The Philadelphia Flyers did some bigger business with Dan Vladar, Tyson Foerster and Noel Acciari on Wednesday during free agent frenzy. However, they also managed to do some adding to their pipeline by signing former Vancouver Canuck prospect, forward Danila Klimovich to a one-year deal. The team hasn’t yet made the announcement official, but Klimovich’s agent Dan Milstein tweeted the news.
Congratulations to Danila Klimovich on signing a 1-year NHL contract with the Philadelphia #LetsGoFlyers ! #WeAreGoldStar! pic.twitter.com/ges1AmQgJm
— Dan Milstein (@HockeyAgent1) July 1, 2026
Klimovich, a second-round draft pick of Vancouver (forty-first overall) in the 2021 NHL Draft, has yet to play a National Hockey League game. He played the last five seasons with the Abbotsford Canucks in the American Hockey League, although only played two games in 2023-24. Last year, Klimovich (6’2″, 202 pounds) had 18 goals and 34 points in 63 games. In the 2024-25 playoffs for Abbotsford, the Belarus-born Klimovich had four goals in 16 games.
However, the Canucks didn’t offer him a qualifying offer earlier this week, allowing the player to enter unrestricted free agency as of July 1. There was speculation that Klimovich might set his sights on Russia and playing in the Kontinental Hockey League, but it appears next year he’ll be in North America continuing his career. And most likely a Lehigh Valley Phantom.
What we know about Klimovich
During that most recent playoff run in the AHL, Klimovich was said to have developed more into his potential. “His game has grown significantly in terms of pace, activity level, and overall processing” EliteProspects.com wrote regarding his play during that playoff run. “He remains big and dynamic, but the effort level and involvement are nice qualities that he’s added to his game over the years.” Klimovich was also thought to be offensively dynamic and, perhaps more importantly to some, developed a better all-around game playing away from the puck and in his own end. “A lot of disruptive physicality and stick work, along with pace increases, developed into impactful pressure plays.” The general consensus is that Klimovich remains a work in progress, not quite a reclamation project, but the type of player that is a low-risk acquisition that could turn into something down the road.
With Philadelphia not extending qualifying offers to a handful of players including Karsen Dorwart, Tucker Robertson, and Philip Tomasino among others who spent their 2025-26 seasons with Lehigh Valley, the move is a good one to simply add players to Philadelphia’s American Hockey League affiliate. In the end, it’s not a huge signing that will move the needle for the Flyers this season. But it is a very low-risk move on a former second-round prospect who turns 24 this coming January.
