The Flyers don’t have the number one pick. They’re not in the top five, and are 15 (and nine) spots removed from the slots they had last year when they selected Porter Martone with the sixth overall pick, and traded up for Jack Nesbitt with the twelfth pick. Needless to say, unless they unload a handful of picks and prospects, they’re not going to be in the top five this upcoming 2026 National Hockey League Draft in Buffalo.
However, like they did last year, that’s not to say they couldn’t trade up and land a player perhaps just out of the top ten or in the early teens. Flyers general manager Danny Briere did just that last year in landing Nesbitt. But with four picks at their disposal, the best case scenario (outside of trading a roster player or prospect in a package) would see Briere swapping the 21st and 53rd picks essentially in exchange for his one swing in the opening five rounds. Here then are five prospects possibly finding themselves outside of the top ten who could be wearing a Flyers jersey — for the right asking price obviously — June 26 in Buffalo.
Tynan Lawrence, C
Still a few months from turning 18, center Tynan Lawrence didn’t have the kind of season a selection in the middle of round one might have. He spent 18 games at Boston University getting his feet wet, scoring twice and adding five assists. He also played 13 games with the Muskegon Lumberjacks of the United States Hockey League, earning 17 points over that stretch. The native of Fredericton, New Brunswick has a good frame (6’1″, 185 pounds) that should fill out in the coming years. Lawrence has been ranked in the top five by a number of expert scouting sites while one or two have him going in the latter half of round one.
Lawrence has speed, which seems to be one of his biggest assets, enabling him to get to pucks quickly and break up plays away from the puck. And he has a lot of traits that make him a great playmaker, from the vision on the ice to the high-end hockey IQ to create something where others might see nothing. As well, Lawrence isn’t afraid to take a hit to make a play when needed, not shying away from the physical aspect of the game. The one drawback that might sound the alarm to some teams is his past season, which came with some injuries. A training camp injury with Muskegon put him on the back foot of sorts, but he made inroads down the stretch and got the attention of many. He’s heading back to Boston University this season, which should help his development greatly playing against older, and bigger competition. And see Lawrence play with 2026 Flyer draft pick Carter Amico. If the injury concern causes some teams to pass on Lawrence, Briere might take the risk (if there is a risk) and move up to land him.
Alexander Command, C
A center who is also turning some heads and getting some serious consideration is Alexander Command. Having turned 18 on June 16, the Swedish-born forward played most of the season with Orebro HK, a Swedish under-20 team Command had 57 combined points in 30 regular season games and 14 playoff contests. And he brings some physicality with 61 penalty minutes and a decent size down the middle (6’1″, 187 pounds). The forward makes a habit of winning a lot of puck battles through determination and his body positioning. But it’s his work ethic and outlook which has garnered a lot of attention, leaving nearly every NHL team at the recent combines to interview Command. He also played in two international tournaments in 2025-26, averaging a point a game during the U18 World Championships this past May.
He seems that he would also be a perfect example of the blueprint the Flyers are looking for moving forward: talented, big, not quitting, and driving the opposition nuts. “I enjoy the physical hard part,” Command told NHL.com in an interview. “It gets the other guys going, and it gets my opponents pissed off also.”
If Command isn’t selected quickly, and he’s still available a few picks before Philadelphia’s pick at 21 No., then Briere might simply be able to swap slots with a team ahead of them, one fine with sliding down a few spots if it means their guy is still there. Or, if the price was upped slightly, the Flyers might use one of their two third-round picks in 2027 to secure Command’s rights. Regardless, this is a forward who has a lot of things going for him, and seems to check a lot of boxes for Philadelphia.
Malte Gustafsson, LHD
If you never heard of Malte Gustafsson, don’t worry. Once you see him, the name won’t be forgotten. He’s not a high-end offensive rover. But at 6-foot-4, 200 pounds, the blueliner is projected to be a fine defender who is going to eat up a lot of quality minutes. Splitting last season between HV71 (the junior club and the top tier club in the SHL), Gustafsson seems to be a player whose stock rose notably since the U18s despite not being the second coming of Evan Bouchard or Quinn Hughes.
It would probably be a long shot to see Gustafsson drop down and fall in the lap of Briere like Matvei Michkov did in 2023 with the seventh pick in the first round. However, if Philadelphia’s scouting staff is shocked that he’s still around outside of the top 10 or top 15, then look for Briere and assistant general manager Brent Flahr to have a serious (albeit short) discussion about whether to do what it takes to land this highly-intriguing defenseman.
Ilia Morozov, C
The Flyers might see Morozov with the 21st pick and then select him without needing to move up. He turns 18 in early August and was the youngest skater last season for players at the NCAA tier. But he looks a year or two older physically, with a 6-foot-3 frame and coming in at over 200 pounds. Another plus from the Flyers angle? He is fluent in English, which could serve the likes of a seasoned Matvei Michkov well should the language barrier still be an issue down the road. The Moscow native spent 2025-26 with Miami University in Ohio, scoring eight goals and having 20 points in 36 games. In his rookie season at the NCAA level he was also averaging over 20 minutes a night, a great first step in what should be a very strong 2026-27.
Considering the Flyers believe they can never have enough centers, and are still arguably thin down the middle, getting Morozov a bit earlier than he might be projected at shouldn’t a problem for Philadelphia. Morozov isn’t on a level of Gavin McKenna, but he provides a lot of assets the Flyers always crave. And considering his youth, and the impression he left on his team last year, it looks to be a very bright future ahead.
Albert Smits, LHD
Outside of the top two or three selections, Albert Smits will be a defenseman on nearly everyone’s radar. And many suspect it would be a miracle if he’s not selected somewhere in the top ten. Smits, from Latvia, spent his first season in Liiga, the top level of Finnish professional hockey. His year with Jukurit was an eye-opener for many, as he didn’t really take a step back, scoring 13 points in 38 games. He was also loaned to EHC Munich in the German league for a stint playing 16 combined regular season and playoff games, including getting six points (two goals, four assists) in 11 playoff tilts.
There are a few drawbacks to his game, including that sometimes he’s too deliberate with the puck, allowing forwards to finish their checks on him which leads to taking unnecessary punishment. And he’s not a speed demon. However, if the Flyers are willing to put in the work with the big, lumbering blueliner, they could have a very fine, consistent addition to the back end for several years to come.
Smits might also be the prospect outside of the top five or six that the Flyers would probably have to package some picks and possibly a prospect for. It’s something that would have to make sense in order for Briere to make it so. Definitely worth a discussion.
Stats courtesy of HockeyDB.com and Eliteprospects.com.
