NHL draft Day 2: Flyers select two goalies, add Mike Knuble’s son in Round 4

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Another day of the draft, another opportunity for the Flyers to build their future.

General manager Danny Brière and the Flyers had eight picks heading into Day 2 of the draft Thursday morning at Bridgestone Arena and ended up making eight selections. But Brière started the day with a trade, sending pick No. 167 and a 2024 second-rounder (originally from Los Angeles) to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for No. 51 in this year’s draft.

Here’s who the Flyers picked up in Rounds 2-7:

The Flyers traded up to draft Brandon Wheat Kings goalie Bjarnason, making him the Flyers’ highest-drafted netminder since Carter Hart (No. 48 overall in 2016).

The 6-foot-3, 190-pounder, who turns 18 on Friday, was NHL Central Scouting’s top-ranked North American goaltender this year. He posted a .900 save percentage and a 3.08 goals-against average in 47 WHL games this season. Bjarnason played six games for Canada at the Under-18 World Championships this year and had a .849 save percentage and a 3.51 goals-against average.

The goaltender, who hails from Carberry, Manitoba, said his mindset is one of the biggest strengths of his game.

“I think it’s kind of my poise and the aura I carry in net,” Bjarnason said in Nashville. “I think I have a good calm, sense of aura, and have a certain stoicism to my game.”

He said that he models his game after Hart, whom he called one of his favorite goalies, as well as Montreal’s Carey Price.

Additionally, Bjarnason said that he’s good friends with Flyers first-round draft pick Oliver Bonk, as the two have suited up for Team Canada together.

With the Flyers’ first of two third-rounders, they selected their second Russian player and their second goalie.

The 17-year-old is slightly smaller (6-2, 183 pounds) than Bjarnason, and was ranked No. 12 among European goalie prospects by NHL Central Scouting. As a Russian junior player, there isn’t as much information available on Zavragin but he Flyers have had some success in identifying under-the-radar European goalies with Sam Ersson, Ivan Fedotov, and Alexei Kolosov.

Zavragin is under contract in Russia through the 2024-25 season. Last year, he played 21 games for Mamonty Yugry and posted a .920 save percentage and a 2.49 goals-against average. His team was 11-6-1 with him in net.

The Flyers added yet another friend of Bonk’s and bolstered their depth up the middle by drafting Barkey, a center with the London Knights of the OHL. Barkey said Bonk was sitting nearby and gave him a hug.

Barkey’s small, just 5-9 and 155 pounds, but plays with energy and a competitive streak that make him seem bigger. His size doesn’t stop him from absorbing hits and driving inside.

He also possesses stickhandling and passing skills. While Barkey’s skating could use work, the problems are viewed as fixable, and he has shown he has the work ethic to make it happen.

Last season, Barkey scored 22 goals and dished out 37 assists in 61 games with the Knights. It was a huge jump from seven goals and eight assists in 53 games the previous year. He also represented Canada in the U18 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, playing five games and pitching in two goals and two assists.

While Barkey doesn’t know much about the Flyers, he said he’s familiar with Brière’s playing career. He prides himself on his skill and hockey IQ, two traits that helped the undersized Brière prove the doubters wrong. Barkey also mentioned that he has skated with center Morgan Frost before.

Yes, that last name should look familiar. Knuble is the son of former Flyer Mike Knuble, who averaged 30 goals over four seasons with the Orange and Black.

As an 18-year-old born on July 1, 2004, Knuble was eligible in last year’s draft but went unselected. The 5-10, 185-pound center was an alternate captain for the Fargo Force of the USHL last season (30 goals, 66 points) and helped lead the team to the Clark Cup Final.

In the fall, Knuble will attend Notre Dame. He’s known for his hard-nosed style of play and stands out with his ability to feed off his teammates in the offensive zone. Skating is not his strong suit, but he has the potential to become a bottom-six forward at the NHL level with his relentless motor and effectiveness in front of the net.

Knuble won USA Hockey’s Dave Tyler Junior Player of the Year award, which is given to the outstanding American-born player in junior hockey. The Grand Rapids, Mich., native also received the USHL’s Curt Hammer Award for outstanding performance, leadership, pride, and determination.

After an eight-hour flight from Vienna, Austria, the Čiernik family landed in New York only to have their flight to Nashville canceled.

Čiernik ate his first Philly cheesesteak, and then he and his family proceeded to drive 14 hours to the draft. But the travel troubles were forgotten when the Flyers called Čiernik’s name on Day 2 with their second fourth-round pick.

The Slovakian, who shoots left-handed, can play on either wing. He’s on the smaller end at 5-10 and 174 pounds but has technical skills, good hands, and explosive skating ability. However, Čiernik struggled against older competition both in Sweden’s HockeyAllsvenskan (second-tier pro league) and in international play, making some poor decisions with the puck. At the U20 World Juniors this year, he had two goals and one assist in five games.

Despite the reality check, Čiernik still showed flashes of the dominant player he was at lower levels. While he doesn’t know where he’ll play next season, he’s eager to help out the Flyers organization down the line. Čiernik also said he bets the cheesesteaks in Philly are better than in New York.

The Flyers picked up their first defenseman of Day 2 with Sotheran, another right-shot, who played major junior hockey for the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks.

Sotheran, 18, has a towering frame at 6-3, 202 pounds. However, he’s not merely a shutdown defenseman. The Manitoban is known for his play in transition, capable of setting up his teammates and putting them in good situations on the breakout.

However, he has plenty of development ahead of him, especially when it comes to his skating. In 68 games this past season, Sotheran collected four goals and 19 assists for 23 points on an offensively-talented Winterhawks team.

Assistant general manager Brent Flahr said that Sotheran may have a bit longer of a path to get to the pros, but he’s an “interesting guy” worth taking a swing on.

“Another guy that got better and better and has got some rawness to him, but he’s big and long and rangy and can defend,” Flahr said of Sotheran. “He started to add some dimension to his game in the second half.”

From the Flyers to the Flyers, MacPherson is taking what he learned with the Leamington Flyers of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League to the NHL as the Flyers’ sixth-round pick. Another center, MacPherson checks in at just under 6 feet and 176 pounds and is known for playing a physical game. He was also an effective offensive player and facilitator last season to the tune of 25 goals and 36 assists in 49 games.

The Flyers have scouts who live near where MacPherson and his twin, Connor, play, so they felt he was a known quantity. Flahr said he extended a development camp invitation to Connor in case he didn’t get drafted. Next season, MacPherson is headed to play for the University of New Hampshire, so he will likely take some time. Flahr said they see the potential for him to be a Noah Cates type because of his competitiveness and two-way game. He’s the kind of player Flahr said is a “no-brainer” late in the draft.

At 18 years old, Mann is already 6-6 and 229 pounds. The attraction for the Flyers, who have said they want to get bigger, is clear.

The defenseman said he knows the league is getting faster and more skilled, but he thinks there will always be room for physical players like him. His strength and his reach are his biggest assets.

Mann, who is a right-shot defenseman for the Chicoutimi Saguenéens of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, was hampered by injuries last season. He played 45 games and was minus-23 with five assists. However, he showed potential in the previous season. He will have to work on his skating and decision-making if he is to ever crack the Flyers roster.

Mann is the son of Ottawa Senators assistant GM Trent Mann.