Flyers mock draft 4.0: James Hagens or Jake O’Brien at No. 6? Will they grab a goalie in Round 2?

After months of lottery simulations, combine testing, interviews, and speculation about who the Flyers will pick, draft day is finally here.

Owning three picks in Friday’s first round, three more in the second, and 10 altogether, the Flyers are expected to be one of the busiest teams over the next two days.

» READ MORE: Flyers draft: Jake O’Brien’s playmaking, athletic bloodlines, and high upside could make him a steal at No. 6

Will the Flyers nab what they hope to be their future No. 1 center at No. 6? Will the team finally unearth a goaltender to end its curse in the cease? Will Danny Brière and Co. package some picks to pull off another trade to land a roster player that can help right now?

We will be a lot closer to those answers come Saturday night following the conclusion of the draft. With that in mind, here are our final projections for each of the Flyers’ first- and second-round picks:

Jackie Spiegel: Jake O’Brien, C, Brantford (OHL): If Caleb Desnoyers, Anton Frondell, and Porter Martone are gone — in that order — my gut instinct is that O’Brien is next on the Flyers’ list. Although James Hagens has been in this spot on previous mock drafts, and Brady Martin is another strong possibility, the addition of Trevor Zegras on Monday appears to shift things a little, and the 18-year-old O’Brien (his birthday was June 16), brings high-end skill and size down the middle at 6-foot-2. Does he need to bulk up? Absolutely, at a lanky 170 pounds. But he makes up for it with a tough game — he compares his style of play to Dallas Stars forward Wyatt Johnston — and is probably the best passer in the draft class. Unlike last year’s first-rounder, Jett Luchanko, who the Flyers want to shoot more, O’Brien has no problem passing or shooting . This past season, he potted 32 goals, just five behind the top winger in the class, Martone.

GE: James Hagens, C, Boston College (NCAA): This would be my dream scenario, as I remain steadfast in my opinion that Hagens, who this time last year was projected to go No. 1, will be one of the top three players from this draft. Hagens is a dynamic skater who possesses elite puck-handling and playmaking skills, as well as one of the highest hockey IQs in the class. His purported fall from grace is centered around two factors: that he didn’t dominate NCAA competition and that he’s the smallest of the top centers in this class. Both criticisms are being overexagerrated in my opinion, as Hagens still averaged a point-per-game in a more rugged and physically mature Hockey East than his peers faced in Canadian junior hockey. He’s also not that small at 5-11 and 186 pounds, and plays with underrated competitiveness. While Hagens didn’t have a Jack Eichel, Adam Fantilli, or Macklin Celebrini-type freshman year, he has star upside as one of the most accomplished players to ever come through the U.S. national team development program. The Flyers’ pick likely comes down to Desnoyers, Martin, Hagens, and O’Brien, and with the first two names potentially off the board, the Long Island native would represent a homerun for Danny Brière and Co.

JS: Logan Hensler, RHD, Wisconsin (NCAA): The bottom half of the draft is littered with high-quality defensemen, and although I’ve gone with Blake Fiddler here in the past, it was only because the thought was Hensler would be gone already. So, if he’s there, and Kashawn Aitcheson, Penn State commit Jackson Smith, or Cameron Reid, are all gone, I do think the Flyers snag him. They could also, as several draft analysts have alluded to, take big Russian winger Daniil Prokhorov, but Hensler may be too good to pass up. A Jake Sanderson comparable, the 6-2 defenseman is a highly-coveted right-shot blueliner who plays a solid two-way game. “I use my skating and my size to disrupt plays and also to transition the puck north,” he told The Inquirer recently. “Also have that offensive ability, too — it’s a little more natural — and kind of use that to my advantage when it’s there.” As a freshman at Wisconsin, he had 12 points in 32 games and on the power play, and also helped the United States win its second straight gold at World Juniors. But he knows he has more to give and is ready to take the next step this upcoming season.

GE: Blake Fiddler, RHD, Edmonton (WHL): If the Flyers go center at No. 6 like most assume, look for them to bolster the right side of their blue line with their second of three first-rounders. While I think they could be interested in trying to move up for one of Radim Mrtka, Aitcheson, Smith, or Reid if one starts to slide, I’ll go with the imposing Fiddler if they stand pat. At 6-4 and 209 pounds, Fiddler can really skate, has NHL bloodlines (son of Vernon Fiddler), a long reach, and also provides some physicality. While his offensive upside might be a bit limited, Fiddler projects as a big shutdown guy that teams want in the postseason. It’s worth noting that Fiddler had a big U18 Worlds in his native Texas, which was attended by Brière and president Keith Jones. The Flyers could also double down at center here with Jack Nesbitt or Cole Reschny.

JS: Henry Brzustewicz, RHD, London (OHL): I know John Tortorella is no longer here, but his words around the trade deadline about needing right-shot defensemen still ring true. And while “Henry B.” did not meet with the Flyers in Buffalo at the scouting combine, no one should take that to mean he’s 100% out the door. They’ve seen him plenty, as the blueliner was teammates with Oliver Bonk and Denver Barkey in London. The 6-f1 D-man, who played a little with Bonk but primarily with CHL defenseman of the year Sam Dickinson, can play all three zones, has a heavy shot, and has incredibly “high-compete” level. As noted by Bill Sullivan, London’s U.S. scout, he took on whatever role was needed for the Memorial Cup champion Knights — he arrived late at the combine, so that’s probably why the Flyers passed — which showed maturity. The younger brother of Calgary Flames defenseman Hunter Brzustewicz, Henry is a reliable shutdown defenseman with some pop. He continues to work on his skating and, considering the development London has already done for the Flyers, they’ll have no issue with him taking his time in green and white.

» READ MORE: Flyers draft: Heavy hitter Brady Martin could be their pick at No. 6. He has a work ethic forged on a farm.

GE: Bill Zonnon, LW, Blainville-Boisbriand (QMJHL)

I thought about Michigan center William Horcoff and all-around Czech winger Vaclav Nestrasil here, but I keep coming back to something Keith Jones said last year about it being a copycat league and mimicking winning teams. That brings me to Zonnon, who plays a lot like a Florida Panther, the team that has won the last two Stanley Cups. The 6-2, 190-pounder has a relentless motor and is constantly bearing down on defensemen on the forecheck, often leaving a mark. Zonnon, who has played center but likely moves to the wing, is an excellent checker, a responsible player in all three zones, and also has some underrated playmaking ability. He was recently traded from Rouyn-Noranda to Blainville-Boisbriand, and ranked fourth among QMJHL draft-eligible players with 28 goals and 83 points. If the Flyers want a Brady Martin-type that is built for the playoffs, Zonnon brings some similar attributes to the table, and wouldn’t cost them such a premium pick.

JS: Shane Vansaghi, RW, Michigan State (NCAA)

Flyers fans, meet your new fan favorite. No one in this class screams Flyers more than Vansaghi — and he’s a guy they like and have seen a lot of, as he was teammates with Karsen Dorwart at Michigan State. The St. Louis native plays a physical and hard-nosed game comparable to Montreal Canadiens power forward Josh Anderson. After leaving the U.S. National Team Development Program, he tallied six goals and 16 points in 37 games while playing a bottom-six role on a stacked Spartans team. Vansaghi is big at 6-2, 212 pounds, and strong — he led all prospects in grip strength for each hand — and loves to play a gritty style of hockey.

GE: Mason West, C, Edina High School (Minn.): One of the more interesting prospects in the class, West is an accomplished high school quarterback who recently revealed he will commit to hockey full-time following his senior season on the gridiron this fall. With six picks in the first two rounds, the Flyers have the flexibility to take a high-upside swing or two, and there might not be a better one than West. A towering 6-6, 218-pound centerman with good skating mechanics and puck skills, West is an equally tantalizing and unique prospect. While there is a lot of projection needed with his profile, especially as someone who played high school hockey last season, West’s combination of size and skill will result in a team taking a chance on him late in the first round or early on Day 2. The Flyers target athleticism, even outside of the traditional hockey sense, and West’s profile, and the team’s successful track record with Minnesota high school products (Noah Cates, Alex Bump), lead me to believe they’d have some interest here. If the Flyers go with a smaller center like Hagens at No. 6, West, who models his game after Tage Thompson but doesn’t have that kind of shot yet, would make a ton of sense as an upside play. He is scheduled to play in the USHL next season and is committed to Michigan State for 2026-27.

JS: Haoxi (Simon) Wang, LHD, Oshawa (OHL): Wang is easily one of best stories in the draft. At the age of 12, he left China and traveled to Canada to focus on hockey. It worked out as the 6-6, 222-pound defenseman — yes, unsurprisingly, he led all prospects in wingspan – is now considered one of the top prospects in this draft class. Committed to Boston University in the fall of 2026, there is so much upside with Wang, especially considering where his game is now and that he hasn’t been playing high-level hockey for very long. He only joined Oshawa midway through this past season, bringing a confident defensive game with higher-end skating ability. He’ll only get better as he continues to hone his craft and face stronger competition in college hockey.

» READ MORE: NHL draft: Could the Flyers keep it in the family with two-way ace Caleb Desnoyers?

GE: Semyon Frolov, G, MHK Spartak Moskva (MHL): The Flyers love themselves a Russian goalie, and Frolov has some of the highest upside at the position in this class. Even with Sam Ersson at the NHL level, and Aleksei Kolosov (at least for now), Egor Zavragin, and Carson Bjarnason in the pipeline, the Flyers could do with another high-end prospect in net. Several of the league’s top goalies have come from and been developed in Russia, and the 6-3 Frolov, who had a .921 save percentage in the MHL, is an athletic and aggressive netminder who one day could develop into an NHL starter.

JS: Pyotr Andreyanov, G, Krasnaya Armiya Moskva (MHL): Time for a goalie, and it’s pretty obvious the Flyers like Russian netminders with Ivan Fedotov, Zavragin, and the Belarusian Kolosov in the system. And why not? Flahr has said multiple times in conversations with The Inquirer that he likes the training they undergo, and Andreyanov fits the bill. Plus, guess who his teammate is: Ilya Pautov, whom the Flyers snagged last year in the draft. While draft analysts have him ranked anywhere from 56 to 79, he is ranked No. 1 by NHL Central Scouting among European goalies, and the Flyers, including Brière, reportedly recently saw him in Florida at Gold Star’s hockey camp. Andreyanov has size, at 6-2 and 207 pounds, and went 23-6-6 with a 1.75 goals-against average and .942 save percentage — No. 2 in the league among goalies who played at least 20 games in Russia’s top junior league.

GE: Charlie Trethewey, RHD, U.S.NTDP

While the middle of the second round is littered with massive, defensive-minded defenseman like Wang, Carter Amico, Jacob Rombach, Max Psenicka and Peyton Kettles, I’ll go with the toolsy Trethewey, who is an excellent skater and owns a big shot. Tretheway’s defense is further along at this point, but given his aforementioned attributes and flashes from the USNTDP, there could be a bit more there offensively. Trethewey seems to be on an upward trajectory, and at 6-1, he’s not shy about laying the body either.