Flyers prospects Brek Liske and Luke Vlooswyk have lofty goals as junior teammates: ‘I think we’ll be the best D pair in the league’

According to assistant general manager Brent Flahr, Brek Liske, the Flyers’ first of two second-round picks in the 2026 NHL draft, has some “swagger.”

Maybe that swagger rubbed off on Luke Vlooswyk because, as the defenseman spoke to The Inquirer in late June at development camp, he made a bit of a guarantee.

“I think we’ll be the best D pair in the league next year,” the Flyers’ 2025 fifth-rounder confidently told The Inquirer at development camp.

» READ MORE: Flyers prospect Luke Vlooswyk isn’t the only athlete in his family. His mom, ‘Lisa Longball,’ is an 8-time Canadian long drive champ

Acquired by Everett of the Western Hockey League from Red Deer last January, Vlooswyk, 19, linked up with Liske until the first round of the WHL playoffs when Liske was bumped up to the top pair. Liske, 18, impressed there while slotted alongside projected 2027 No. 1 pick Landon Dupont as the Silvertips made a run to the Memorial Cup final.

With Dupont now teammates with Flyers center prospect Jack Nesbitt at the University of Michigan, Vlooswyk and Liske, who both will participate in Flyers rookie camp this week, are expected to be Everett’s top defensive duo.

“Really well,” Everett coach Steve Hamilton said when asked how they played together after Vlooswyk was traded to the Washington State-based team.

“We’re very fast [in] the way we play, in the way we pressure, the way we transition, defend,” he added. “We expect our guys to close quickly, and just try to apply the pressure to get the puck back right away, and both of those guys just have an aggressive mindset, and they move pucks well. … We want to transition right away, and anytime we get a change of possession, we want our defensemen to be involved, and both of those guys appreciate that style of play.”

The pairing is prototypical. At 6-foot-5, Vlooswyk is the big, stay-at-home, shutdown defenseman with a long reach. The smaller Liske, at 6-1, likes to have the puck on his stick and has a little more offensive pop in his game — he had seven goals and 24 points in 52 games last season.

But the pairing is also unorthodox. It is not a righty-lefty combination, which is what Flyers coach Rick Tocchet typically likes.

Liske and Vlooswyk are akin to Travis Sanheim and Cam York, two lefties who played together under ex-coach John Tortorella, except Liske and Vlooswyk are both righties. Liske is the one playing the off-side, increasing his versatility à la Sanheim.

“Yeah, it is a big difference, right?” he said at development camp. “A lot of stuff on the backhand. The biggest thing was I just had to learn how to place the puck better, if that makes sense, have it at my hip more. You’re ready to open up instead of being able to just snap it. It’s a little harder, but probably took a couple of games of adjustment and [I] figured it out.”

“I think his defensive identity is helpful,” noted Hamilton about Liske during a phone interview in late June. “He’s very subtle. He’s physical in his own way, but very effective, great stick. And I think ultimately, going forward as an NHL player, that’s probably more going to be his strength. … But, I think he’s got a really good understanding that he can bring things in all areas.

» READ MORE: Draft pick Brek Liske grew up a Flyers fan thanks to his dad: ‘I think he’s a little bit more in awe than I am right now.’

“So, honestly, self-assessment is a skill in itself these days, and he’s got a very good handle on who he is. In terms of growth, as a young player … he’s going to need to continue to work on his skating, and the NHL is the best of the best. I feel like he really moves well at our level, and I know with time and training, and continuing to get stronger, that his skating will be NHL caliber.”

Hamilton sees Liske as a middle-pair blueliner in the NHL, and the kid from Manitoba has a lot of motivation to reach that level — especially with the Flyers. His father, Lonnie, is a massive fan of the Orange and Black, and when the 18-year-old spoke to the media via Zoom after hearing his name called, he was already donning a Flyers jersey.

“First time I ever met his dad, Lonnie, he said to me, ‘Oh my gosh, I can’t believe my son is D partners with a future Philadelphia Flyer. Like, this is unbelievable,’” Vlooswyk recalled. “And for him to be drafted here now, I can’t even imagine what emotions are running through that family. It’s pretty cool.”