Though it’s only mid-September, several leagues have already started their seasons: the Canadian Hockey League (CHL), United States Hockey League (USHL), and basically all of Europe. Which notable Philadelphia Flyers prospects have already made their 2025–26 debuts?
Jack Berglund, Forward
At the World Junior Summer Showcase back in July and August, Flyers fans were treated to a solid tournament from Jack Berglund: seven points in five games. He hasn’t competed much against his age group recently, so his standout play was a huge plus.
Berglund began his 2025–26 campaign officially earlier this month. The 19-year-old is a full-timer in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL), where it can be challenging for younger players to get minutes and produce. The 2024 second-round pick has zero points through four games—totally normal, even if that doesn’t look good on paper.
Nothing has really changed. Berglund’s upside is a two-way, bottom-six center at the NHL level. His 6-foot-4, 209-pound frame should be a notable asset in his journey.
Alex Čiernik, Forward
Alex Čiernik has been all over the place in the last calendar year. Playing in three separate professional leagues, the 2023 fourth-round pick settled on Liiga for this season, which is Finland’s best. Through five games, the 20-year-old winger has yet to register a point.
This isn’t nearly the same discussion as Berglund, though. Čiernik is a year older, playing in a worse league, and most importantly, is a small winger, not a big center. While speedy and skilled, the production will eventually have to arrive for the Flyers’ brass to know he’s ready for the next step.
Ilya Pautov, Forward
Ilya Pautov, a sixth-round pick in 2024, has a similar profile to Čiernik: a smaller winger, but undeniably skilled. The 19-year-old has three points in five MHL games (Russia’s top junior league) and one point in two VHL games (Russia’s second-tier pro league).
He hasn’t dominated scoring leaderboards yet, even at the junior level, where few players are drafted. Still, there’s reason to believe in the traits over production—Pautov deserves your patience. Of course, he’ll have to work a little harder than his bigger counterparts, but the potential is there.
Max Westergård, Forward
Next is Max Westergård, a fifth-round pick by the Flyers in 2025. As someone who did a draft profile on him in May, his totals thus far aren’t surprising: seven points in three U20 Nationell games (Sweden’s top junior league). He ranks third in the league for points, only behind two NHL-drafted forwards: Gustav Hillström and Viktor Klingsell.
Why isn’t this production surprising, exactly? Well, to me, Westergård already showed that he’s ready for a full-time role in the SHL, arguably Europe’s most challenging league due to its demanding, fast-paced nature. He played 11 postseason games for Frölunda HC’s main club last season, recording three points on limited usage. In doing so, he became just the sixth U18 player in league history to reach that mark.
It’s rare for players as young as Westergård (born Sept. 3, 2007) to get SHL playing time. But he deserves it—his elite motor and offensive skill immediately translated to an impressive bottom-six impact in 2024–25. This season, if he gets the chance, expect him to prove his pro-readiness.
Egor Zavragin, Goaltender
As we’ve come to expect, Egor Zavragin has been the biggest standout among Flyers prospects. Freshly 20 years old, the 2023 third-round pick is showing flashes of dominance in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL; Russia’s top pro league) again. Across two starts, he has a 2–0–0 record, a .969 save percentage, and 0.99 goals-against average. He allowed just one goal in a 27-save VHL win, as well.
Related: Flyers’ Top 10 Prospects: 2025–26 Preseason Edition
In 2024–25, Zavragin set the KHL games played record for 19-year-old goalies (42), putting up a solid .912 save percentage to boot. If the highly athletic netminder continues the trajectory he’s on, the Flyers might have themselves a superstar. He’ll be one to heavily monitor this season—Zavragin could be the guy.
Hockey season is back. As the Flyers dwindle their training camp roster, their top CHL players, such as Jack Nesbitt, should get some action, too.
