The Philadelphia Flyers wasted no time after their first three days of a shortened training camp, dropping a first round of roster cuts Saturday afternoon right after an intrasquad scrimmage. No shockers in this bunch, honestly, but the big news for fans of the future is that two top draft picks are headed back to junior teams, even after showing out on the ice.
Phantoms Bound and Junior Loanees
Philly sent eight players packing to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms as their own camp ramps up soon. We are talking Brady Berard, Alex Ciernik, Devin Kaplan, Owen McLaughlin, Ilya Pautov, and Zayde Wisdom at forward, plus defensemen Jackson Edward and Andrew Perrott. Meanwhile, seven other prospects got loaned back to their respective junior squads. That list includes forwards Nathan Quinn and KJ Sauer, defensemen Brek Liske, Maksim Sokolovskii, and Luke Vlooswyk, and goalies Martin Psohlavec and Marek Sklenicka. Most of these guys were in Group C during camp, which is basically the group for players who were not expected to crack the NHL roster. Perrott was the only exception, but that might have just been to balance out numbers.
Sokolovskii and Liske: Back to Dominating Junior Leagues
Now, the real story here for the future of the franchise? This year’s top two draft picks, defensemen Maksim Sokolovskii and Brek Liske, are officially on their way back to junior teams. Both were skating with Group A for the first two days of camp, so they were right there with the big boys. Sokolovskii, in particular, flashed some serious potential, even in that short time. He was paired up with Rasmus Ristolainen, a duo that absolutely no one wants to dig a puck out of the corner against, period. Sokolovskii is heading back to the London Knights in the OHL for his second season. Last year, he put up eight points and 49 penalty minutes with a plus-10 rating in 44 games, really hitting his stride in the second half. This should be his final season in London before he is off to the University of Maine for 2027-28. Liske is heading back to the Everett Silvertips in the WHL for his third full season. He crushed it last year with 24 points in the regular season, then exploded for 17 points in 18 postseason games! He even impressed later in the season playing with Landon Dupont, who is the presumptive 2027 first overall pick. These guys are only getting started.
42 Remain and The Grind Continues
The Flyers are down to 42 players, which means things are getting serious as they gear up for the season. For Philly fans, keeping an eye on Sokolovskii in London and Liske in Everett is a must. These guys are coming off impressive training camp showings and are ready to light up their junior leagues. Get ready to watch them develop, because the future is looking bright.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Broad Street Hockey.
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