The Flyers’ busy Wednesday included the bigger names, but they also slipped in a quieter move that could pay off later: a one-year deal for former Vancouver prospect Danila Klimovich.
The team has not announced it officially yet, but Klimovich’s agent, Dan Milstein, said the deal is done. Milstein posted, “Congratulations to Danila Klimovich on signing a 1-year NHL contract with the Philadelphia #LetsGoFlyers!
#WeAreGoldStar! pic.twitter.com/ges1AmQgJm”
Klimovich comes to Philadelphia as a former second-round pick of Vancouver, taken 41st overall in the 2021 NHL Draft. He still hasn’t played an NHL game, but he’s spent the last five seasons with the Abbotsford Canucks in the American Hockey League. His 2023-24 season was a strange one, though, because he only appeared in two games.
Last season, the 6-foot-2, 202-pound forward put up 18 goals and 34 points in 63 games for Abbotsford. In the 2024-25 playoffs, he added four goals in 16 games. Vancouver did not extend him a qualifying offer earlier this week, which pushed him into unrestricted free agency on July 1.
There had been some chatter that Klimovich might head to Russia and the Kontinental Hockey League, but the expectation now is that he’ll stay in North America. Most likely, that means time with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
His stock appears to have risen during Abbotsford’s playoff run. EliteProspects.com described the progress this way: “His game has grown significantly in terms of pace, activity level, and overall processing” The site also added, “He remains big and dynamic, but the effort level and involvement are nice qualities that he’s added to his game over the years.” Another evaluation pointed to a more complete player developing away from the puck: “A lot of disruptive physicality and stick work, along with pace increases, developed into impactful pressure plays.”
The read on Klimovich is pretty clear: he’s still a project, but not a lost cause. Philadelphia’s decision not to give qualifying offers to players including Karsen Dorwart, Tucker Robertson, and Philip Tomasino, among others who spent 2025-26 with Lehigh Valley, makes this a practical depth addition for the organization.
It’s not the kind of signing that changes the Flyers’ outlook this season. But for a 24-year-old former second-round pick, it’s a low-risk swing with a little upside tucked inside.
In Other News...
Flyers Add Another Piece As Briere Keeps Reworking The Bottom Six
The Flyers keep adding familiar bottom-six help, and Zach Aston-Reese is the latest name to join the mix on a two-year deal. It is another depth move for a team that has spent the day reshaping its forward group, with veteran Noel Acciari also coming in and Tyson Foerster already locked up on an eight-year extension that begins in 2027-28.
For Aston-Reese, the fit is straightforward: he brings a track record of bouncing around the league and filling a role on the lower lines, which is exactly the kind of stability the Flyers have been chasing as they rework the supporting cast around their core. The larger question now is how all of these additions sort themselves out in camp, because the Flyers are clearly not done tinkering with the bottom six just yet. [Read more 🡒]
Predators Get Their First Real Test Of This Draft Class
Development camps are a useful reminder that the summer calendar belongs as much to prospects as it does to the veterans already penciled in for bigger roles. In Philadelphia, that meant another look at a group that included first-round pick Maksim Sokolovskii alongside returning young players Porter Martone, Denver Barkey and Alex Bump, all of them getting work in the same setting as the organization keeps building around its next wave.
Sokolovskii drew plenty of attention from the start, and not just because he was the Flyers top pick. The 2026 draft class is still in its early evaluation stage, which is why these camp skates matter so much, and the 6-foot-7 defenseman is already giving the club and its prospects a sense of how much size and skill he can bring to the blue line. For Philadelphia, the next question is how quickly that first impression turns into something more lasting once the drills give way to a longer summer of development. [Read more 🡒]