He involves himself in play, he can carry and hold pucks or play off his linemates in give-and-gos, he’s got a real feel for the game offensively and he’s consistently impactful. While he’s not a dynamic skater or individual creator, I see plenty of skill and have seen him make plenty of plays (including a Michigan goal and a ton of high-IQ plays in tight/in traffic) and he’s a better skater than his older brother Elliot, a Philadelphia Flyers prospect, was at the same age. He's firmly in the top-five conversation now for NHL clubs, and while he doesn’t have the skill or skating of Misa or Hagens, if he can add a little more pace, he’s going to have a long career as an important center who contributes to winning on good teams. He has had a very comparable QMJHL career and impact to Nico Hischier and Pierre-Luc Dubois, who were both top picks. He’s more Hischier than PLD, too.

Sounds like Couturier as a prospect. Our best top ten pick in ages.

 

[lasgop8]

Sounds like Couturier as a prospect. Our best top ten pick in ages.

I have to agree with that and that is pretty sad to say. Clearly is shows why we are in that state that we are in.