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Leafs get the option on 2027 pick to Flyers or Boston
The National Hockey League informed the Flyers that the Toronto Maple Leafs may get a choice for the destination their 2027 first round Draft choice. If the pick falls within the top 10, Toronto can either transfer the selection to the Flyers or the Boston Bruins. If the Flyers do not get Toronto’s 2027 first-round pick, they will get Toronto’s 2028 first rounder instead with no protections or stipulations.
The background: Due to trade stipulations made with both the Bruins and Philly, Toronto — and the NHL — set up a scenario where the Maple Leafs potentially traded the same year’s pick to both the Flyers and the Bruins.
In one deal, Toronto dealt its 2026 first-round pick (along with Fraser Minten) to the Bruins for defenseman Brandon Carlo. Meanwhile, the Flyers sent Scott Laughton to the Maple Leafs for Toronto’s 2027 first-round pick and winger Nikita Grebenkin. However, both deals included conditions.
- Boston: Toronto’s 2026 first-round pick was top-five protected.
- Flyers: Toronto’s 2027 first-round pick is top-10 protected.
The Maple Leafs, of course, missed the playoffs in 2025-26. Thru ended up winning the Draft lottery. Consequently, Toronto will exercise its option to defer the traded pick to 2027. In all likelihood, they will select Gavin McKenna with the 2026 pick.
Unfortunately, the NHL allowed a situation where the Toronto 2027 first-rounder now conditionally belonged to both Boston and Philly if the 2027 first-rounder falls in the top 10. The NHL informed the Flyers that Toronto gets to choiose whether the Flyers or the Bruins get the 2027 first-rounder in that scenario. The other team gets Toronto’s unprotected 2028 first-round pick.
Given that Boston and Toronto play in the same division, it seems more likely that the Maple Leafs would want to defer the Bruins’ taking their first rounder for as long as possible. As such, odds favor general manager John Chayka opting to transfer the 2027 pick to Philadelphia and the 2028 to Boston. However, the choice will solely be up to the Maple Leafs.
Flyers Development Camp: Franklin Institute
The 2026 edition of the Flyers Development camp is slated to run from Jun 29 until July 3. On Wednesday, July 1, all camp participants will do a public appearance at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia after the on-ice sessions at the FTC in Voorhees. The Franklin Institute appearance runs from 3:30 to 5:30 EDT. However, fans are encouraged to come as early as 2 p.m. for Flyers-related activities including appearances by Gritty and the Flyers Ice Team.
Museum ticket purchase is required to attend the autograph-signing event with the Flyers’ prospects and related activities.
Potential Flyers trade target: Darnell Nurse
Could Edmonton Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse wind up with the Flyers this off-season. He could if you believe a rumor making the rounds over the past week.
The 31-year-old Nurse has four seasons remaining on the monstrous $9.25 million AAV contract he signed with the Oilers in the summer of 2021. The rumor does not make much sense in a variety of aspects.
- Nurse may — or may not — be an upgrade on Rasmus Ristolainen as an all-around player. If you consider him an upgrade, is he that much better to justify a $4.15 million cap hit diffential and four years of term vs. a deal that expires next summer?
- Let’s assume the Flyers dealt Ristolainen this summer. Just how much blueline overhaul are the Flyers going to do? They still need a power play quarterback. That’s not Nurse. He’s capable of some double-digit goal season and 40-some points on a stacked offensive team. However, he’s not a quarterback off whom to run the power play. So that’s at least two defensemen changes.
- The Flyers still need a center upgrade and to become a better puck possession team. Nurse doesn’t solve either challenge.
- Let’s suppose Cam York is part of a trade for a center. Emil Andrae may not return, either. Now that’s half the 2025-26 starting defense being switched out. The team doesn’t need that drastic of a blueline overhaul. A Nurse acquisition doesn’t address any of the more pressing issues.
- Nurse has a full no-movement clause for one more year. Thereafter, he can set a 10-team list of acceptable trade destinations. One year removed from back-to-back Cup Finals trips, would he even be willing to consider Philly? The Flyers are still essentially in playoff bubble-team status although they appear to be on the rise.
- Let’s say Nurse would waive his NMC to come to Philly. How much cap space would Edmonton absorb from the $9.25 million AAV.
The pros about Nurse are his ability to eat lots of hard minutes. He’s durable. He hits and blocks shots. Meanwhile, he’ll provide 30 to 40 points depending on the teammates around him. He’d bring lots of big game experience. This is a good player, although he has critics. But Nurse isn’t and never will be commensurate with his contract even in an expanded cap world with partial retention.
Flyers Alumni Charity Classic: Walk/Run/Ride
The annual Flyers Alumni Charity Classic weekend will be held from June 13 to 15, 2026: Three events, three locations over three days. On Friday, June 13, there is a pickleball tournament at Bounce Pickle bleball in Malvern, PA. The next day is the Walk/Run Ride in Conshohocken, PA. The three-day whirlwind concludes with the now sold-out Alumni Golf tournament at Dupont Country Club in Malvern, PA.
Charity Classic Weekend provides an exclusive opportunity to have a great time alongside Flyers Alumni from every generation of team history. Alumni taking part in some — or all — of the events include Hockey of Famers such as as Mark Howe and Mark Recchi, Flyers Hall of Fame members like Rick Tocchet, John LeClair, Brian Propp the Watson brothers and other fan favorites like the Sutter twins, Brian Boucher, Scott Hartnell, Bill Clement and many more.
Flyers Daily: Trevor Zegras
The current edition of Flyers Daily features a one-on-one interview with Trevor Zegras. The center/winger hybrid forward discusses his first season with the Flyers. Zegras’ hopes to find a multi-year contract extension in Philadelphia this summer. He immensely enjoyed the 2025-26 campaign — his teammates, the fans, his head coach, etc. — and fees a higher level is in reach. Later, Jason Myrtetus fields listener emails. The pocast runs 36 minutes.
Team Toyota Draft Spotlight: William Håkansson
In Thursday’s Team Toyota Draft Spotlight, we have looked at USHL center Jack Hextall, BU center Tynan Lawrence, Swedish blueliner Malte Gustafsson, QMJHL center/winger Maddox Dagenais of the Quebec Remparts, and incoming BU center Caleb Malhotra.
Today, we’ll feature another Swedish defenseman: William Håkansson (Luleå HF). Håkansson’s pre-Draft rankings vary widely, from the mid-first round to the mid-second round. It depends on how much upside ones sees with him when he has the puck on his stick. Could he become more of puck-mover even if he’s never much of a point-getter? Right now, Håkansson plays a rather conservative game: chip the puck off the glass or find a short-range safety valve. However, once in a while, he shows potential to make more challenging breakout plays.
Defensively, the big-framed Swede (6-foot-4, 215 pounds) brings some physicality and snarl. Could he become a top-four caliber shutdown blueliner? If you believe he might, it’s a justiable late first-round candidate. If you think he’s a third-pair type, Håkansson is more of a typical second-round draftee.
The tools are there. Håkansson is athletic. He is an above-average skater for a youngster his size. The player also has a heavy shot although not especially accurate right now. At age 18, Håkansson did not look out of place in the World Junior Championships or the SHL.
Cold War in Philly: Upcoming Showings
Each of the first five showings of the Cold War in Philly documentary have sold out. The June 18 showing in Bryn Mawr is also sold. Limitedtickets remain for the following two screenings.
- June 16th: Newtown Theater (Newtown, PA) — Post screening Q&A with Joe Amodei and Bill Meltzer. Tickets are $14. Click here.
- June 25th: White Rabbit Theater (Phoenixville, PA) — Post-screening Q&A moderated by Sam Carchidi with Joe Amodei, Joe and Jimmy Watson. Tickets are $18 or $20. Click here.
Collectors Corner: Clarke, Hextall and Vladar
Hall of Fame legend Bob Clarke is doing a private signing event at Carl’s Cards and Collectibles in Havertown, PA. Items for Clarke to sign are due by June 24. Clarke will be in the store that day to sign the items. For more info, click here.
Meanwhile, Flyers Hall of Fame goaltender and former general manager Ron Hextall is doing his own private signing for Carl’s on June 29. For info, click here.
Additionally, current Flyers goaltender Dan Vladar will do an open-to-the-public (tickets requires) in-store signing at Carl’s on Saturday, August 29. Autographs are $49 each. Photo ops are $39 each. Inscriptions are $20 each. For info, click here.
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.
