The majority of this article was written on March 22.
Although the club hasn’t made it official, it appears the Philadelphia Flyers have signed Riley Thompson, a 23-year-old center, to a one-year entry-level contract that begins in the 2026-27 season. (Note: we doubt the tweet below from PuckPedia includes a signing bonus of $102.5 million, but more likely $102,500.)
The #Flyers signed undrafted 23 y/o F Riley Thompson to 1 year entry level deal starting next season
— PuckPedia (@PuckPedia) March 22, 2026
NHL salary 922.5K
Signing Bonus 102.5M
Minors 85K
Cap hit/AAV $1.025M
27P in 37 NCAA GP
Rep’d by Pete Rutili @the_team_hockey https://t.co/BiQUAIoKUG
At the time of writing, there are some conflicting reports that this deal is done. No official contract has been inked at this time, according to those reports, but the Flyers appear to be in the running for Thompson’s services.
Thompson, a native or Orleans, Ontario, spent this 2024-25 season with Ohio State where, as the alternate captain, he registered 13 goals and 14 assists in 37 games for the Buckeyes. It was a slight downturn from his initial season with Ohio State (2023-24) where he had 33 points (16 goals, 17 assists) in 40 games. Prior to Ohio State, Thompson played one college year at the University of Alaska (Anchorage) where he earned nine goals to go with 15 assists for 24 points in 34 games. Thompson did score a goal against Michigan State University and Porter Martone earlier in the month.
GOAL! Riley Thompson ties the game at 1, scoring off a pass from Karabela.
— Ohio State Men's Hockey (@OhioStateMHKY) March 14, 2026
10:57 left | P1 pic.twitter.com/1b28BrNyPd
The biggest asset Thompson seems to have is his size. He’s a big boy at 6-foot-4 and 222 lbs, so naturally it’s a low-risk, high-reward decision the Flyers have taken signing Thompson to the deal. With the current lack of center depth on the team now, and the likes of Jack Nesbitt and Jett Luchanko still not quite ready for prime time, there’s very little harm in giving a big center a chance to prove himself. The one knock that Thompson seems to have is his lack of foot speed. But considering how the Flyers recently took a swing at acquiring former first-round pick David Jiricek in exchange for Bobby Brink being shipped to Minnesota, the Flyers probably believe it’s something that can be worked on with time. If it doesn’t pan out, it’s no great loss being just a one-year entry-level deal.
According to a recent scouting report from Mitchell Brown at Elite Prospects, from a January 31 game against the University of Michigan, there is some real potential in Thompson.
“Thompson is a robust centre who makes a lot happen in the tough areas of the ice. He’s a constant factor down low and around the net, creating traffic, winning end wall battles, and keeping the cycle alive,” Brown wrote. “Protects the puck well, using his wingspan and legs to shield it. He’s very sturdy inside contact and engages physically without possession to win pucks. Defence is also a strength, as he’s usually deep in his own zone, winning battles and supporting his defencemen. At times, he flashes more dynamic skills: Outside-in carries, cross-ice passing, and changing the release point of his shot. The lack of footspeed is really the limiter here — he’s clearly seeing plays and aware of space, but he can’t always access in time. He could keep his feet moving constantly to offset the skating more, too. Still, add the physical skills with enough playmaking and plenty of defensive potential, and it’s easy to see a pro-calibre player.”
Should Thompson somehow make the club with a sensational training camp, he will count for $1.025 million against the Flyers salary cap. If he doesn’t and ends up in Lehigh Valley, he’ll make $82,500. The one million is basically a drop in the bucket considering the rising salary cap for 2026-27 the Flyers will have. Overall, it’s a gamble Philadelphia general manager Danny Briere seems ready to make, especially considering how there seems to be much more upside from the deal than downside.
Update
On Thursday, four days after the first instance of a report, the Flyers have made this official. It is exactly as first reported by PuckPedia — a one-year, entry-level contract that will start next season.
Additionally, the Flyers made it clear that Thompson will be reporting to the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms on an amateur try-out for the rest of this season. That makes it a whole lot more interesting and while the Phantoms are juggling a good number of forwards as they push for the playoffs, it will be very interesting to see if the 23-year-old Thompson gets in any games.
Somewhat related, Cole Knuble has yet to play for the Phantoms despite signing his rookie deal over a week ago.
