Flyers Q&A: Brent Flahr talks Denver Barkey, Alex Bump, Jack Berglund, and the 2026 NHL draft
For our interview with the Flyers' assistant GM and scouting head, we discussed the prospects in Lehigh Valley, as well as those developing abroad.
With hockey leagues around the world nearing the midway point and the World Junior Championship starting on Friday, we caught up with Brent Flahr to talk prospects. In Part 2 of our interview with the Flyers’ assistant general manager, we focused on the team’s international-based prospects and those competing in Lehigh Valley.
This interview, which was conducted on Dec. 10, has been edited for clarity and length. Part 1.
While No. 1 center and No. 1 defenseman remain holes the Flyers organization is looking to fill, Flahr noted that while there are fewer than 32 of those guys around, the Flyers remain on the lookout and have assets that could help in acquiring one.
Swedish center Jack Berglund’s skating has been a contentious point among fans, but Flahr says it has improved and that Berglund reminds him of a young Mikko Koivu in that regard.
When asked for his favorite under-the-radar prospects, Flahr pointed to Cole Knuble and Denver Barkey as two guys that are easy to “cheer for.”
With hockey leagues around the world nearing the midway point and the World Junior Championship starting on Friday, we caught up with Brent Flahr to talk prospects. In Part 2 of our interview with the Flyers’ assistant general manager, we focused on the team’s international-based prospects and those competing in Lehigh Valley.
This interview, which was conducted on Dec. 10, has been edited for clarity and length.
» READ MORE: Flyers Q&A: Brent Flahr dishes on prospects Porter Martone, Jett Luchanko, and more
Q: Where do you see Jack Berglund, who was pretty impressive at development camp, fitting?
A: I think he’s a very well-rounded player and has the ability to be a really good 3C, maybe more. But he can play power play. He’s strong. He wins battles. He can make plays. He’s very sound defensively. Where he’s played, he’s had to earn everything he can, but he can shoot it.
I think people worried about his skating, but his skating is coming along as well, and he’s big and strong. You’ll see at the U20 level, he’s a big, strong horse out there, but he’s nowhere near where he’s going to be at 23 years old. When you see him off the ice, he’s still a young guy, and you forget about that. … Not all these players who have been drafted are going to play the next year, but he’s on the right path to being a very good pro.
Q: Alex Bump, Denver Barkey, and Carson Bjarnason, have been the three B’s in Lehigh Valley. What have you seen from them in their transition to pro hockey? [Note: Barkey was recalled after this interview was conducted.]
A: Barkey, I think right from the start, he’s played very well. On the production side, he makes plays, he works, and the details are great. Such a smart player. He’s got to get stronger and build up his body to handle the grind but so far, so good. Down there, he’s been arguably our best forward a lot of nights, and coaches love him. …
I think Bumper, when he first went down there, even though playing last year — I don’t know if he thought it was going to be easy or disappointment from not making the team right away — I thought he stumbled around a little bit early, and then he found his game, and now he’s going. But part of the why he’s down there is to find the consistency in his game, not just offensively, but defensively, and managing the game and then playing it every night. But he’s talented. He’s producing now. I think he’s feeling good about himself, and he’s certainly going in the right direction. …
» READ MORE: Flyers forward Denver Barkey called up as NHL rosters head toward holiday freeze
And Carson … I think he’s exceeded expectations so far. He’s got the right demeanor, the size, the athleticism, and he’s learning the pro game. … It just seems easier for him. In juniors, it was so chaotic in front of him; he used to get so many Grade A chances.
Q: You mentioned Aleksei Kolosov. He seems like a different player this year, no?
A: He is a different player, different personality. He’s really trying to fit in. He’s very athletic, very competitive, and he’s giving our team a chance to win down there almost every night. He’s a talented kid, so he’s got a chance to be an NHL goalie now. He just skipped a step last year. Now he’s building it back up again here, and we’ll see where it goes.
Q: What about Yegor Zavragin? He has another year on his deal but it sounds like he’s playing well in Russia.
A: He’s a talented, talented kid with size. … He’s got to build up his body, which is a big focus for St. Petersburg, and he’s working hard. … We want him to be over here right away, but the one thing the KHL does, or has a history of doing recently, is developing goalies. So we’re in a good spot and, hopefully, when the time comes, we can get him over here and get him going.
Q: There’s been a lot of criticism of the Flyers not having a 1C or 1D. What would you say to those people, and how would you assess the system?
A: There are not 32 1Cs in the league or 32 1Ds. So we’re always trying to look for that and strive for that. But we have some good players coming, guys who can play, hopefully, 2Cs. We have some guys on the wing, we think. We have some solid defensemen coming.
We understand what we need to be an elite team; at the same time, we’re growing a pretty good base as far as depth through the lineup and people that can contribute in different ways. So, that’s where the Berglunds and some of these guys that aren’t talked about as much could be valuable pieces as well. Then you’ve got [Jett] Luchanko, and [Jack] Nesbitt, who are going to take a little time to get stronger. Heikki [Ruohonen], as well, is a really good player.
Q: Give me one or two prospects that you’re excited about in the system.
A: Porter [Martone] is Porter. He has a chance to be a special player. When you meet him, he’s kind of got that “it factor,” as far as he’s got cockiness, but in a good way. I think he’s a pro; he’s got the mindset now where he knows where he has a little more work to do as far as getting there. But he understands. Getting that experience last year with Team Canada was huge, to be a young kid playing with those types of players and see where you’ve got to get to. I just think he’s matured, and he has a chance to be a really good one for us.
But the guy we drafted, who is one of my favorites … is Cole Knuble. Just a good hockey player. So competitive, great motor, smart, plays every position. I don’t know where it’s going to get to, but he’s worked really hard on his skating, and it’s become good. It’ll be interesting to see when he turns pro. Guys like Barkey and him are the guys you cheer for.
Barkey’s such a smart player, he’s so competitive. You watch a game, you just kind of start just watching him, just because of the way he plays the game. Whether he can handle the size [remains to be seen] but he’s proven everybody wrong at every level.
Q: What are the strengths of the 2026 NHL draft?
A: Early on, I think it’s a strong defensemen draft. There are some quality wingers. I think there are a couple of centermen, but not a really deep pool of centermen. But some good players. … I don’t think there’s any Connor McDavids. There are some well-known, big-name players at the top end, and there are some guys challenging behind who aren’t as far up as some people think. So it’ll be interesting.
» READ MORE: Flyers top 20 prospects: Porter Martone is No. 1, but where do Alex Bump and Jett Luchanko rank?
With hockey leagues around the world nearing the midway point and the World Junior Championship starting on Friday, we caught up with Brent Flahr to talk prospects. In Part 2 of our interview with the Flyers’ assistant general manager, we focused on the team’s international-based prospects and those competing in Lehigh Valley.
This interview, which was conducted on Dec. 10, has been edited for clarity and length.
» READ MORE: Flyers Q&A: Brent Flahr dishes on prospects Porter Martone, Jett Luchanko, and more
Q: Where do you see Jack Berglund, who was pretty impressive at development camp, fitting?
A: I think he’s a very well-rounded player and has the ability to be a really good 3C, maybe more. But he can play power play. He’s strong. He wins battles. He can make plays. He’s very sound defensively. Where he’s played, he’s had to earn everything he can, but he can shoot it.
I think people worried about his skating, but his skating is coming along as well, and he’s big and strong. You’ll see at the U20 level, he’s a big, strong horse out there, but he’s nowhere near where he’s going to be at 23 years old. When you see him off the ice, he’s still a young guy, and you forget about that. … Not all these players who have been drafted are going to play the next year, but he’s on the right path to being a very good pro.
Q: How do you define it when you say a player’s skating is not NHL-ready?
A: Nine times out of 10, that’s strength-related. Like Tyson Foerster, everybody was worried about his skating when we drafted him. He was not a great skater when we drafted him. But it’s not all fundamentals. You see his body, he’s got no leg strength at this point. And you see he can generate speed in a straight line, quickness, agility, and lower-body power, stuff like that.
So Jack could skate in a straight line. His foot speed and everything had to improve, turning and that. But a lot of its strength, a lot of it’s just his body linking up for a big 6-4 guy. And as he gets older and stronger, he’s skating more than fine, and it’s something that he’s always gonna have to work on, the quickness and agility.
I compared his skating, when I saw him play as a young player, to a player that we had in Minnesota a long time, Mikko Koivu, who was a great player. He’s someone that he could pattern his game after because Mikko was a great two-way player, but he’s big and strong, and as a young player, people worried about his foot speed and whatnot, and he just became a really good pro for a long time that you can win with.
Q: Alex Bump, Denver Barkey, and Carson Bjarnason, have been the three B’s in Lehigh Valley. What have you seen from them in their transition to pro hockey? [Note: Barkey was recalled after this interview was conducted.]
A: Barkey, I think right from the start, he’s played very well. On the production side, he makes plays, he works, and the details are great. Such a smart player. He’s got to get stronger and build up his body to handle the grind but so far, so good. Down there, he’s been arguably our best forward a lot of nights, and coaches love him. …
I think Bumper, when he first went down there, even though playing last year — I don’t know if he thought it was going to be easy or disappointment from not making the team right away — I thought he stumbled around a little bit early, and then he found his game, and now he’s going. But part of the why he’s down there is to find the consistency in his game, not just offensively, but defensively, and managing the game and then playing it every night. But he’s talented. He’s producing now. I think he’s feeling good about himself, and he’s certainly going in the right direction. …
And Carson … I think he’s exceeded expectations so far. He’s got the right demeanor, the size, the athleticism, and he’s learning the pro game. … It just seems easier for him. In juniors, it was so chaotic in front of him; he used to get so many Grade A chances.
» READ MORE: Flyers top 20 prospects: Porter Martone is No. 1, but where do Alex Bump and Jett Luchanko rank?
Q: You mentioned Aleksei Kolosov. He seems like a different player this year, no?
A: He is a different player, different personality. He’s really trying to fit in. He’s very athletic, very competitive, and he’s giving our team a chance to win down there almost every night. He’s a talented kid, so he’s got a chance to be an NHL goalie now. He just skipped a step last year. Now he’s building it back up again here, and we’ll see where it goes.
Q: What about Egor Zavragin? He has another year on his deal but it sounds like he’s playing well in Russia.
A: He’s a talented, talented kid with size. … He’s got to build up his body, which is a big focus for St. Petersburg, and he’s working hard. … We want him to be over here right away, but the one thing the KHL does, or has a history of doing recently, is developing goalies. So we’re in a good spot and, hopefully, when the time comes, we can get him over here and get him going.
Q: Christian Kyrou has hit the ground running in Lehigh Valley. What have you seen from him, and what are his NHL chances?
A: Well, he brings a dimension we didn’t really have there as far as his offense and the power-play ability but I think it was a good trade for both players, a new environment. What he’s brought is some swagger and some offensive instincts.
Obviously, he’s not the biggest guy, and his criticism was defensive play and lack of size, but he’s been fine. … What he does with the puck is he gets it going up the ice and transitions. … He’s been very good and productive … and really helped the power play.
Q: Samu Tuomaala went the other way in the deal. What do you think went wrong?
A: He just kind of stalled, and part of it, you’ve seen the guys that kind of went ahead of him. But Samu, when he’s on his game, he brings speed, he can really shoot the puck, and he’s a good kid. I just think for whatever reason, he just didn’t have it at the start of camp. … You look at what we have coming and what we have now, the way he was going, he was going to be boxed out, so we decided to make the move, and it kind of worked out for both teams.
Q: Ty Murchison recently made his NHL debut, and he has seemed to have jumped a few people. What made the Flyers opt to call him up from Lehigh Valley?
A: He’s a great kid. He can skate, he’s competitive, and he’s taken his game, even from last year in college, to a whole new level, even in the playoffs, and it’s opened a lot of people’s eyes here. He went down to Lehigh, and he did nothing but play well, played hard, played his game, and some other guys were up and down and not going. So when Rick Tocchet wanted a guy, that’s a guy they recommended just because of his performance and consistency and his battle level. I think it sends the right message to a lot of guys down there.
Q: Oliver Bonk just got back on the ice. What’s the latest with him?
A: Finally, he’s healthy, feeling good. … He’s a smart player. I assume he’ll be a fairly quick study, and I know coaches are happy with this first game, but it’s going to take him some time for conditioning, strength, and all that to get back up to normal.
Q: Where do you see Alex Bump this year? Do you see him getting called up?
A: It’s all based on his play and, to be honest with you, an opportunity here with injuries or whatever. … But he’s going in the right direction, and at some point, my guess is he’ll get an opportunity. .
Q: John Snowden was very impressive in my first interactions with him. How important has he been to the development of not just the ‘killer Bs’ that we talked about, but Karsen Dorwart, Devin Kaplan, and others in Lehigh Valley?
A: He’s got a presence on the ice when he teaches, when he runs a practice, but …[also] has fresh ideas, whether it’s generating offense or the way the team plays.
He wants guys to hold on to pucks, make plays, and that comes with mistakes. These guys are young, and they’re gonna have to learn to manage the puck and manage situations a little differently, but that’s part of the process of learning down there. … They’re having fun and they’re winning some games. So yeah, it’s a good development environment.
Q: There’s been a lot of criticism of the Flyers not having a 1C or 1D. What would you say to those people, and how would you assess the system?
A: There are not 32 1Cs in the league or 32 1Ds. So we’re always trying to look for that and strive for that. But we have some good players coming, guys who can play, hopefully, 2Cs. We have some guys on the wing, we think. We have some solid defensemen coming.
We understand what we need to be an elite team; at the same time, we’re growing a pretty good base as far as depth through the lineup and people that can contribute in different ways. So, that’s where the Berglunds and some of these guys that aren’t talked about as much could be valuable pieces as well. Then you’ve got [Jett] Luchanko, and [Jack] Nesbitt, who are going to take a little time to get stronger. Heikki [Ruohonen], as well, is a really good player.
Q: Does it take the pressure off needing a 1C when you have such top-tier wingers?
A: I think it certainly helps, yeah. You can do some things, but you look at the elite teams, and they have 1Cs. Sometimes it surprises you, some guys turn into that, that you weren’t necessarily expecting. But I think we’re doing the best we can to build up around it, and last year, the most skilled position we can to help our team going forward. And at one point, whether we have the assets to get it by trade, or develop it within your system, we’ll do the best we can to do that.
» READ MORE: Should the Flyers have gone harder after Quinn Hughes? And what now for a team lacking a No. 1 center and defenseman?
Q: What are the strengths of the 2026 NHL draft?
A: Early on, I think it’s a strong defensemen draft. There are some quality wingers. I think there are a couple of centermen, but not a really deep pool of centermen. But some good players. … I don’t think there’s any Connor McDavids. There are some well-known, big-name players at the top end, and there are some guys challenging behind who aren’t as far up as some people think. So it’ll be interesting.
Q: Trade chatter is starting to pick up. Do you think the Flyers can be competitive with putting packages together?
A: We have assets now, and teams are going to have interest in our assets and make trades. The thing is that we have this prospect pool now, part of what’s going to make the players good is these guys emerging into the NHL and down the road filling in roles in the depth. But now, if you have a chance to add a star piece or elite player, you’ve got to match the value of it, but you can’t totally decimate your prospect pool and all your young players just to get one player — and then you have one player, and you have a bad team. Not everybody’s going to be able to play, but at the same time, we’re in a good position now.
Q: Give me one or two prospects that you’re excited about in the system.
A: Porter [Martone] is Porter. He has a chance to be a special player. When you meet him, he’s kind of got that “it factor,” as far as he’s got cockiness, but in a good way. I think he’s a pro; he’s got the mindset now where he knows where he has a little more work to do as far as getting there. But he understands. Getting that experience last year with Team Canada was huge, to be a young kid playing with those types of players and see where you’ve got to get to. I just think he’s matured, and he has a chance to be a really good one for us.
But the guy we drafted, who is one of my favorites … is Cole Knuble. Just a good hockey player. So competitive, great motor, smart, plays every position. I don’t know where it’s going to get to, but he’s worked really hard on his skating, and it’s become good. It’ll be interesting to see when he turns pro. Guys like Barkey and him are the guys you cheer for.
Barkey’s such a smart player, he’s so competitive. You watch a game, you just kind of start just watching him, just because of the way he plays the game. Whether he can handle the size [remains to be seen] but he’s proven everybody wrong at every level.