ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — With their first of four second-round picks Saturday afternoon in the 2025 NHL draft, the Flyers selected Carter Amico at No. 38 overall.

General manager Danny Briere moved back two spots from No. 36 by trading that pick and No. 68 to the Kraken for pick Nos. 38 and 57.

Amico is a 6-foot-6 defenseman out of the U.S. national team development program. He was limited to just 13 games in 2024-25 because of an injury to his kneecap that required a couple of surgeries. The brief draft year may have prevented him from being taken in the first round Friday night.

“The previous surgery just didn’t take,” Flyers assistant general manager Brent Flahr said Saturday from the team’s draft headquarters at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. “He has had it redone and it was successful. Our doctors are confident it’s going to be good to go.”

The righty shot was the 41st-ranked North American skater by NHL Central Scouting, while TSN’s Bob McKenzie had him at No. 51 overall in the draft. Amico confirmed he’ll be playing at Boson University in 2025-26.

“He’ll take time to round out his game,” Flahr said. “He needs reps, obviously missing time this year is never good for any young player. But he’s going to play lots the next couple of years.”

Amico likes to model his game after the Panthers’ Seth Jones and the Blackhawks’ Alex Vlasic.

“Super frustrating year, only 13 games played,” Amico said Saturday in a Zoom interview. “But I had to control what I can control off the ice and get better in every way I could. Rehab has been great, I’ve been doing [physical therapy] four days a week and I get back on the ice next week for the first time.”

More Flyers draft coverage

• Flyers take Martone at No. 6 to kick off their NHL draft 2025

• Flyers trade up in first round, grab rising center at No. 12

• Flyers add a U.S. forward with some positional versatility in second round

• Busy second round continues with a teammate of a Flyers prospect

• Flyers grab another big center to wrap up four picks in second round

• Finnish winger who made impressive second-half climb goes to Flyers in fifth round

• Flyers draft 6-foot-4, righty-shot defenseman in fifth round

• Flyers close out their NHL draft 2025 class with a sixth-round center