The 2026 National Hockey League Draft is less than one week away. The Flyers' Draft Headquarters at the Hard Rock Hotel in Atlantic City will be hopping -- both behind the scenes and at the public Draft party during the first round on Friday night (June 26).
The Flyers currently hold the 21st overall selection in the first round. General manager Daniel Briere and assistant general manager Brent Flahr, who oversees the organization's scouting and drafting operations, have not ruled out trade-up or trade-down scenarios. Below are potential options who may be under consideration if the Flyers select a forward. These are general consensus prospects in the mid-10s to early-20s, and may or may not coincide with the Flyers' internal rankings of best available players.
Last week, we looked at defensemen who may be candidates for selection in this approximate range
For this list, we'll look at five forwards, including wingers, centers and potential swingman players (current centers who could end up being primarily wingers or hybrid players at the pro level).
Maddox Dagenais (C/W, Quebec Remparts, QMJHL)
Dagenais has traditional "center size" (6-foot-4, 196 pounds) but his best pro fit may ultimately be on a wing. The Flyers historically take a best-available player approach with their first pick of the draft. They do not draft by positional need in the system until subsequent picks.
If the Montreal native remains on the board when the 21st overall pick comes up, Dagenais is a prime candidate for selection by the Flyers. If he ultimately plays wing as a pro, Dagenais would not match the primary positional needs in the system. Nevertheless, his power forward upside may be hard to ignore.
Dagenais, a former first overall pick in the QMJHL Draft, possesses three intriguing traits: speed, size and scoring potential. He’s not reluctant to shoot the puck or take the body. When he throws his weight around, especially with signature reverse hits, Dagenais is a sight to behold.
In addition to their own scouting staff, the Flyers have solid Intel on the player from Remparts general manager Simon Gagne.
Statistically, Dagenais was a supporting player at the 2026 Under-18 World Championships (1g, 1a). His most notable moment was a highlight reel hit Dagenais threw against Slovakia. In the QMJHL this season, he posted 30 goals and 62 points in 62 games.
The young player’s father, Pierre, is a former NHL player. Dagenais turned 18 on March 27.
Jack Hextall (C, Youngstown Phantoms, USHL)
Yes, USHL center Jack Hextall is related to Flyers Hall of Fame goaltender and former general manager Ron Hextall. Hailing from Rolling Meadows, Illinois, the 6-foot-1, 188-pound center is a distant cousin of Ron Hextall.
However, that fact is irrelevant. It’s no more meaningful than the fact the Flyers already have several centers named Jack in the system (Nesbitt, Berglung and wing/center prospect Murtagh). Likewise, it makes no difference that Hextall played for a team called the Phantoms (Youngstown) this season.
Finally, it’s a non-factor that Hextall is headed to Michigan State next season. That’s where Shane Vansaghi currently plays and NHL winger Porter Martone played in 2025-26.
Hextall's candidacy is based solely on his 200-foot-game and projectability as top-nine NHL forward.
Hextall, a right-handed shooter, has only scratched the surface of his potential with the puck on his stick. He posted 58 points (20g, 28a) in 59 games this season. At this point, Hextall is more of a playmaker than a goal-scorer but he has top-six to middle-six upside in a relatively shallow draft pool for centers. He’s a smart and highly competitive player.
At the 2025 Hlinka tourney, Hextall posted seven points (two goals, five assists) in five games for gold medalist Team USA. Centering a line with Blake Zielinski and Noah Davidson, Hextall enjoyed all-situations usage.
Among national scouting pundits, Craig Button has Hextall slotted right in the Flyers’ range. The Flyers pick 21st in the first round. Button has him 24th in his rankings. The Hockey News has him 20th.
Oscar Hemming (LW, Boston College, NCAA)
The Finnish forward lost the first half of the 2025-26 season to a rights dispute between his domestic club and the OHL's Kitchener Rangers. Ultimately, he arrived ahead of schedule with Boston College, and was eased into a role-playing spot in 19 collegiate games (1g, 8a).
Hemming will not turn 18 until Aug. 13, Nevertheless, the projected power winger already has a projectable pro frame (6-foot-4, listed at 195 pounds). He is a very "toolsy" player: heavy shot, above-average puck handler, competitive physically, good hockey sense.
He'll need time to further develop his game but has the potential to become a top-six forward if he ultimately approaches his ceiling.
Hemming's older brother, Emil, was a Dallas Stars first-round pick in 2026.
Wyatt Cullen (LW, USNTDP, USHL)
Yet another player from a famous hockey family, the US National Team Development Program product is one of the youngest players in the entire Draft Class. Had Cullen (born Sept. 8, 2008) been born even a week later, he'd have had to wait until 2027 to be eligible for the NHL Draft.
Cullen hit a major growth spurt over the last two years and is now listed ar 6-foot-1. He will need to significantly fill out his frame but this is a highly competitive hockey player with fleet feet and offensive upside (especially as a playmaker). He further boosted his draft stock for Team USA at the Under-18 Worlds, including nine points in just five games.
The player still gets outmuscled or overmatched defensively at times, but these concerns should alleviate as he gains experience and fills out physically. Come 2027-28, he will join the University of Minnesota hockey team.
Wyatt Cullen's father Matt, great-grandfather Barry, uncle Mark, great-uncle John, and great-great-uncles Ray and Brian all played in the NHL. His brothers Brooks (Fargo Force, USHL) and Joey Cullen (2028 Draft eligible) are active players.
Tynan Lawrence (C, Boston University, NCAA)
Another one of the younger players in this year’s Draft, the Shattuck St. Mary’s product will not turn 18 until August 3.
Lawrence, a natural center, is a somewhat divisive prospect. The pundit consensus places him in the top-10 to top 15 of the first round. A few even have him top-five.
A vocal minority of pundits, however, ranks him in the second half of the first round. THN analyst and former NHL scouting director and general manager Craig Button ranks him 21st. Central Scouting places him 7th among North American skaters.
A very smooth skater who can use more first-stride explosiveness, Lawrence can use added strength on his 6-foot-1, 185-pound frame. He has good two-way awareness for such a young player and has playmaking upside.
He’s generally more of a finesse-oriented player. If you’re looking for a physical force, Lawrence probably isn’t your guy. However, he’s a hard-working player who competes for the puck.
Lawrence had a solid — but not overwhelming — Under-18 World Championship for Team Canada. Offensively, he produced six points (2g, 4a). Lawrence was dominant in his USHL stint as Muskegon Lumberjacks team captain. The player unsurprisingly found the going tougher in his first NCAA experience at BU this season.
