The Flyers’ long view already has a name attached to it: Dima Zhilkin.
With Philadelphia expected to hold two first-round picks in the 2027 NHL Draft, the team has another chance to stockpile a couple of core pieces for the future. That conversation is a little early, sure, but it makes sense for a club that just reached the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time since 2020 and is still sorting out what kind of team it really is.
There’s also a real possibility that 2026-27 brings a dip. The Flyers have acknowledged that, and the biggest moves they’ve made so far point more toward depth than a dramatic leap forward. Their attempted offer sheet for Leo Carlsson didn’t land, the Zach Werenski trade buzz never turned into anything, and the two biggest additions to date are veteran grinder Noel Acciari and presumed backup goalie Joseph Woll.
That kind of setup is exactly why a player like Zhilkin belongs on the radar now.
The 17-year-old is a 5-foot-10 right-shot right wing and the captain of the OHL’s Saginaw Spirit. Born to Russian parents and raised in Toronto, Ontario, he also happens to be the younger brother of Danny Zhilkin, a forward in the Winnipeg Jets organization.
The younger Zhilkin brings a different kind of game. He’s smaller, more explosive, and far more of an agitator than his brother. Last season, he piled up 100 penalty minutes for Saginaw, which tells you plenty about the edge he plays with.
He’s also producing on bigger stages. In April, Zhilkin scored five goals, added two assists and finished with seven points for Canada at the U18 World Juniors. He kept rolling at the World Junior Summer Showcase, where he put up three goals and an assist in just two games for Canada.
The skill package is there, too. Zhilkin has speed, touch around the puck, and the kind of feisty game that tends to stick in the Flyers’ lane. It’s the sort of profile that could make him a natural fit in Philadelphia, in the same way Matvei Michkov’s edge has already connected with the fan base.
Right now, Daily Faceoff’s Steven Ellis has Zhilkin ranked ninth overall, which would likely put him outside the range of the top centers in the 2027 class unless the Toronto Maple Leafs pick breaks the Flyers’ way. If that happens, Philadelphia could chase both a center and Zhilkin.
Even if he stays highly ranked, there’s a chance he slides into a more realistic range for the Flyers - somewhere in the mid-teens or early 20s - because of his size. Zach Benson’s drop to Buffalo at 13th overall in 2023 is a useful example, especially with Benson now starting to look like a player with similar traits.
A winger isn’t the Flyers’ most obvious need, but talent like this has a way of making the fit work itself out. Eventually, someone will need to step into the roles Owen Tippett and Travis Konecny occupy now, and if Philadelphia is thinking four or five years down the line, Zhilkin looks like the kind of bet worth making.
In Other News...
Cole Knuble Is Reaching A Big Flyers Turning Point
Cole Knuble finished his 2025-26 season at Notre Dame with a solid run, putting up 9 goals and 22 assists in 36 games and giving the Flyers another look at how his game is settling in. After a college year that was not always consistent, he got a quick taste of pro hockey with seven games for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, and that stretch offered a more encouraging snapshot of what he can bring once he leaves the school game behind.
Now the next step is getting real. Knuble is expected to be in the AHL full-time next season, and that puts him in position to chase a top-line role with Lehigh Valley rather than just learning on the fly. For the Flyers, this is the kind of checkpoint that matters, because his development is moving from projection to proof, and the organization will get a much clearer read on how close he is to being part of the long-term picture. [Read more 🡒]
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Arber Xhekaj is still without a deal for the 2026-27 NHL season after finishing a two-year contract with the Canadiens, and his restricted free agency has quietly turned into one of those situations worth keeping an eye on. Reports have tied both Calgary and Philadelphia to the 24-year-old defenseman, with the Flames interest surfacing earlier and the Flyers now part of the conversation as a team monitoring the market for help on the blue line.
For Montreal, the pause does not appear to signal alarm. Xhekajs agent said talks with the Canadiens are ongoing and optimistic, with no sense of urgency as training camp gets closer. Still, an unsigned young defender with outside interest is exactly the kind of name that can linger in the background for a team like Philadelphia, especially if the market starts to shift later this summer. [Read more 🡒]
Flyers Put Their Goalie Future On Dan Vladar And One Big Gamble
Dan Vladars new chapter in Philadelphia already has a different feel to it. Not long after signing a six-year extension, the veteran goalie found himself paired with a new partner in Joseph Woll, a move that reshaped the Flyers crease and sent a clear signal that the organization is betting on stability in goal as it heads into the season. Vladar said hes excited about the chance to work alongside Woll, and the teams reaction suggested this was about more than just adding depth.
For the Flyers, the trade came with real consequences, since Samuel Ersson was part of the package going the other way, along with Emil Andrae and a 2026 third-round pick. Woll arrives with a strong recent track record and enough upside to make the deal look bold even before the first puck drops, but the larger question is how quickly this tandem can settle in and justify the price Philadelphia paid to get there. [Read more 🡒]