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Q&A: Draft analyst Chris Peters weighs Flyers options at No.
21, Alexander Commands NHL comparison, and more In the latest 'Flyers Gameday Central,' Peters, FloHockey's draft and prospect analyst, broke down the 2026 NHL draft and compared Command's game to the Islanders' Brayden Schenn.
Q&A: Draft analyst Chris Peters weighs Flyers options at No.
21, Alexander Commands NHL comparison, and more In the latest"Flyers Gameday Central," Peters, FloHockey's draft and prospect analyst, broke down the 2026 NHL draft and compared Command's game to the Islanders' Brayden Schenn.
The next generation of NHL stars will find out their destination on Friday and Saturday at the 2026 NHL draft as teams work to fill the cupboards and holes in their depth charts.
As of Wednesday, the Flyers have four picks one in each of the first, second, sixth and seventh rounds.
The biggest question is: who will they grab at No.
21 in Fridays first round? Flyers draft: Tommy Bleyl, Ryan Lin, and Xavier Villeneuve are smaller defensemen.Will they get passed over by Philly? Q: Is there anything weve learned from the past couple of drafts with the Flyers that could suggest the route theyre going to go ? Teams definitely have types, they have guys they like, they have the kinds of players they go after.I think when youre drafting at 21 in the first round, youve got to be really diligent about your list and really stick to it, I feel like, because youre just hoping to get an NHL player.
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I think theres a ton of intrigue about really from the teens on down, where things can go, and at that point youre going to see a wide variance in ranges of players on lists.And so youre just trying to see whoever the Flyers have as the best pick, they might be really high on somebody elses list, or might not be on somebody elses list at all.
I think it would be hard to pinpoint that.
I do think that you look at guys that are centers that could potentially be wings, like Maddox Dagenais, a guy whos all over the map in terms of draft ranges.He could be gone in the early teens, he could be gone in the mid-20s, but he is a center naturally, plays a lot on the wing though, and so I think a lot of people are thinking that he is more of a winger.
..., hes a good two-way guy, high-energy player, had a really good strong season in the USHL this year...
A guy to really keep a close eye on, probably in that range, I think he could be available, there is.
Hes a 6-foot-4 center; obviously the Flyers have not been afraid to draft some Russians, and hes been a Russian whos played in North America for at least three years and hes been playing at a pretty high level, and had a great season in Miami.
And the upside on him is just tremendous.So I could easily see a player with that size, skill combo being a really good fit for the Flyers.
Brent Flahr on the Flyers draft strategy with the 21st pick and moreMock draft 3.0: Could another Hextall be in Philly soon? Q: Maksim Sokolovskii is a name I heard in Buffalo as someone who the Flyers have a lot of interest in.
Theres the London connection, and hes a giant at over 6-7.Is he someone they could reach on at 21 or is that too high? They could, I wouldnt.
I think that would be Sam Morin part two.
So I wouldnt do that.I like a lot, and I watched him in the playoffs a lot, and thats where I think a lot of this late buzz is coming from, is that he was a really good shutdown guy for London in the postseason.
And he was playing a physical mean brand of hockey, the kind of hockey that helps you win in the playoffs.
I think that there is so little offense there ..
hes too one dimensional defensively.The skating, it isnt good enough for me to say, like its good for his size but like its not good enough, I dont think.
So, he has boom-bust potential too, because hes got this massive frame, he has incredible reach.
I think he thinks the game decently well, like I think he thinks the game defensively pretty solidly.
I think hes got good enough mobility defensively.And so I think hes going to play.
The question is where does he go?.
Its coming up more now, but the season that he had was historic.
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And you talk to teams like, Hey, I didnt have him on my radar as a guy for us and there were some guys like, Yeah, I had him as a pick, but no way was he a first.
And his postseason put him right in the mix as a first , and potentially even a mid-first round pick, and thats a pretty significant jump from where he was at the start of this season.
So, hes a guy that I think is incredibly fascinating.
The skating ability is about as good as anybodys.
I just think theres a lot to unlock with that player yet, and Im excited to see who takes him.One of the players I had the most fun watching this year was probably Nikita Klepov, even in the games where he was a little bit frustrating and a little bit out of it.
I just think that theres a real skill level to him.
Another guy that just frustrates the heck out of scouts that I enjoyed watching was Egor Shilov from Victoriaville.
Just the patience that kid has on the puck is really out of this world.The way he extends plays and finds the right read.
Hes not quite competitive enough for guys, and I think thats going to potentially knock him out of the first round.
I did list him in the second round myself, but hes a really intriguing player, too.
I think the hockey sense is high-end in terms of the offensive game.Flyers draft: Jack Hextall brings way more than a famous last name and could be a fit with the Orange and Black A: William Hakansson is pretty darn good defending.
I think hes a stopper.
Sokolovskii is a stopper.
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But like I look at Hakansson, I think hes probably one of the most mature overall defenders.And then also at the end of that top 10, top 11, Malte Gustafsson is another guy where I just think the defending is outstanding.
Hes such a complete player, and Im really impressed by him more and more.
Q: The Flyers love high-compete and great motors.
Who do you think is in that range of high compete, great motor kind of guy?is probably No.
1.Viggo Bjorck is up there too, but I think Alexander Command has the physicality, the doggedness in pursuit of the puck.
Just the absolute annoyingness of just getting under your skin, and I think that theres a lot to like about that player.
The comp that I had for him was Brayden Schenn and I think he probably has a higher motor, even there.Brayden Schenn was physical and mean, and he could score, and thats what I think Command can do, too.
I am the Flyers beat reporter, covering the team from all angles whether in Philly or on the road, while also keeping an eye on the local hockey scene.