Although all eyes will be on the 2026 NHL Draft in late June, there are roughly a dozen European draftees from the class of 2022 who, unless they’re signed by the end of May 31, will become unrestricted free agents. Simply put, the respective teams who drafted these respective players haven’t inked them to an entry-level contract, meaning their rights to that team will expire.
On top of that, there will be similar North American draftees (drafted out of Canadian major junior hockey) from the 2024 draft year in a similar situation on June 1 if they don’t sign an entry-level contract (or commit to an NCAA team before that time). Most will be re-entered into the NHL Draft, unless they are 2006-born players, who will then be free to sign with any club.
As of May 29, there are six North American players from the 2024 draft class who are still without an ELC or an NCAA team, so Philadelphia could sign any of these players they obviously feel have an upside or could help the club in some capacity. In total there were 18 combined North American and European players who could become UFAs on June 1. One of the 18 is Santeri Sulku, a physically imposing (6-foot-4, 201 pounds) 2022 seventh-round draft pick (197th overall) by Philadelphia. The Flyers could still sign Sulku to an ELC, but considering they haven’t yet, it’s conceivable they simply let him walk into free agency.
So, are there any of these 18 players who might be worth Flyers general manager Danny Briere taking a look at? Maybe another reclamation project he can see an upside to despite essentially being turned away by their original? Here’s a handful of the best of what is a rather small lot.
Hunter Laing, C
A sixth round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft by Calgary, Laing brings a size and presence that could make some opponents jealous. He’s 6’6 and 206 pounds, and would definitely bring size down the middle. Laing came into his own in 2025-26 with the Saskatoon Blades of the Western Hockey League, putting up 55 points (24 goals, 31 assists) in 62 games. He also had nine points in 11 playoff games for the Blades.
BANG! BANG! It’s Hunter Laing! 🚨🔥
— Western Hockey League (@TheWHL) April 16, 2026
Hunter Laing pulls the @BladesHockey within 2!
📺| @victoryplustv
🔗| https://t.co/ejuFny1mnK@NHLFlames | #Flames | #FeedingtheFuture | #WHLPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/1gZG4Mwy29
The biggest knock in Laing’s game tends to be his foot speed, namely he doesn’t have a lot. However, considering how the Flyers have worked with players who aren’t burning rubber all the time starting out, it’s possible they could work with Laing to improve that part of his game. A big body who isn’t afraid to get to the front of the net, Laing might be an interesting forward Philadelphia could take a long, hard look at.
Simon Forsmark, LD
Forsmark was selected in the fourth round by Carolina (101st overall) in 2022. And he has yet to play in North America, spending the last three years with Timra of the Swedish Hockey League. He’s primarily a stay-at-home defender, rarely lighting the lamp but good for 18 to 23 points a season. He also has some mobility which never hurts, something that could translate with more time and seasoning.
The defenseman, who shoots left, was taken by Carolina but has a tie-in to the Flyers. The Carolina pick was part of the package Philadelphia sent to the Hurricanes in exchange for landing defenseman Tony DeAngelo back in July 2022. So seeing Forsmark possibly in a Flyers jersey down the road might be worth forgetting much of what was the era of Tony DeAngelo.
Kasper Kulonummi, RD
Drafted in the third round (84th overall) by Nashville, this Finnish blueliner played the last four seasons in the Finnish Elite League. He managed 21 points in 42 games for Kiekoo-Espoo in 2025-26, his second season with the club after winning the league championship with Tappara Tampere in 2023-24. His development took a major step this past season, with DobberProspects describing his year as being “more convincing” than 2024-25. “Kulonummi looks increasingly like a mobile right-shot defender who can handle pro pace, move pucks cleanly, and give a second unit some utility,” the site wrote, clearly impressed with the strides he made. Again, a player that might not cost a lot of money, and could be seen as another work in progress with Lehigh Valley for a few years before playing with the big club.
Albin Sundin, RD
Before you ask, no, no relation to Mats. His father, Ronnie, had a lengthy career in Sweden while getting in a lone NHL game with the Rangers in 1997-98. Albin Sundin was taken by Edmonton in the sixth round and appears to be a defensive-minded blueliner, not mistaken for Evan Bouchard by any stretch. Sundin is a bit of a minute-muncher playing for Timra IK of the Swedish Hockey League in 2025-26. In 51 games he had all of nine points (four goals, five assists).
Sundin, whose draft class was in 2024 but who was 20 years old at the time he was drafted out of Europe, could be another depth blueliner that would work on the third pairing most likely. He isn’t afraid to move the body but still needs to work on his game, particularly delivering and receiving passes in his own zone. It sounds like something that could be corrected quickly, but if it remains a problem, Sundin won’t be playing in North America anytime soon, if at all.
Stats courtesy of HockeyDB and EliteProspects.com
