With not many sellers in the NHL at this point in the season, the Vancouver Canucks have plenty of potential trade partners. However, one team in particular was linked to the Canucks as a possible suitor on Monday.

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman told everybody to “keep an eye” on Philadelphia as a destination for some of the veterans the Canucks made available last week.

Most of the reported veterans made available are the Canucks’ pending unrestricted free agents: Kiefer Sherwood, Evander Kane, Teddy Blueger, and Derek Forbort. However, Conor Garland (who has a six-year extension kicking in next season) and Tyler Myers (who has a full no-movement clause for this season and a 12-team no-trade list for next season) have been brought up around league circles as well.

When discussing Philadelphia as a potential trade partner for Vancouver on Monday’s episode of Donnie & Dhali, Rick Dhaliwal mentioned that the Flyers were looking for centres, but he “wouldn’t be surprised” if the Flyers were looking for a defenceman from the Canucks.

Outside of the current injured Blueger, the Canucks don’t have a centre not named Elias Pettersson that teams would covet in a trade to help their current NHL team. But considering the new Flyers head coach, Rick Tocchet, spent the previous two-and-a-half seasons in Vancouver, he is very familiar with most of the Canucks on the roster.

So, it wouldn’t be shocking to see Tocchet go out and acquire one of his former players. But if the two teams reach some sort of agreement, who might be available for the Canucks to target?

CanucksArmy spoke with a Flyers media member to get a better sense of who the Flyers consider their untouchables among young players. It should go without saying that Matvei Michkov is obviously not on the table. Neither is the Flyers’ first selection in 2025 Porter Martone. He also mentioned recently acquired Trevor Zegras and 23-year-old Tyson Foerster as untouchables for Philadelphia.

Other younger players who were not listed as untouchables but who we can’t see the Flyers moving are Bobby Brink, Nikita Grebenkin, Cam York, and Jamie Drysdale. We also don’t envision the team moving off of their second first-round selection in 2025, Jack Nesbitt. The Flyers traded picks to move up and select him higher than he was projected, indicating that they love the player. Jett Luchenko, who has logged NHL games at just 18 and 19 years old for Philadelphia, seems like an asset the centre-hungry Flyers wouldn’t part with, either.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at the rest of the Flyers’ prospect pool and see who might be of interest for the Canucks in a potential trade.

Barkey, 20, was drafted by the Flyers in the third round (95th overall) of the 2023 NHL draft. He spent his draft-plus-one and plus-two seasons with the London Knights, compiling 60 goals and 124 assists for 184 points in 114 OHL games. The left-winger added 15 goals and 32 assists for 47 points in 28 playoff games en route to back-to-back OHL Championships.

The 5’10” winger is currently playing with the Flyers’ AHL affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. In his first AHL season, Barkey has seven goals and 14 points in 20 games. His scoring production has translated well to the professional ranks.

Daily Faceoff’s Steven Ellis broke down every team’s top-10 prospects heading into the 2025-26 season. Ellis ranked Barkey as the Flyers’ sixth-best prospect and provided us with his thoughts on the Flyers prospect:

“Barkey had another productive season, registering 82 points in his fourth year in the OHL. He played just 50 games due to injury, but he was still so dominant as a playmaker. That continued in the playoffs, where he had 20 points in just 10 games, and another seven at the Memorial Cup. It was an exceptionally productive season for the undersized forward, but the real test will begin once he kicks things off in the AHL. He has done a solid job of improving his physicality, and he’s as good a support player as you’ll find. While Barkey isn’t big at 5-foot-10, I think he’s versatile enough to play anywhere in the lineup.”

Bump, 22, was drafted by the Flyers in the fifth round (133rd overall) of the 2022 NHL draft. After playing his draft-plus-one season in the USHL, Bump joined Western Michigan of the NCAA, where he scored 14 goals and 32 points in 38 games. He followed that up with an even better season at Western Michigan, scoring 23 goals and 47 points in 42 games. Once his NCAA season concluded, he joined the Phantoms for a brief two-game stint, where he tallied his first AHL goal and totalled three points.

The 6-foot left-winger remains with the Phantoms, where he has potted four goals and 16 points in 20 games this season. Despite being a fifth-round pick, Bump continues to bump up his game as he continues on his trajectory to the NHL.

Ellis ranked Bump as the Flyers’ seventh-best prospect. Here’s Ellis’ thoughts on Bump:

“Bump had an excellent sophomore season at Western Michigan, leading the team to a national title. He then finished off the AHL season with three points in two regular-season games before joining the team for the playoffs. He loves to generate scoring chances, and he’s no slouch as a playmaker, either. I wouldn’t be surprised if he made the Flyers out of training camp, but I hope the team spends significant time with him working on his skating. He has the skill to be a decent middle-six threat for the Flyers, but scouts are worried about his pace once he jumps to the NHL.”

The second of the Flyers’ four second-round picks (40th overall) in the 2025 draft, Murtagh spent his draft year in the USNDTP, where he scored seven goals and 11 assists for 18 points. The 18-year-old, 6’1″ left-winger made the jump to the NCAA, playing with Tom Willander’s alma mater, Boston University. Through his first 14 games, Murtagh has scored three goals and three assists for six points.

Ellis ranked Murtagh as the Flyers’ eighth-best prospect. Here’s Ellis’ thoughts on Murtagh:

“I liked the Flyers’ selection of Murtagh – it felt like a good value pick. Murtagh is a skilled puck handler who can absolutely fire a shot and is a bit of a workhorse, too. I think he’s a good skater and has the hockey sense you’re looking for in a second or third-liner. I’ve been impressed in most of my viewings this year, and he’s one of the primary reasons to watch the USA Hockey National Team Development Program. He’s speedy, works hard and when you put it all together, he’s a difficult player to contain. I think he can become a middle-six forward.”

The third of the Flyers’ four second-round picks (48th overall) in 2025, Vanasaghi spent his draft year with Michigan State University, where he scored six goals and 10 assists in 37 games. The 19-year-old, 6’2″ right-winger is still playing for Michigan State, where he has one goal and five assists for six points through 14 games this season.

Ellis ranked Vansaghi as the Flyers’ ninth-best prospect. Here’s Ellis’ thoughts on Vanasghi:

“Vansaghi has exactly what you’re looking for from a bottom-six forward: he hits hard, brings energy, and never gives up on a play. We saw him bounce all throughout the MSU lineup this year, and he has always found ways to produce. I think Vansaghi already possesses many pro traits, such as a good work ethic, a powerful release and a commitment to two-way dominance. I wouldn’t be surprised if Vansaghi is a full-time NHLer right out of college – perhaps as early as next season. The upside isn’t high – I don’t expect him to explode offensively – but I like him.”

In his final roster projection for Team USA at the upcoming World Junior Championships, Ellis had Vansaghi on the fourth line.

Amico was limited to just four games in his draft year. However, that did not stop the Flyers from making him the first of their four second-round picks (38th overall) in 2025. The 18-year-old, 6’5″ defenceman teamed up with fellow Flyer prospect Murtagh at Boston University this season. The defensive prospect is still searching for his first NCAA point through 15 games for Boston University, carrying a minus-eight rating.

Ellis did not rank Amico among the Flyers’ top 10 prospects. Here is what EliteProspects had to say about Amico in his draft year:

“An aggressive, agile defenceman, Amico’s range is nearly unmatched. When he surfs into opponents, he completely erases the middle and then crushes the opponent into the wall. He clears the front of the net with vitriol and then gets play moving the other way. He fakes forecheckers with his edges, then looks into or across the middle for a high-value breakout play.”

Bonk, 20, was drafted by the Flyers in the first round (22nd overall) of the 2023 draft. Like Barkey, Bonk spent his draft-plus-one and plus-two seasons with the Knights of the OHL. The defenceman scored 35 goals and 72 assists for 107 points in those last two seasons in London, adding nine goals and 21 assists for 30 points in 35 games.

The 6’2″, right-shot defender suffered an injury in training camp and has yet to play this season. Bonk was given a five-to-six-week timeline for what is reportedly a lower back injury, but it turned out to be worse than originally thought.

Ellis ranked Bonk as the Flyers’ third-best prospect. Here’s Ellis’ thoughts on Bonk:

“It felt like we never saw Bonk at his absolute best. It was almost like his puck game just wasn’t 100 percent where it needed to be. That being said, there was still so much to love. He reads plays well, covers a lot of space and beats defenders with his hockey sense. At the very least, I think he can be a No. 4 or 5 defenseman for the Flyers – someone who can play a lot of minutes if needed, but also a matchup nightmare if he plays 18-20. If he can clean up his puck play and add a bit more pace, Bonk could end up becoming a big piece of the future.”

Of course, these prospects will carry different trade values. If you’re acquiring a player like Barkey or Bonk, the prospect is likely all the Canucks would net in a return. However, the Canucks could probably swing a draft pick for all the other options, depending on what they’re sending the Flyers’ way.

What do you think, Canucks fans? Which one of these prospects would you like to see the Vancouver Canucks target in a potential trade with the Philadelphia Flyers? Let us know in the comments below!