The Flyers nearly traded up into the range of Ivan Demidov during the 2024 NHL Draft. (Photo: Stephen R. Sylvanie, Imagn Images)
The talent-hungry Philadelphia Flyers are open to just about every possibility heading into the 2025 NHL Draft, and trading up for an even higher draft pick remains on the table.
In his annual pre-draft press conference Tuesday, Flyers GM Danny Briere reiterated his long-standing interest in trading up in the draft, but, ever careful to hold his cards close to his chest, acknowledged the possibility of keeping and using all seven picks he holds in the first two rounds of the 2025 draft.
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“It’s been pretty quiet on that front. It feels like everybody’s trying to move up at the moment,” Briere said of trading up in the draft. “We’ve said from the beginning we’d like to try to move up if it’s possible. But, right now, there’s just not a lot of options there. Teams are all looking to move up, so, we’ll have to be patient, and maybe there’s an opportunity that comes where we can create value going the other way also.”
Recall that, last year, it was reported the Flyers made a significant offer to the Columbus Blue Jackets for the No. 4 overall pick and were ultimately rebuffed. Briere never confirmed that specifically, but did admit to trying to move up and not making any meaningful progress with that discussion.
Had Briere and the Flyers been successful, it is widely believed that they would’ve selected either Cayden Lindstrom, who was drafted fourth by Columbus, or Ivan Demidov, who went one pick later to the Montreal Canadiens at No. 5.
Flyers Draft Target Jackson Smith Goes Local with Penn State Commitment
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Philadelphia Flyers select defenseman Jackson Smith in the 2025 NHL Draft, they’ll be able to keep a close watch on him now that the top draft prospect has formally committed to Penn State.
In Tuesday’s press conference, Briere also remarked that, in the 2025 class, the players from the No. 2 to No. 8 range are “pretty similar,” which would seemingly disincentivize such an aggressive trade to move up, at most, four spots.
That is assuming, at least, that centers like Michael Misa, James Hagens, Anton Frondell, Jake O’Brien, and Caleb Desnoyers are rated somewhat equally on their board.
Briere has already publicly entertained the prospect of selecting Desnoyers, whose older brother, Elliot, has played for the Flyers in the NHL in the past and is currently with their AHL affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
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Others, like O’Brien, have connections to the Flyers in other ways. O’Brien’s head coach in the OHL is Brantford Bulldogs bench boss Jay McKee, who was linked to the Flyers’ head coaching vacancy before Rick Tocchet was hired and who was teammates with Briere at the NHL level during their playing days.
As things stand, assuming the Florida Panthers beat the Edmonton Oilers in Game 6 on Tuesday night to win the Stanley Cup, the Flyers will pick sixth, 22nd, 31st, 36th, 40th, 45th, and 48th in the first two rounds of the 2025 draft.
After those picks, Briere and Co. will be back on the clock with the 68th overall pick, the fourth pick in the third round.
It’s unclear who the Flyers would trade up for in the 2025 draft and why, but the fact that Briere is considering it means they have or are actively considering certain scenarios where they would feel compelled to do this.
