Way-Too-Early Flyers 2025 Mock Draft; A No. 1 Center?

Over the years, and by years I mean the last year, I’ve gotten pretty good at doing Philadelphia Flyers mock drafts. In 2023, I correctly mocked Matvei Michkov to the Flyers at the No. 7 spot but didn’t get too involved in that for the 2024 NHL Draft.

However, I did a mock draft back in December that saw the Flyers draft two forwards with their two first-round picks, and this year, their first two picks were forwards Jett Luchanko and Jack Berglund.

I’d like to think I’m onto something here, and given that Luchanko didn’t bring the Flyers the star power they’d aspired to draft in the top half of the 2024 draft, the Flyers are probably going to swoop back in for that again in 2025.

And for the sake of this exercise, I’ll be making educated guesses on where the Flyers, and the Avalanche and the Oilers, (the original owners of the Flyers’ two additional first-round picks) finish in the standings.

With the 10th overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, the Philadelphia Flyers select…

Caleb Desnoyers, C, Moncton Wildcats (QMJHL)

If the name Desnoyers sounds familiar to you, that’s because it is! Caleb Desnoyers is the younger brother of current Flyers prospect Elliot Desnoyers, who currently plies his trade with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms in the AHL.

Desnoyers figures to be one of the most dynamic and purely skilled players in the 2025 NHL Draft. He’s got adequate size for a center, standing at 6-foot-1, but could stand to add a fair bit of muscle to a wiry 170-pound frame. Desnoyers can make any pass, is extremely gifted with the way he sees the ice, and has a never-say-die attitude when trying to beat or fool opposing defenders.

Flyers general manager Danny Briere saw Desnoyers in action with Canada at the U18 World Junior Championships in Finland at the end of April and early May, where the 17-year-old scored one goal and four assists in five games.

However, for comparison’s sake, consensus 2024 No. 1 pick James Hagens scored nine goals, 13 assists, and 22 points in seven games in that tournament. Porter Martone, a Canadian right wing who played with Desnoyers and is a likely top-5 pick this time next year, racked up 17 points in seven games.

Desnoyers’ 1.00 points per game production is more akin to Luchanko, who scored seven points in seven games, and Heikki Ruohonen, the Flyers’ 2024 fourth-round pick, who scored five points in five games.

Again, Desnoyers is very talented–and one tournament doesn’t mean everything–but he’s not currently in that top tier with Hagens, Martone, Anton Frondell, and Ilya Ryabkin.

I’d also keep an eye on 6-foot-5 Brandon Wheat Kings forward Roger McQueen here. The Flyers made size a priority in the 2024 draft, and McQueen brings that and more to the table.

With the 23rd overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, the Philadelphia Flyers (via Colorado) select…

Conrad Fondrk, F, U.S. National Team Development Program (USHL)

Conrad Fondrk has everything you want in a top-six forward in the modern NHL: speed, IQ, hands, an amazing shot, and a willingness to defend and win pucks. Fondrk is, however, a tad on the smaller side at 5-foot-11, 170 pounds, which adversely affects his ability to be successful in the dirty areas.

As Daily Faceoff’s Steven Ellis notes, “I was concerned with how many puck battles he lost along the boards due to pure lack of strength, but I can see him rising up the board if he can add some muscle and toughness to his game.”

If Fondrk isn’t able to do that in a year, it will have the opposite effect of sending him down draft boards. But given the Flyers’ general lack of scoring talent in the system, they cannot afford to pass on Fondrk if he falls. Perhaps the organization can coach the strength and the details into him like they did with Tyson Foerster this past season, for example.

With the 32nd overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, the Philadelphia Flyers (via Edmonton) select…

Dakoda Rheaume-Mullen, D, U.S. National Team Development Program (USHL)

After swinging on upside on two highly-skilled forwards, the Flyers opt for a change of pace here and go for defense with the left-shot Dakoda Rheaume-Mullen. Rheaume-Mullen is the son of former goaltender Manon Rheaume, who in 1992 became the first woman to play in a game in any of the major North American professional sports when she played a preseason game for the Tampa Bay Lightning.

And Rheaume-Mullen’s uncle, Pascal Rheaume, played parts of nine seasons in the NHL.

The Flyers would be getting a defenseman in Rheaume-Mullen who skates extremely well, has the NHL bloodlines, and navigates and scans the ice with ease. The 17-year-old is average sized at 6-foot, 180 pounds, and isn’t much of a point producer.

However, players who are smart, like Rheaume-Mullen is, are able to passively put up points at the NHL level by being strong in transition, killing plays, and making the right decisions. The future of the Flyers’ defense is very uncertain beyond Cam York, and the team should add a smart, dependable player like Rheaume-Mullen at this spot.