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The Monday with Meltzer edition of Flyers Daily looks at the shape of the Metro Division — and Eastern Conference as a whole — with August upon us. Specifically, where do the Flyers stand as of now (at least on paper)? What are the three biggest keys for the Flyers to return the playoffs again? The last time Philly made the playoffs in back-to-back seasons came in 2010-11 and 2011-12.
Watch the 42-minute podcast below.
Summer Showcase Wrapup Evaluation
Five Flyers prospects participated in the 2026 World Junior Summer Showcase tournament in Windsor, Ontario. The non-medal evaluation series concluded on Saturday.
- Carter Amico (D, USA): Just as he did at the Flyers’ Development Camp, the 2025 second-round pick jumped out with his combination of size, exceptional mobility, and competitive presence. He’s not known for his offensive game, but Amico even had a strong tourney with the puck on his stick. He did not seem to be ready for NCAA hockey early last season. Fortunately, that no longer seems to be the case.
- Jack Nesbitt (C, Canada): Nesbitt was one of very few bright spots for Canada in Saturday’s 7-2 blowout loss to Team USA. He did not record a point but won most of his puck battles and created positive plays for his team. Correspondingly, he took Player of the Game honoros for the Canada side. Meanwhile, he played in two of Canada’s three games.
- Jack Murtagh (W, USA): The 2025 second-round pick had two strong games at the tourney, including a three-point (1g, 2a) performance in his opening game.
- Brek Liske (D, Canada): The 2026 second-round pick dressed in two of Canada’s three games. In Canada’s tournament opener last Wednesday—a 5-3 loss to Sweden—Liske was paired with Calgary Flames first-round selection Carson Carels. He did not dress in the finale against USA. Liske is a long shot for the 2026-27 World Junior Championship but can continue to build his case in upcoming months for this or next year. He has a fighting chance for 2027-28.
- Max Laatikainen (Finland): The 2026 seventh-round selection dressed in all five games that Finland played. He notched one assist. Meanwhile, the blue liner earned significant responsibilities throughout the week. Laatikainen frequently skated on Finland’s top defense pair and logging ice time at the point during power plays
Training camp countdown and schedule
Forty-five days remain until the start of Flyers NHL training camp on September 17. Meanwhile, 39 days remain until the start of Rookie Camp. Here are the key dates over the next seven weeks.
- Rookie Camp Start: Friday, September 11, 2026
- Rookie Series vs. Rangers: Saturday, September 12 and Sunday, September 13, 2026 (PPL Center, Allentown)
- Training Camp Start: Thursday, September 17, 2026
- First Preseason Game: Monday, September 21, 2026, at the Washington Capitals
Team Toyota Prospect Top 20: Ilya Pautov (#20)
Twenty-year-old Russian wing prospect Ilya Pautov will make his North American pro hockey debut in 2026-27 with the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms. He signed an NHL entry-level contract on June 1, 2026.
Pautov had a strong career at the Russian junior level (MHL). He averaged 0.77 points per game across three full MHL seasons, most notably a 45-point campaign in 46 games during his 2023–24 NHL draft year.
However, he’s unproven at the pro level. He dressed in 25 VHL (pro minor league) games this past season for Zvezda Moscow, but played sparingly. Seeing mostly fourth-line duty, Pautov recorded five points. Pautov did not see any KHL duty.
Pautov is a highly skilled and creative player with the puck. That’s what got him drafted by Philly. A pass-first forward, he excels more as a playmaker than goal scorer. However, he sometimes showed an ability to beat defenders off the rush and score self-created goals. He’s small (listed at 5-foot-11, 167 pounds) and his game needs development in multiple areas.
The Flyers selected Pautov in the sixth round (173rd overall) of the 2024 NHL Draft. He was a low-risk selection. Pautov is eligible to be loaned to a European club in 2026-27. However, it would still burn the first year of his ELC.
Pautov is an under-the-radar prospect. Even so, his puck skills are high end. Most prospects of his type fail to make NHL impacts. Nevertheless, it’s a low risk given his late drafting position.
Collectors Corner: Win a Broad Street Bullies Autographed Pic
Thanks as always to Hockey Hot Stove Sponsor Carl’s Cards and Collectibles of Havertown, PA, for providing our lastest random giveaway drawing price. Win an autographed photo, suitable for framing, of Dave “the Hammer” Schultz, Ande “Moose” Dupot, Bob “the Hound” Kelly and Don ‘”Big Bird” Saleski.
The winner will be chosen and contact at noon EDT on August 6. To enter: Follow Hockey Hot Stove (@HockeyHStove), Carls Cards (@CarlsCards) and the Flyers Alumni Association (@FlyersAlumni) on Twitter. Reply to all with “Hammer”.
Guffaw Cigars
Five-time NHL All-Star and Flyers Hall of Fame inductee Brian Propp introduced his own line of top-quality hand-crafted Dominican cigars . The Guffaw Cigar collection is highly rated for its balanced boldness, sophistication and premium-aged tobacco. Brian himself is a longtime cigar aficionado. He wanted his signature line to reflect the qualities he values in a cigar.
