Q&A: Draft analyst Chris Peters weighs Flyers’ options at No. 21, Alexander Command’s NHL comparison, and more
In the latest "Flyers Gameday Central," Peters, FloHockey's draft and prospect analyst, broke down the 2026 NHL draft and compared Command's game to the Islanders' Brayden Schenn.
It’s that time of year.
The next generation of NHL stars will find out their destination on Friday and Saturday at the 2026 NHL draft as teams work to fill the cupboards and holes in their depth charts.
As of Wednesday, the Flyers have four picks — one in each of the first, second, sixth and seventh rounds. The biggest question is: who will they grab at No. 21 in Friday’s first round?
Ahead of the draft, FloHockey draft and prospect analyst Chris Peters joined The Inquirer on the latest episode of Flyers Gameday Central to dissect the draft class, which players fit the Flyers, and what could happen in the next few days.
You can watch the full Flyers Gameday Central episode with Chris Peters below.
Q: Is there anything we’ve learned from the past couple of drafts with the Flyers that could suggest the route they’re going to go [at pick no. 21]?
A: Teams definitely have types, they have guys they like, they have the kinds of players they go after. I think when you’re drafting at 21 in the first round, you’ve got to be really diligent about your list and really stick to it, I feel like, because you’re just hoping to get an NHL player. … I think there’s a ton of intrigue about really from [picks in] the teens on down, where things can go, and at that point you’re going to see a wide variance in ranges of players on lists. And so you’re just trying to see whoever the Flyers have as the best pick, they might be really high on somebody else’s list, or might not be on somebody else’s list at all.
Q: Is there anyone in this draft class who fits the Flyers system at center?
A: I think it would be hard to pinpoint that. I do think that you look at guys that are centers that could potentially be wings, like Maddox Dagenais, a guy who’s all over the map in terms of draft ranges. He could be gone in the early teens, he could be gone in the mid-20s, but he is a center naturally, plays a lot on the wing though, and so I think a lot of people are thinking that he is more of a winger. … Jack Hextall, he’s a good two-way guy, high-energy player, had a really good strong season in the USHL this year. … A guy to really keep a close eye on, probably in that range, I think he could be available, there is Ilia Morozov, who plays at Miami [Ohio}. He’s a 6-foot-4 center; obviously the Flyers have not been afraid to draft some Russians, and he’s been a Russian who’s played in North America for at least three years and he’s been playing at a pretty high level, and had a great season in Miami. And the upside on him is just tremendous. So I could easily see a player with that size, skill combo being a really good fit for the Flyers.
- Flyers Q&A: Danny Brière on the NHL draft
- 15 options for Flyers at No. 21
- Brent Flahr on the Flyers’ draft strategy with the 21st pick and more
- Jaxon Cover and Ryder Cali: From the Cayman Islands to the NHL
- Is 17-year-old Ilia Morozov the next center to join the organization?
- Alexander Command feels in sync with Philly. Will he be there at 21?
- Mock draft 3.0: Could another Hextall be in Philly soon?
Q: Maksim Sokolovskii is a name I heard in Buffalo as someone who the Flyers have a lot of interest in. There’s the London [of the OHL] connection, and he’s a giant at over 6-7. Is he someone they could reach on at 21 or is that too high?
A: They could, I wouldn’t. I think that would be Sam Morin part two. So I wouldn’t do that. I like [Sokolovskii] a lot, and I watched him in the playoffs a lot, and that’s where I think a lot of this late buzz is coming from, is that he was a really good shutdown guy for London in the postseason. And he was playing a physical mean brand of hockey, the kind of hockey that helps you win in the playoffs. I think that there is so little offense there … he’s too one dimensional defensively. The skating, it isn’t good enough for me to say, like it’s good for his size but like it’s not good enough, I don’t think. So, he has boom-bust potential too, because he’s got this massive frame, he has incredible reach. I think he thinks the game decently well, like I think he thinks the game defensively pretty solidly. I think he’s got good enough mobility defensively. And so I think he’s going to play [in the NHL]. The question is where does he go?
Q: Who’s the one player people aren’t talking enough about?
A: I would say people probably aren’t talking enough about Tommy Bleyl. It’s coming up more now, but the season that he had was historic. … And you talk to teams like, ‘Hey, I didn’t have him on my radar as a guy for us’ and there were some guys like, ‘Yeah, I had him as a pick, but no way was he a first.’ And his postseason put him right in the mix as a first [round pick], and potentially even a mid-first round pick, and that’s a pretty significant jump from where he was at the start of this season. So, he’s a guy that I think is incredibly fascinating. The skating ability is about as good as anybody’s. I just think there’s a lot to unlock with that player yet, and I’m excited to see who takes him.
Q: The player you enjoyed watching the most this year?
A: One of the players I had the most fun watching this year was probably Nikita Klepov, even in the games where he was a little bit frustrating and a little bit out of it. I just think that there’s a real skill level to him. Another guy that just frustrates the heck out of scouts that I enjoyed watching was Egor Shilov from Victoriaville. Just the patience that kid has on the puck is really out of this world. The way he extends plays and finds the right read. He’s not quite competitive enough for guys, and I think that’s going to potentially knock him out of the first round. I did list him in the second round myself, but he’s a really intriguing player, too. I think the hockey sense is high-end in terms of the offensive game.
» READ MORE: Flyers draft: Jack Hextall brings way more than a famous last name — and could be a fit with the Orange and Black
Q: Who is the best defensive defenseman?
A: William Håkansson is pretty darn good [at] defending. I think he’s a stopper. Sokolovskii is a stopper. … But like I look at Håkansson, I think he’s probably one of the most mature overall defenders. And then also at the end of that top 10, top 11, Malte Gustafsson is another guy where I just think the defending is outstanding. He’s such a complete player, and I’m really impressed by him more and more.
Q: The Flyers love high-compete and great motors. Who do you think is in that range of high compete, great motor kind of guy?
A: Yeah, I think Alexander Command is probably No. 1. Viggo Björck is up there too, but I think Alexander Command has the physicality, the doggedness in pursuit of the puck. Just the absolute annoyingness of just getting under your skin, and I think that there’s a lot to like about that player. The comp that I had for him was Brayden Schenn and I think he probably has a higher motor, even there. Brayden Schenn was physical and mean, and he could score, and that’s what I think Command can do, too.