The Philadelphia Flyers are less than 24 hours from starting training camp, but it appears that regardless of what transpires this season, the organization believes they have far deeper cupboards in terms of prospects than the pundits and experts around the National Hockey League suggest. Riley Armstrong, the team’s director of player development, believes the Flyers are looking quite good regarding their recent draft picks.
In an exclusive interview with The Philadelphia Inquirer, Armstrong broke down a handful of the team’s prospects. “I think the one thing I walked away from the weekend was how deep our prospect pool is,” he said. “We didn’t have so many guys here, yet we had so much talent.”
Here then is what Armstrong said about a bevy of Flyers prospects, some further along in their development than others, but all hoping for a crack with the team at some point. If not now, then on the horizon.
Cole Knuble
Armstrong was quite pleased with Knuble’s Rookie Camp as well as how he fared over the weekend against the Rangers. “I think the one guy that really stood out for me is Cole Knuble,” he said. “I know he got a little taste at the end of the year there, coming up with the Phantoms there last year and playing some games. I thought he really stepped in and it kind of showed, ‘Hey, Nubs is here and he’s ready to make the Flyers.’ I definitely think he had an impact on the game that he played in.”
Knuble, who played alongside center Jett Luchanko during the weekend, looked calm, cool, and collected in camp, and seemed to look like a player eager to make the next step in his development, whether it’s with the Flyers, or down in the American Hockey League with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
“But over the course of the weekend, he even stood out watching the course of the second game, we kept going back and going, ‘Wow, Nubs is good!’ We kept talking about him. I think he’s the biggest takeaway from me coming out of both of those games who really popped.”
Jett Luchanko
As much as Armstrong praised Knuble for the camp, he was also high on center Jett Luchanko. Luchanko played both games against New York last weekend, and found himself with Denver Barkey, Alex Bump, Porter Martone, and Knuble as his wingers. Although placed in a great spot, he also made the most of the chance with flashes of speed and playmaking. And shooting, something Armstrong and the Flyers have routinely mentioned to him to do.
“I think every player goes in and expects every year is a big year, you want to see some growth in the player as well,” Armstrong said. “But I think from Jett’s side of it, I think it’s always been there. I do think over the last couple of years it was that little nagging injury that he had finally got cleared up. And I think it was a weight off of his shoulders once that was kind of all said and done. From my view of watching him this weekend, he was more engaged or willing to run into battles and skate through checks than I have seen him in the past two years, which was a bonus.
“I think when you’re playing through a little bit of pain or discomfort, when you go into those areas, you kind of want to hesitate and pull back a little bit. And I felt these two games he was really attacking the play. You see the assist to Alex Bump on his goal in the first game, how he went through the middle of the rink. Those are things we were like waiting for for him to do that in Brantford and Guelph last year. I definitely think with his speed, his vision, his playmaking, I really think he’s definitely going to pop this season. I think being in one spot for a whole year, whether it’s Philly or here (Lehigh Valley), and he’s not going from an NHL team to a junior team to world junior to a different junior team, that is a lot of moving around to be honest. I think Jett’s really excited for the year.”
Luchanko informed Armstrong that last year when he was trying to shift into another gear or “high-end speed” regarding his skating, it hurt. Now, he appears to be doing that, and it’s painless. It’s something that should only enhance his all-around game.
“I think the last two games he really showed some good speed. And kind of being a dog on the puck on the PK, he was quick to pivot, and get back on another guy, and he drew that penalty in the second game, and I think just doing those types of things. But I also think when you hurt the core part of your body, it affects so much, not only your skating, but checking and also shooting.
“The one thing that I loved is he went down on a two-on-one, and I was yelling shoot, and he did shoot,” Armstrong added. “He didn’t score, but I’m glad he shot the puck because that’s something we’ve been preaching to him. And he’s always a pass-first kind of guy. To see him start to build that confidence and get that mindset of, ‘Hey, I’m going to be a shooter too,’ is definitely a step in the right direction.”
Oliver Bonk
As for Oliver Bonk, Armstrong noticed that he put a lot of work in during the offseason, and also had a lot more confidence handling and holding onto the puck. “He’s the same age as all these guys, but he’s doing things out there that a seasoned NHL player was doing with the puck, carrying the puck, having all that confidence and poise,” he said. “I do think he’s going to come in and push for a spot. I think over the course of the four days at camp and four preseason games — or how many he plays, I’m not too sure, I’m not sure how they have that structured — I think he’s going to show well.”
Armstrong has no crystal ball to determine whether or not Bonk ends up on the Flyers roster heading into the season opener. But he feels the defenseman is going to develop into an even better defenseman this year, regardless of where he ends up. Or where he starts off.
“You never know, he might be ready to play, but maybe the best spot for his development might be going down and starting with the Phantoms, and playing 24 or 25 minutes a night,” he said. “Having those big minutes, and being on the power play and continuing to develop. You never really know what’s going to happen. Guys get hurt and things like that change pretty quick. But I think watching him play over the last three or four years has been awesome to watch.
If there was one minor suggestion Armstrong had regarding Bonk, it was to hone his shooting and scoring. “I know it’s something he’s focused a lot on over the past couple of years too is his shot from the point, but also his shot from the bumper too,” he said. “He did score in London in that spot quite a bit. But just being in the American league and in the NHL, goalies are just so good. I think to have him build that confidence within your shot means so much that you’re like, ‘Oh I can beat this goalie from here, I can beat him from here.’ I think that’s one thing, but he takes a lot of pride in it.”
Carter Amico
The jury is still out on Carter Amico. But the biggest thing might be he’s now healthy. After undergoing surgeries which hampered his play and development, Amico is entering his first proper season at Boston University confident he can make a difference. Armstrong was hesitant to state where Amico’s ceiling could be in the NHL, but believes if everything fell into place he could be a top-pairing defenseman. He also believed having Amico play with Muskegon of the United States Hockey League was a huge benefit to him, giving him a chance to play meaningful playoff hockey.
“The best thing for him was going to the USHL with Muskgeon and being able to play in a playoff run, play some big minutes,” Armstrong said. “He was on the power play there. I had so many people writing me saying, ‘Holy you should see Amico, wow!’ throughout the course of the final part of the year. So that’s always positive stuff. And just at development camp, everybody got to see a healthy Amico, and it was like, ‘Holy! How good is he going to be?’
“So I think that’s something that we’re looking forward to, finally watching him at BU, watching him play against some bigger guys, faster guys. I know BU is excited as well. ‘Wow, he’s finally ready to roll.’ I think for the ceiling I’m projecting him to be is he could be a number one, two defenseman at the NHL level with his size and skating. How he goes up and down the rink. You see guys that can play those roles, look at Sanheim. It took Sanheim a couple of years to develop that motor that he has. And I definitely think Carter has that.
Spencer Gill
Although he never said it, Armstrong might have thought Spencer Gill was at times looking a bit like Hal Gill during the Rookie Series. This coming after an injury-plagued year that saw him play just 16 games with Blainville-Boisbriand of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. However, he was highly impressed with how he was able to look comfortable with the puck, and evade opponents while looking like he wasn’t really moving all that quickly. Of course when you’re around 6’5″, you don’t have to be a speed demon to cover a lot of ground.
“Well during the rookie games there, there were times he was going back for pucks, and I was up there going, ‘C’mon Gill, get your feet going!’ But he shields the player off using his size, he gives just one little shimmy, and he skates out with the puck. His ability to get away from checks. He’s 6’4″, 6’5” and he is moving, but when you watch him it looks a little slower to the eye than what he’s doing on the ice because he’s so big.
“I was amazed at some of the plays where I thought he was going to get hit, and then he comes out with the puck. Or he escapes from a player and comes out with the puck. A guy is forechecking him, then he gets his feet moving, he comes out with the puck and makes a play.”
Armstrong feels a year in Lehigh Valley is going to do wonders for Gill’s game, putting 2025-26 behind him and focusing on his first year of professional hockey. He also said he saw a lot of Chris Pronger-like similarities in Gill’s game dating back to a contest he saw in the QMJHL where Gill played tons of minutes yet didn’t seem to break a sweat.
“I think the poise with Gill, whenever he has the puck on his stick, his head’s up, he makes his plays, he looks around the rink,” he said regarding the 20-year-old defender. “I was laughing, when I was watching him in the Q I said he looked like Chris Pronger out there. He barely moved, he didn’t even really skate, got the puck, made the simple play. He played 35 minutes and he came out after the game and he was like, ‘Hey Roz what’s up?’ It was like he didn’t even work. It was like too easy for him almost. He’s another great kid.”
Brek Liske and Luke Vlooswyk
This pair of Flyer draft picks ended up being paired up in Everett last season, and looked quite strong together. It appears the pair are most likely going to be together again in Everett, and are hoping to be a dynamic duo that can play shutdown hockey while also adding some offensive punch.
“Brek was behind (Everett defensemen) Tarin Smith and Landon DuPont, he’s not getting on the power play. Smith gets hurt. All of a sudden, Liske starts to come, and that’s towards the end of the year, Vlooswyk starts to come a little bit. Then all of a sudden he gets paired up with Luke, and those two guys popped in the playoffs for Everett.
“I think Luke getting traded from Red Deer to Everett was a big boost in his confidence, playing on a team where they’re winning games, and he’s understanding how to play that way. I think Luke and Brek just fed off each other. Luke was the shutdown, heavy guy, he would just make the simple play to Brek, Brek could use his feet, speed, and playmaking. I definitely wouldn’t be surprised if those guys are the one-two punch in the Western Hockey League this year as a D pair.”
David Jiricek
Everyone pretty much knows what’s on the line for defenseman David Jiricek. Make the Flyers directly out of camp and all will be well and all will be happy. Have an average camp and he could find himself in Lehigh Valley or with another NHL team if claimed off waivers. Armstrong echoed what others said about Jiricek’s game: it’s stellar on the offense side of things thanks to a booming shot. But on the defensive end he needs to hone his game.
“That’s a guy who can shoot the puck from the blueline, we saw it when he was with the Phantoms, he could score goals on the power play from the blueline,” he said. “He changed the Phantoms’ power play at the end of the year when he came in at the trade deadline, started putting the puck in the net. Guys tried to start blocking his shot, and he’s sliding it backdoor for a tap-in. I think those things are natural to him. I just think the other side of it is his defending, and his lateral movements. But I know he spent a lot of time this summer working on his footwork, understanding how to close quicker, and using his skating more to defend. Really when he understands that, and really believes in himself, after he gets more reps through camp and into the season, I hope he starts to flourish.”
Armstrong also said that the circumstances of last year also were tough for Jiricek. Starting the year with Columbus, he was then traded to Minnesota before ending up with Philadelphia. And making treks to each of the three respective American Hockey League affiliates, a far cry from his native Czech homeland where trades almost never transpire. “He had clothes in Columbus, he had clothes in Minnesota,” he said of Armstrong. “I felt he was kind of scattered. I really do think now coming in that hopefully he feels more comfortable here. Once he understands that we believe in him, then he can start to believe in himself and take the next step.”
Jack Berglund
Jack Berglund had a so-so season until a coaching change sent his season into overdrive. Armstrong said the new coach for Farjestad, Cam Abbott, put him “in a great spot” to succeed and develop. He also believes having Berglund play another year in Sweden will be better for him thanks to the shortened schedule and more time to work out in the gym.
“I think they do a lot of great things in Sweden with their young guys,” Armstrong said. “They train more, they don’t play as many games as we do in the American league. So the ability for him to be in the gym more, and also be at home for another year, which is good. He’s still young, and then he’s going to play big minutes. I think if he came over here and played in Lehigh he’d still get the same minutes, but he doesn’t get the gym time that he would get being in Sweden, and also being at home with his family.”
As for his potential ceiling or outlook down the road, Armstrong says if his skating improves, he could be a first-line or second-line center. He also had high praise for how he can basically block goalies from seeing the puck when down in the dirty areas.
“You talked about his net front (presence), he will be one of the best net-front power play guys since Tomas Holmstrom probably from the Red Wings,” he said. “The way he screens the goalie, he gets big when he screens the goalie. It’s just having that mindset, and the awareness of how to make those plays. And when you watch him protect pucks.
“When he came to the Phantoms, I was a little hesitant, it’s smaller ice, guys are closing on him quicker compared to playing in Sweden. And he was just putting guys on his back and skating around the offensive zone in the American league. I never seen that before from that young of a kid doing that type of stuff. Puck protection is such a big piece — and that’s why guys like Porter Martone, and Foerster, and Bump do so well — is because of their ability to play with a guy on their back. Jack already has that. I think once he makes the step over here and he comes over here Flyers fans are going to love him.”
Jack Nesbitt
Jack Nesbitt is spending his 2026-27 season in the NCAA with Michigan. Although he’s a Wolverine, he’s taking a similar path that Porter Martone took in 2025-26 with Michigan State. However, Armstrong was quick to point out that Nesbitt’s physique is different than Martone’s.
“I think their bodies are a little bit different (Nesbitt to Martone) on that scale as well. Nesbitt’s body, he’s more lanky, taller. So I don’t think that’s going to stack on him in a year like Porter had. But I do think being in the gym for as long as they can at Michigan is huge. We’re always in talks with that coaching staff, with where Nessy’s at. His awareness on the ice and adjusting to college. It is tough. I think for Nessy once he gets his schedule down, and he starts to understand it, I think he’s going to take off. But I’m not expecting him to go in there and light it up. I think I have a slower-moving path for Nessy than what Porter did.”
Ilya Pautov
At 20 years old, Ilya Pautov put a good foot forward at Rookie Camp, getting into some game action although not having any highlight reel plays to his credit. Armstrong says Pautov is “awesome” and can see why Philadelphia’s scout regarding Russia, Kenny Hoodikoff, was so big on him during this past NHL draft.
“The thing I love about Patsy is he’s small but he’s tenacious,” he says. “He goes into battles. He’s not afraid, he has a quick stick and is picking a guy’s pocket. For a light guy, he’s pretty strong. The Rangers were hitting him and holding him off, and he didn’t back down. I love his little ability to make plays on zone entries and breakouts. He’s shows a lot of poise with the puck.
“I think he’s taken a little bit of a different path playing in the VHL and the NHL. I’m excited to see where it goes and what his path is. I know we have to come up with a good plan for him to manage his gym time. For him it’s going to be a little bit slower. If he’s here in Lehigh maybe he’s not playing every night, but he’s in the gym and he’s getting good practice reps, and we’re slowly bringing him along, compared to just having him drink through a firehose and sinking in it. I’m excited for him, he’s definitely a fun guy to watch.”
