The NHL Scouting Combine is finished. The Stanley Cup Final, tied at one win apiece between Edmonton and Florida, resumes on Monday in Sunrise. Meanwhile, here are some Flyers Quick Hits for June 8, 2025.
Scouting Combine Wrapup
The 2025 NHL Scouting Combine in Buffalo concluded on Saturday. saw the Philadelphia Flyers, like most NHL clubs, interview a slew of Entry Draft hopefuls slated for the early to middle rounds. (Side note: for some great stories from what goes on in the interviews, Scott Harris’s special article series for NHL.com is a must-read).
As Russ Cohen of Sportsology and the Off the Post podcast reports, this year’s Combine took the next step in the trend back toward favoring big-framed players over average-sized and undersized talents. Cohen wrote, “if you are a big defenseman, most teams spoke with you.” The gold standard right now, especially for defensemen, is the size/speed combination. Keep that mind (for forwards as well as blueliners) when the actual selection order plays out on Draft Weekend.
There are, of course, some exceptions. James Hagens is on “the small side of average” as one veteran scout put it, but the Boston College center is still a safe bet to be selected within the top seven — quite possibly the top five — of the first round. However, many teams are likelier to roll the dice on a toolsy player with good size before they’ll take a chance on a high-skill player of average-to-below-average size.
For example, if Victoria Royals (WHL) center Cole Reschny were 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds at age 18 rather than 5-foot-11, 182 pounds, he might be in the Top 10 conversation. Ditto if Reschny boasted the speed of Flyers’ prospect Jett Luchanko. Instead, because he’s average-sized and a strictly average skater, Reschny gets marked down to mid-to-late first-round range.
Additionally, a quick word on interviews is in order. Please do not read too much into which teams interviewed Player A and which club reps had dinner with Player B. This is a notoriously unreliable gauge of where the player will be selected. Teams sometimes select players they didn’t get to at the Combine. It can be for schedule conflict reasons. It could be because there’s already strong familiarity. Conversely, it can because there were red flags. It can be just about anything.`
“Beat Bundy” Challenge
Chris Therien has formed a team for the Flyers Charity Classic Weekend’s Walk, Run, Ride event on June 22, 2025, in Conshohocken. Team members will gather together for a team photo before the start of the event. The challenge is to better Bundy’s time in the 5k walk/run. Use discount code Bundy25 for $10 off when you register.
Brad Marsh’s team is called the Ides of Marsh. Marshy will be doing the “Conquer Conshy” bicycling event, but Ides members are free to choose either the bike event or the walk/run. Use discount code MARSH25.
I have to say, I am getting more and more enamored with Roger McQueen and am starting to hope the Flyers take a home run swing for him at 6.
I much rather they take 1 of the top 6 and then trade up for McQueen. Taking McQueen at 6 is a risk