Photo Credit: Philadelphia Flyers PR
With the 2025 NHL Draft now officially in the books the Philadelphia Flyers selected nine prospects with picks at #6, #12, #38, #40, #48, #57, #132, #157, #164.
A key theme of the draft for the Flyers scouting staff appeared to be focusing on players with size and skill that are willing to bring the puck to the net.
Along with that, it’s evident Philadelphia valued prospects who not only had size but are intelligent and think the game at a very high level.
One trait the Danny Briere regime certainly seems to covet is a player’s hockey IQ and this 2025 draft class has only further cemented that.
In relation to overall draft strategy the major trait that stands out is compete level. Every single prospect Philadelphia selected has work ethic as a feature of their play.
When analyzing the combination of wing prospects and center prospects that are now in the organization you can see how their skill sets complement one another.
The wingers have dynamic abilities within their games and the centers are big, with strong sticks who can open up space for those skilled wingers.
If we look at the overall identity being built moving ahead that to me is what the Flyers have attempted to put into place with the prospects they’ve added to the organization today.
It’s apparent the combination of size, hockey IQ, and, compete level are all traits they were looking for in their draft selections.
Below is a full analysis of each prospect selected by the Philadelphia Flyers in the 2025 Draft and some insight regarding their skill sets and what they could project to be at the NHL level.
Pick by Pick Analysis
#6 Porter Martone – 6’3, 208Ibs – RW – Brampton Steelheads (OHL)
In terms of hockey IQ Martone has an abundance of it and could be considered one of the most adept playmakers in the draft class.
Impressively enough, he improved his assist totals from 38 in the 2023-24 season to 61 assists in his draft year.
That exemplifies Martone’s willingness to work on areas of his play and hone his skills despite already being an impactful player just a season ago.
As the Steelheads Captain the left winger registered 37 goals and totalled 98 points in just 57 games.
What propelled Martone to produce 27 more points this season than last were a multitude of factors. The winger showed his compete and tenacity on a nightly basis, while his passing ability was on full display.
His decision making with passes, pass accuracy, and, vision from behind the net while battling defenders allowed him to create lanes for teammates and find them around the net and slot for scoring opportunities.
Martone’s phenomenal stick handling is one other trait that stands out from a majority of other forwards in this draft.
He typically uses his size to protect the puck and draw defenders in towards him. From there he will stick handle around the defenseman to open up plays and lanes to use his plus shot.
When assessing areas to potentially grow in, Martone can certainly work on his defensive support, as well as his skating mechanics.
The big winger gets to the places he needs to be on the ice but he can improve upon his first step and explosiveness to become an even greater offensive threat moving forward.
Ultimately, Martone projects to be a first line talent in the power forward mold at the NHL level, and could be compared to wingers such as Mikko Rantanen or Corey Perry.
Philadelphia drafted a top 4 talent and arguably the most talented winger in the draft with the Porter Martone selection.
The premium value on center allowed Martone to slip, Briere and the Flyers took advantage.
#12 Jack Nesbitt – 6’4, 185Ibs – C – Windsor Spitfires (OHL)
A center with size, Nesbitt rose up draft boards throughout this season and Philadelphia executed a trade to ensure they could select a prospect that appeared to have considerable interest around the league.
There were rumors that if Philadelphia did not trade up to select Nesbitt, Nashville likely would have.
In relation to Nesbitt’s overall play he is a high compete and high motor type of player that’s always working hard out on the ice.
He racked up excellent totals in takeaways (4.8 per game), as well as retrievals of pucks this past season. What allows him to be so efficient in those areas are his stick details, reach and defensive positioning.
Offensively Nesbitt had a close to point per game season. The 18-year-old center registered 25 goals and 39 assists for 64 points in 65 games.
Typically, Nesbitt was most effective offensively around the net, behind the net, in front of the net and in the slot.
In these high danger areas the big forward can use his size to protect the puck and bring pucks towards the net.
Around the net is where his puck handling ability can come into play as well, to try and open up lanes for teammates. Additionally, Nesbitt has shown prowess with deflections in a net front role.
The concern regarding Nesbitt’s game is primarily his skating. It’s quite clear the forward needs to improve upon his ability to get up to top speed in a quicker manner.
One way this can negatively affect his game is when trying to race to loose pucks. His off puck reads can help him compensate in certain situations however, his skating can still put him in tough positions.
Jack Nesbitt likely projects to be a third line NHL center or even a second line center if all things break right in his development path. One comparable NHL center might be Adam Lowry.
#38 Carter Amico – 6’6, 232Ibs – RHD – USNTDP (NTDP/USHL)
Amico is a talent that could potentially be late first round level quality and a value selection at 38th overall.
The towering 6 ‘6 defender suffered a devastating knee injury (broken knee-cap) early in the season which naturally pushed him out of being a realistic first round option.
Nonetheless, one quality in Amico’s game that makes him so intriguing is his ability to shut down opposing players during one-on-one battles. Coupled with decent mobility and high hockey IQ.
Amico seems like a defender that can be a valuable player for a team looking to add size on the back-end.
Another facet in Amico’s game is his physicality, the defender has a mean streak and seems to put forth some devastating body checks.
The defenseman plays a premium position being on the right side and is committed to Boston University next season.
#40 Jack Murtagh – 6’1, 200Ibs – LW – USNTDP (NTDP/USHL)
Murtagh could be considered a value type pick at 40th overall due to the fact he was rated in the 20’s as a potential late first rounder by many.
Additionally, he has positional versatility within his game because he’s played some center as well, not just left wing.
One thing to note is the fact Murtagh is just 17-years-old and one of the youngest players in the 2025 NHL draft. In terms of growing and filling out his frame that may not be quite complete as of yet.
This past season Murtagh registered 22 goals and 31 assists for 53 points in 56 games. He also loves to shoot the puck and led his team with 165 shots on net.
Puck handling might be his biggest strength, but he’s also a pure finisher that uses his puck protection skills in the offensive zone to create space for himself to fire the puck on net.
Along with that, the left winger does not hesitate to bring the puck to the net when the opportunity arises as well.
In terms of comparables one NHL player Murtagh has similarities to would be Colorado Avalanche forward Ross Colton.
#48 Shane Vansaghi – 6’3, 216Ibs – RW – Michigan State University (NCAA)
Vansaghi is a high motor, high energy type power forward that is best suited in your bottom six of the lineup.
He brings all the typical traits you’re looking for in an energetic player from the hard hitting, to his tenacious forechecking, and never giving up on a play.
To simply put it Vansaghi brings physicality to the table and a lot of it, making him a difficult player to play against.
There’s a variety of aspects within Vansaghi’s play that already make his game pro ready, but the one thing the big winger loves to do is bring the puck out of the corners and towards the net.
Vansaghi realizes that’s where he can make the most difference through getting the puck in and around the net.
The 18-year-old right winger played for Michigan State University this past season in the NCAA and registered 16 points in 37 games.
One player in the NHL that Vansaghi’s game resembles would be Minnesota Wild left winger, Marcus Foligno.
#57 Matthew Gard – 6’5, 195Ibs – C – Red Deer Rebels – (WHL)
The trend of selecting sizable players continued with Philadelphia’s final second round selection.
Gard, a lanky center, registered 19 goals and 17 assists for Red Deer in the WHL throughout 2024-25. Strengths of his game include, hockey IQ, size, and defensive play.
Although his game didn’t jump off the page offensively this season it’s worth noting he did score 19 points in his first 26 games.
However, the center’s production slowed down significantly in the second half, with only 17 points in the final 40 games of the season.
His hockey IQ might be his strongest trait as he uses his defensive positioning and reach to battle in his own zone and take space away from opposing players.
Gard is a prototypical checking center that played in all situations and was routinely called upon to take important defensive zone faceoffs as well.
A particular facet of Gard’s game that will need work as he continues to develop is his acceleration, specifically due to the fact he can have troubles separating himself from defenders at times.
#132 Max Westergard – 5’11, 168Ibs – LW – Frolunda HC J20 – (J20 Nationell)
Westergard is another value type pick for the Flyers in the fifth round. He was projected to be a second or third round level talent by many but fell all the way to round five.
The 17-year-old is also one of the youngest players eligible for the 2025 draft.
Essentially, Philadelphia takes a swing with this pick on a gritty, tenacious winger, who plays with a lot of pace to his game, and has a very high compete level.
One trait of Westergard’s that really stands out is his skating speed, which helps him create opportunities off the rush and get to high danger scoring areas.
If all were to go right in Westergard’s development path he could top out as a middle six winger.
When looking at skill sets, one NHL player that Westergard could be compared to is Tampa Bay Lightning forward Yanni Gourde.
#157 Luke Vlooswyk – 6’5, 200 Ibs – RHD – Red Deer Rebels – (WHL)
Vlooswyk is a right shot, shut down defender with size and mobility.
The defenseman typically uses his stick work and long reach to break up plays in his own end and in front of the net. Not to mention his ability to line opponents up for hits when the opportunities present itself.
One key component to Vlooswyk’s game is using his size in board battles to retrieve pucks in the defensive zone.
There’s certainly room for improvement in the right shot defender’s play, particularly in relation to his skating and puck moving abilities.
Nevertheless, Vlooswyk’s combination of size, mobility, and, physicality make him an intriguing fifth round pick with bottom pair NHL upside.
#164 Nathan Quinn – 5’11, 173 Ibs – C – Quebec Remparts – (QMJHL)
With their final selection in the sixth round the Philadelphia Flyers added another center to the prospect pool in Nathan Quinn. Similar to Max Westergard, Quinn is also one of the youngest draft eligible prospects.
The forward registered 17 goals and 29 assists for 46 points in 54 games for the Quebec Remparts in the QMJHL last season.
A specific facet of the 17-year-old’s game that stands out is his positioning and hockey IQ. To add on, he has also shown flashes of a very sneaky wrist shot release that can beat goaltenders as well.
One final thing to mention, the center uses deception quite well through his puck handling and skating ability to throw defenders off balance.
Nonetheless, Quinn will really need to mature physically to have a shot at the NHL despite the fact his compete level is high.
Check out our Flyers Nitty Gritty Store
Cool Matvei Michkov merchandise
About Author
