Draft Day is upon us, and like every year, there’s a host of mocks and rumors floating around that are trying to decipher who the Flyers are going to be taking with their first round pick.
The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz noted in a brief draft day report that The Athletic’s Corey Pronman has heard rumblings that the Flyers have been linked with Moncton defenseman Tommy Bleyl, especially if they are to make a trade that drops them closer to the end of the first round.
The 6-foot, 170-pound defenseman has risen up draft boards all season long after signing with Moncton in the QMJHL, and had a spectacular debut season with 81 points in 63 games from the blueline. The Flyers have had contact with Bleyl already, as the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jackie Spiegel noted earlier this month, so the familiarity is there.
The two needs that the Flyers face heading into this draft are at center and defense, so Bleyl would help in addressing at least one of them. Additionally, his puck moving and shifty skating style would help him to potentially run a power play one day, which is something the Flyers have been looking to develop for years. Bleyl fell just outside our BSH Community Draft Board, but that isn’t saying much, given just how much of a mystery the end of the first round could turn out to be when the picks are finally called.
“Shaking defenders left and right, dancing at the offensive line, and skating around the offensive zone, Bleyl slips in tight gaps in coverage and breaks open defences. He’s nearly impossible for forecheckers and defenders to catch. One wrong move leaves them a step behind the accelerating Bleyl, who seems to own the ice in some shifts, transitioning pucks up ice at light speed and generating shots in waves,” the Elite Prospect 2026 NHL Draft Guide reads.
“Knowing how to take players 1-on-1, the timing of moves, how to use feints and strike against vulnerable opponents, Bleyl drags defenders with him as he slides laterally, fakes a shot, and then accelerates past them. And he’s just as effective as an off-puck threat, jumping in gaps, taking advantage of pushed-back defenders, and firing off passes.”
He would bring a more high ceiling defender to the Flyers prospect pool, which is currently filled with more two-way and defensive options like Ty Murchison, Oliver Bonk, and Carter Amico.
Flyers interested in trading down
But while the Flyers currently hold pick 21, there’s a real chance that may not actually end up making the selection. In recent days there has been increasing speculation that the Flyers may be entertaining the possibility of moving down in the draft order.
In the same article, Kurz noted that the Flyers have reportedly been in talks with at least one organization about potentially trading back in order to try and grab another second round pick in this year’s draft, at the cost of what could be only a few draft slots.
Now obviously this all depends on the asking price, and if GM Daniel Briere can find a suitable team to deal with, but the appeal of amassing more darts to throw at the board is understandable, especially in a draft that seems very uncertain outside of the top-10. No consensus order has emerged throughout the entire lead up to draft day, and if Briere and the Flyers’ scouts think that they could get a similarly exciting prospect at say, No. 25, it makes sense to accumulate more assets.
If the Flyers were to slide back, they would be presented with a lot of the same options that they currently have at 21st overall, including the aforementioned Bleyl, who has been mocked anywhere from No. 21, to the end of the first round throughout the draft process. So if that is indeed the player that the Flyers are after, they’ll likely have a good shot at grabbing him anyways.
