Welcome to the Philadelphia Flyers Top 25 Under 25 ranking, Winter 2026 edition. Over the next couple of weeks, we’ll be putting out our ranking of the, well, top 25 players in the Flyers organization who are under 25 years old. A total of 13 writers at Broad Street Hockey submitted ballots and here is the consensus ranking.

More and more of our rankings are being revealed and now we’re getting into the real meat of it. From here on, it really seems like it involves players who could play a role on the Flyers in the coming years. That, or have at least an elevated chance compared to more long-shot prospects or college graduates playing pro hockey at 23 years old.

Let’s get to it. And this time it’s talking about a trio of 19-year-olds.

19) Heikki Ruohonen

Primary Team: Harvard University, NCAA
2025-26 Stats: 3 G, 13 Pts in 21 GP
Rank in Summer 25 Under 25: Unranked
Age: 19
Acquired: 4th-round pick (107th overall) in 2024 NHL Draft

Jacob (Ranked #22): The World Junior performance that Ruohonen was able to put together showcased the very best of his skillset. No one part of his game really stands out, but he stays ahead of the play and can play all three situations. He still lacks the x-factor skill that could propel him into NHL contention as soon as next year, but there is no doubt that he is ahead of schedule in his development as of right now. The rest of his freshman season at Harvard should be very interesting to watch.

Joe (Ranked #15): I’ve been a believer in Heikki “The Ruiner” Ruohonen for a while, ranking him 16 in our summer iteration of this list (and if he makes it to the NHL, we’ve gotta work to make that nickname stick). He’s having a fine rookie season at Harvard, but it’s his World Junior performance that stands out: he wore an “A” for the Finnish team, potting three goals and nine points in seven games–leading the Finns in scoring–and helping the team finish fourth in the tournament. For a fourth-round pick, that’s pretty good, and there are a lot of qualities to his game where you can see Ruohonen becoming a reliable, bottom-six center who plays with pace. He’s probably still a year or two from turning pro, but that’s okay–the Flyers can wait.

Another day another Heikki Ruohonen assist 🇫🇮#LetsGoFlyers pic.twitter.com/MNqvht7Gf0

— Flyers Clips (@Flyers_Clips) January 5, 2026

Brad (Ranked #16): Ruohonen is really intriguing to me because, in my opinion, it’s hard to pinpoint a real weakness in his game: he just seems to be solid all around. He’s not the fastest skater, but he’s not lagging behind. He’s shown some offensive creativity, especially at the WJC, and isn’t allergic to shooting the puck. He can be relied on defensively and, while he doesn’t hit everything that moves, he’s not averse. While certainly not a guarantee, he has a real shot at making the NHL, and if all goes well, he could end up being a third center who kills penalties and can maybe play up the lineup in a pinch. On the higher end of potential outcomes, I’m picturing Noah Cates, but a little more physical, and maybe not on the stats folks’ Selke ballots. Ruohonen could definitely be a riser by this time next year.

Cole (Ranked #16): Ruohonen’s really been a breakout in the Flyers system this year, and he’s really raised his chances of making it to the big club at some point down the line. After his draft, Ruohonen’s motor was never the question, it was everything else that needed to catch up. Well, over the course of the season at Harvard and at the World Juniors, he’s really made strides. He’s gotten so much stronger along the boards, is attempting and successfully completing creative offensive plays, and is reliable defensively. Since his breakout at the World Juniors, he’s registered 8 points in 9 games at Harvard and his offense continues to tick upwards. Lots to like, even if his upside is ultimately an effective bottom-six center. 

18) Spencer Gill

Primary Team: Blainville-Boisbriand Armada, QMJHL
2025-26 Stats: 0 G, 0 Pts in 2 GP
Rank in Summer 25 Under 25: 18
Age: 19
Acquired: 2nd-round pick (59th overall) in 2024 NHL Draft

Joe (Ranked #19): It’s such a drag that Gill suffered an injury early in the season; it makes it difficult to judge what kind of player he’s going to be. He’s signed an ELC, too, so the NCAA route is closed to him next season. There’s still a lot of potential in the player–he’s a solid passer, has size, and is a coveted right-shot defenseman–but we’re left to measure his progress in only the 2024-25 season when he was still with Rimouski, before the trade to the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada. He’s quite young for his draft class (a mid-August birthday), so the runway’s still there, at least, but Gill’s going to be a project.

Brad (Ranked #19): As Joe said, Gill is a really difficult prospect to rank right now. With his size, position, and puck moving abilities, there’s a lot to like about him. However, the amount of time he’s missed is concerning, and who knows how missing that much time could affect his development. Blainville-Boisbriand did say that Gill is expected to return to the lineup this weekend, so hopefully he’ll be able to show us something and finish the season strong.

Jacob (Ranked #17): When Gill was selected in 2024, he immediately became one of the Flyers prospects that intrigued me the most. His ability to make up ground and deliver a good first pass at his 6 ‘4 frame would make him a tantalizing prospect if he was just able to stay on the ice. Injuries have hampered his development, and there is a chance that Gill may be lagging behind when compared to some other names in the Flyers system, but his skillset is so varied for a defenseman of his size, that he will stay on my version of this list indefinitely regardless of his injury history.

Cole (Ranked #19): I’ve been a massive fan of Spencer Gill since the Flyers drafted him in 2024, but man he can’t catch a break. Gill has been raved about in each development camp, and pretty much anytime Brent Flahr and the Flyers have seen him. Prior to his major injury this season, Gill was poised to be the breakout defenseman in the system this season. His combination of raw physical skills, smart use of his reach, and puck-moving abilities have all the makings of an NHL quality defenseman. I’d even argue there’s No. 4 upside with Gill, but that will all go to the wayside if he can’t figure out how to stay healthy. 

17) Shane Vansaghi

Primary Team: Michigan State University, NCAA
2025-26 Stats: 3 G, 9 Pts in 26 GP
Rank in Summer 25 Under 25: 17
Age: 19
Acquired: 2nd-round pick (48th overall) in 2025 NHL Draft

Brad (Ranked #18): Vansaghi hasn’t had the bump in offensive production that we were hoping to see from him this season, but there is still a solid foundation here. He makes the majority of his impact on the forecheck and along the boards, with occasional offensive flashes. He plays a very heavy game, and with good defensive instincts, he’s a player with a really high floor. Until his offensive game picks up, his ceiling feels limited, but I do believe there’s an NHL player here. One interesting note on Vansaghi is that about midway through the season he switched wings (from right to left) and this switch hasn’t seemed to hurt his game at all. If anything, he’s been playing better since the change, with one of his better showings coming against Penn State two weeks ago. With the Flyers stacked on the right, Vansaghi having the flexibility to play either wing is certainly a plus.

#Flyers prospect Shane Vansaghi scored in MSU’s 4-3 OT loss vs. top-ranked Michigan.
pic.twitter.com/6naxo4v9yw

— Will James (@wmjsports) February 7, 2026

Joe (Ranked #20): The Vansaghi pick was one of my favorites from the 2025 draft–a great selection in the middle of the second round. His season hasn’t gone quite according to play, playing a limited role for Michigan State, and he wasn’t that effective at the WJC, either, suiting up for only three games, scoring zero points, and carrying a minus-4 rating. I do think we’ll be seeing him turn pro sooner than later, though: he’s a sophomore this year, and at 6-foot-2 and 216 pounds has the physical tools to hold up in the pros. Most importantly, his game’s suited to a fourth-line role; he could get minutes in the NHL as a rookie that way, similar to how Nikita Grebenkin is being utilized this season. It’s easy to envision a world where Vansaghi’s a long-term replacement for Garnet Hathaway, and Vansaghi has enough skill and hockey sense on top of his high-end physicality to hope the ceiling’s even higher than that, so long as his skating improves. Easily one of my favorite prospects in the system.

Cole (Ranked #25): Truthfully, I think I ranked Vansaghi a good bit lower than I should have, especially considering Vansaghi’s likely NHL floor. At his best, Vansaghi likely tops out as a darn-good fourth line caliber player that can move up the lineup in a pinch if absolutely necessary. While he’s shown flashes in his offensive game this year, the offense has just been incredibly inconsistent so far. His point-per-game pace at Michigan State is less this year (.34) than it was in his freshman year (.43), and I think there’s legitimate worries that Vansaghi will never reach another gear offensively. We’ll see, but I think it’s been a somewhat disappointing year for Vansaghi relative to expectations after the draft. 

Jacob (Ranked #18): Counter to what Cole just said, I’m starting to think that maybe I ranked Vansaghi too high. The other second round picks that the Flyers selected in that same draft, Jack Murtagh and Carter Amico, both fell below Vansaghi on my list, but realistically, they both probably have higher potential NHL ceilings than the MSU winger. His second full season at Michigan State has been similar to his freshman year production-wise, and while his heavy playstyle should be able to translate to the pro game… you’re left wondering what his ultimate NHL upside will be, especially for a team who already possesses a host of NHL caliber wingers.