The 2026 NHL Draft is here. Well, in a few hours.
All of the drafts have been mocked. Dinners with prospects have been eaten. And the rumors are swirling after a whirlwind of NHL trades already completed this week.
The Philadelphia Flyers only have one pick in the first round of this year’s draft, and it could very well be on the move. However, as of now, we know that they own the 21st overall selection on Friday night.
So, after rounding up some of the projections throughout the month, let’s take a look at who experts have the Flyers drafting in their final mock drafts.
The Athletic – Corey Pronman (June 26)
Ilia Morozov, C, Miami (NCAA)
Philadelphia continues to build out its center depth with a potential middle-six pivot in Morozov. Lawrence and Hextall are also possibilities.”
Daily Faceoff – Steven Ellis (June 26)
Oliver Suvanto, C (Tappara, Liiga)
“The Flyers love drafting big dudes, and the 6-foot-3 Suvanto would be a good fit. Suvanto spent most of the season playing against men in Tappara, where he has shown he can play a reliable two-way game. I wish we saw him put up better numbers against junior-aged players, though. Still, I really like his play away from the puck, and I thought he looked solid at the World Juniors in a variety of roles. I think we’re talking about a big, middle-six guy here, but I want him to find another gear offensively.“
TSN – Craig Button (June 25)
Ilia Morozov
The Score – Kyle Cushman (June 25)
Ilia Morozov
“Morozov recorded 20 points in 36 contests as the youngest player in college hockey to suit up for the entire season. He has intriguing upside as a shutdown center.“
ESPN – Rachel Kryshak (June 25)
Maksim Sokolovskii, LHD, London (OHL)
“It is no secret the Flyers want to get bigger on the blue line, with Jamie Drysdale and Cam York representing the only small defenders who will play regular roles. The 6-7 Sokolovskii seems like the prototypical Philadelphia Flyer. He’s enormous, skates well, has a mile-long mean streak and is widely considered the hardest hitter in the draft class. All of that screams Tocchet type.“
Bleacher Report – Hannah Stuart (June 25)
Mathis Preston, RW, Vancouver Giants (WHL)
“On our draft board, we have Mathis Preston ranked as a high second-rounder. But draft boards and mock drafts are not the same thing, and it’s believable that a team will choose to select him in the first round. Last go-round, we tried the Vancouver Canucks out as a fit; for this one, we thought the Philadelphia Flyers were an interesting landing spot. He brings incredible speed, he’s a later birthday, and his passing and handling are top-notch.”
NHL – Adam Kimelman (June 24)
Maksim Sokolovskii
“Sokolovskii checks a lot of boxes for the Flyers. At 6-7, 240, he was the biggest player measured at the NHL Scouting Combine, and he’s a left-handed shot, an area where Philadelphia is thin among its prospects. He also comes from a London program the Flyers have trusted for player development in the past, including defenseman Oliver Bonk and forward Denver Barkey. Sokolovskii has a lot of the same traits as Boston Bruins defenseman Nikita Zadorov — coincidentally, another London alum — as far as physicality and aggressiveness. The 17-year-old is expected to play one more season for London and then progress to the University of Maine. But if his skating improves, the Flyers could have a physical, stay-at-home, top-four defenseman to pair alongside an up-tempo partner.”
NHL – Mike Morreale (June 24)
Thomas Bleyl, D, Moncton (QMJHL)
“If Bleyl (5-11, 170) is here, it makes sense for the Flyers to grab him to replenish their defensemen prospect pool. The 18-year-old is a dynamic puck-moving defenseman who emerged as one of the draft’s pleasant surprises thanks to his offensive production and elite skating ability. A natural power-play quarterback, he makes plays consistently while still holding his own defensively. He had 81 points (13 goals, 68 assists) in 63 regular-season games, and 28 points (six goals, 22 assists) in 21 QMJHL playoff games.“
The Athletic – Scott Wheeler (June 23)
Maksim Sokolovskii
Sokolovskii’s name has been one of the most hotly discussed among NHL scouts over the past few months, and I expect he’ll be selected in the 20s now. He’s the biggest player in this class, he might be its most naturally aggressive and he can move. Those three things made him a source of intrigue for the scouts this year. But his steep development curve in the second half of this season sold the league on his prospects as the next Nikita Zadorov type, and the trust in the London Knights to get him there (coincidentally, they also developed Zadorov) is another confidence booster. I believe the Flyers are the start of his range. I think Bleyl is an option here, too, for very different reasons.“
We’re seeing a bit of a consensus between two players in these final mock drafts: defenseman Maksim Sokolovskii and center Ilia Morozov.
Sokolovskii may be a bigger risk for the Flyers, as some of these final mock drafts have him available into the second round. His size may appeal to Keith Jones and the Flyers, though.
On the other hand, Morozov was off the board before the Flyers’ pick at 21 in quite a few mock drafts. He could go in the late teens as one of these in the group of centers, along with someone like Alexander Command, who was mocked to the Flyers earlier this month but has since moved up the board.
Pronman, Button, and Cushman have the Flyers drafting Morozov. Kryshnak, Kimelman, and Wheeler have the Flyers taking the swing on Sokolovskii.
It’s worth noting that Pronman is largely regarded as one of the top prospect experts in hockey, and Button nailed the Flyers’ first-round picks (albeit in different slots) last season.
Suvanto has been mocked to the Flyers in all of Ellis’ projections thus far, which would be interesting if he changed the write-up for the center in any of those articles. Bleyl could be a bit of a reach, but a possible candidate if the Flyers elect to trade down.
Preston would be a huge reach, but Stuart acknowledged as much in her write-up.
Personally, I would like to see the Flyers draft Morozov. While he doesn’t have top-line upside (not many players available at 21 will in most drafts, let alone this weaker class), he was great as a 17-year-old freshman in college, and bringing in a Russian prospect to potentially work alongside Matvei Michkov certainly can’t hurt.
