2026 Rookie Series: Philadelphia Flyers sweep the New York Rangers

Hockey is back.

The Philadelphia Flyers and New York Rangers competed in the 2026 NHL Rookie Series at the PPL Center in Allentown, Pennsylvania. John Snowden and Jay Leach served as the bench bosses. Snowden is the head coach of the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Leach is the head coach of the Hartford Wolf Pack.

On the ice, the Flyers featured intriguing prospects, including some who were previously called up to the NHL, like Alex Bump, Jett Luchanko, Devin Kaplan, and Ty Murchison. Comparably, they matched up against a couple of prospects of the same ilk, like Adam Sykora and Drew Fortescue, iced by the Rangers. Philadelphia, which dressed a couple more prospects with NHL experience, won the first game of the 2026 NHL Rookie Series.

Carson Bjarnason secured the win, 3-2, on Saturday. Matthew Gard began the goal-scoring, Cole Knuble kept it going, and Bump was credited with the game-winning goal when all was said and done.

At even strength, Philadelphia controlled the pace. Maksim Sokolovskii, Noah Powell, Ilya Pautov, and Nathan Quinn popped at even strength. Yet, special teams were not special. The Flyers finished 0/3 on the power play (0%), and 1/3 on the penalty kill (33.3%). Here are a few big takeaways from Saturday’s tilt:

Game 1: Flyers 3, Rangers 2

• Carson Bjarnason: W
• Matthew Gard: 1G
  • Noah Powell: 1A
  • Alex Čiernik: 1A
• Cole Knuble: 1G
  • Alex Bump: 1A
• Alex Bump: 1G, 1A
  • Jett Luchanko: 1A
  • Ilya Pautov: 1A

Maksim Sokolovskii

Sokolovskii was as advertised. He’s physical and kept pace in the neutral zone, routinely using his body or an active stick to disrupt possession. As long as Sokolovskii is on the ice, he’s a net positive. However, I graded him as a net neutral on Saturday.

He and Murchison covered a lot of ice. Sokolovskii denied a couple of offensive zone entries pushed by the Rangers.

“He [Maksim Sokolovskii] was good. He skates really well for his size. He showed that he is not afraid to be a physical player. A couple of those penalties, he took licks, and that’s the type of game that he’s going to have to play. He had some sequences in the offensive zone where he was moving with the puck; he had some poise at the top. On rushes against, he was long, and he was staying as tight as he could because of his size, and his feet will allow him to do that. Very positive. There’s a lot to like about him and his size, and what he can turn into, because he’s got a long ways to go, and his body, in general, he’s growing into himself. We should be very excited about what this could be.” – John Snowden; 9/12/2026

There’s a ton to like. Daniel Brière selected a defenseman in the first round of the 2026 NHL Entry Draft with a lot of good tools. Unfortunately, Sokolovskii took two costly penalties. Those allowed the Rangers back into the game twice. As a whole, Sokolovskii doesn’t make it out of Saturday unscathed.

Matthew Gard (+)

Gard opened the scoring on Saturday. He potted a loose puck centered by Alex Čiernik, who used Gard to help propel the puck deep into the offensive zone to set up the scoring sequence. Čiernik originally centered the puck for Powell, but Gard was on time to chip the loose puck past Tung, 1-0, with 15:36 remaining in the first period.

That trio found their place near the crease. Aside from contributing a goal on the scoreboard, Gard displayed solid forechecking skills in the offensive zone. After the game, Snowden praised Gard for using his length and an active stick to disrupt the Rangers.

Carson Bjarnason (+)

Bjarnason earned the win. He only surrendered two goals, both while shorthanded. If at all, Bjarnason should have more confidence in himself after competing for the full game. He’s hoping for a rebound from his 2025 camp.

“Every player thinks about how their last season went, and the things that they can grow upon. Today, he [Carson Bjarnason] looked big in the net. He looked composed in the net, didn’t really get scrambled at times, and just tracked the puck the way they need to track the puck. If he couldn’t see through traffic at times, he stayed big and pucks hit him.” – John Snowden; 9/12/2026

Dylan Roobroeck deflected a power play goal, 1-1, with 4:40 remaining in the first period. Later, Nathan Aspinall hit the bullseye on a power play snipe to beat Bjarnason, 3-2, with 18:28 remaining in the third period.

Aside from those two surrendered while shorthanded, Bjarnason made big stops at key moments. One example would be when Luchanko turned the puck over, and Bjarnason denied a potential lead for the Rangers. Bjarnason also stopped Bryce McConnell-Barker on a two-on-one.

Ilya Pautov (+)

Pautov showed his poise and toughness on Saturday. He and Knuble both took hard hits, yet they never wavered from the action.

Back in June, Pautov signed an entry-level contract (3yr/$2.95mil) with Philadelphia. He skated with confidence on Saturday, cutting through the offensive zone and creating shots on goal, nearly beating Tung. He’s got a blend of speed, forechecking, and vision with the puck that popped on the ice.

Mostly, I have nothing short of a glowing review for Pautov, but in all of the compliments, the power play still wouldn’t charge.

Cole Knuble (+)

Knuble had a juicy look at an open net, finishing backhanded, 2-1, with 4:19 remaining in the second period. Bump finessed a beautiful pass through the slot to Knuble for the primary assist.

Drafted in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, Knuble could be considered a veteran in the 2026 Flyers Rookie Camp. He maximized the NCAA developmental route, suiting up at Notre Dame from 2003-2006. Last season, he played seven games with the Phantoms, making his AHL debut. All of the hard work is showing. Knuble and Bump worked tremendously on the same line.

Nathan Quinn

Quinn is deceptive in his skating pace and puck movement. At times, he worked around or through the defense with subtle ease. He’ll use an effective drop pass to open shooting lanes for his teammates, too. On Saturday, Quinn displayed good hockey IQ. He drew a penalty to put Philadelphia on the power play, which is exactly how a forward can find a place deep on an NHL roster one day.

Alex Bump (+)

Bump was the top performer on Saturday. He truly separated from the rest of the players on the ice, as expected. In addition to the game-winner, Bump set up Knuble on an open look to beat Tung. On the same line with Knuble, Bump looked sharp.

“He [Alex Bump] got his taste last year. He was up [in the NHL], and got to stay up, and he got to play important and meaningful games at the end of the year in the playoffs [Stanley Cup Playoffs], and he wants to stay there. That’s the kind of game we’re going to expect from him: that offensive upside; holding onto pucks and creating offense. The pass he made to Knuble [Cole Knuble] was a hell of a pass, and Knuble’s finish on that one, that’s a hard pass on your backhand coming downhill; to be able to put that in the net was impressive.” – John Snowden; 9/12/2026

Similar to my review of Pautov on Saturday, there’s not much to nitpick in terms of Bump. He looked prepared. On the power play, though none were converted, Bump opened shooting lanes. Tung saved every shot he faced while shorthanded. Bump was poised, confident, and decisive with the puck on his stick.

Jett Luchanko (+)

Luchanko needs to find offense. That’s the big knock on him, but he did a lot of things the right way. His compete level hasn’t dropped off, evident from his backchecking, his skating, his ability to create odd-man rushes, and his playmaking ability. There’s still so much to like about Luchanko, but yes, you do want to see him score, too. Notably, there’s more pop to Luchanko’s shot.

“Jett [Jett Luchanko], as a centerman, he’s skating so good; he takes up space quickly. He’s not the biggest guy in the world, but he closes plays fast because he can get there. Once they got the puck in the offensive zone, they moved it well. They held onto the puck. They didn’t force plays. They extended possessions. In the second period, there was a sequence where we got through all four lines, or three. I rolled three through that situation where we just extended them on the ice, and it started with that line [Alex Bump, Jett Luchanko, Cole Knuble], and we ended up scoring later.” – John Snowden; 9/12/2026

In a tight game, Luchanko did turn the puck over. However, it wasn’t a costly turnover because Bjarnason bailed him out with a save. Luchanko finished Saturday strong with an assist on the game-winner.

Game 2: Flyers 4, Rangers 1

To close out the 2026 NHL Rookie Series, the Philadelphia Flyers slammed the door on the New York Rangers, sweeping the back-to-back prospect battle.

Bump, Knuble, Kaplan, Murchison, Bjarnason, Jackson Edward, and Sawyer Dingman were out of the lineup on Sunday. That meant Denver Barkey, Porter Martone, Brady Berard, Owen McLaughlin, Oliver Bonk, and Riley Steen were in with Martin Psohlavec starting at goaltender. The Rangers were without McConnell-Barker, Cole Beaudoin, and Alberts Šmits. Zakary Karpa, Dayne Beuker, and Zeb Lindgren stepped up with Danai Shaiikov starting between the pipes.

Again, Philadelphia iced a lineup with more talent, which is a nod to their farm system. If you asked who the favorite was before the puck dropped, I would have firmly responded with the Flyers as my answer.

Sparks flew at the end of Saturday night. After Philadelphia won, 3-2, Powell got the better of Jacob Battaglia. That’ll be something that coaches like Rick Tocchet want to see. Powell set the tone for the rest of the 2026 NHL Rookie Series. He pummeled Battaglia on Saturday, then the Flyers rubbed salt in the wound with a sweep of the Rangers, 4-1, on Sunday.

Marek Sklenička secured the win on Sunday, though Psohlavec started. Sklenička surrendered the lone Rangers tally. Barkey opened the scoring, Brek Liske scored the game-winner, then Powell and Martone each added an empty-net goal.

• Marek Sklenička: W
• Denver Barkey: 1G
  • Oliver Bonk: 1A
  • Jett Luchanko: 1A
• Brek Liske: 1G
  • Spencer Gill: 1A
  • Porter Martone: 1A
• Noah Powell: 1G (EN)
• Porter Martone: 1G, 1A (EN)
  • Denver Barkey: 1G, 1A

Maksim Sokolovskii (+)

On Sunday, Sokolovskii was even more impressive than his Saturday performance. He didn’t serve any costly penalties, which turned his performance from a net neutral to a net positive.

In the finale, Sokolovskii paired with Bonk. Sokolovskii kept up the physical and active play in all areas of the ice. One more aspect of Sokolovskii I noticed was how often he’s in to stick up for teammates after whistles. Maybe not as much as Powell, who seemed to stir the pot all night on Sunday. Regardless, Sunday night provided a possible glimpse into the future with Sokolovskii working alongside Bonk.

Jett Luchanko (+)

On Sunday, Luchanko provided more of the same from Saturday. His pace didn’t slow. Luchanko generated high-danger offense and didn’t pass up shots when he needed to shoot.

“I thought he [Jett Luchanko] put two really good hockey games together. He showed us the flashes of what he can become and what he’s going to be: that speed through the neutral zone and his ability to get on top of guys quickly. The other thing I noticed: it’s a back-to-back, too, right? His legs were still flying, and he was competitive and hard in situations. He had a little bite to his game. He’s getting some pretty nasty cross checks in there, which is a great thing to see. I thought he was outstanding. That line [Denver Barkey, Jett Luchanko, Porter Martone] was really good tonight.” – John Snowden; 9/13/2026

In the finale, Luchanko tallied another assist. In the 2026 NHL Rookie Series, Luchanko showed signs that he can be a consistent playmaker. That’s what you want to see from Luchanko as he enters his first professional season. The weight will lighten once Luchanko scores his first AHL or NHL goal.

Denver Barkey (+)

Barkey didn’t miss a beat. In fact, the three players who contributed to his scoring play left lasting impressions on Sunday. Luchanko added his second assist in as many games during the 2026 NHL Rookie Series, but it was the former teammates in the OHL who served as the scoring catalyst for the Flyers. Luchanko dished the puck to Bonk on the offensive zone entry, who crossed to Barkey for the easy lead, 1-0, with 3:31 remaining in the first period.

Just about every prospect in the 2026 NHL Rookie Series who appeared on Philadelphia’s roster during a regular season put together a strong showing. Barkey earned first star honors on Sunday.

“He’s [Denver Barkey] probably the guy you want to watch do those things all the time. Knuble’s [Cole Knuble] another one that’s always working. Barks [Denver Barkey] was outstanding tonight. It is no surprise. The kid is so prepared, and he cares about everything that he does. He has a mindset of where he wants to be, where he wants to stay, and how effective he can be. He definitely showed that tonight. There were moments in the game where you’re like, ‘Oh, boy, that’s a nice hockey player.’ We all know that, but it stands out when you see it live and in these types of settings.” – John Snowden; 9/13/2026

Oliver Bonk (+)

Bonk had a nice showing. He joined the rush on offense, comfortable with Barkey, to notch an assist.

“He’s [Oliver Bonk] very, very smart, and he’s surgical on his decisions and when he jumps up into the play. He’s really good at hiding himself in those situations and just hitting with a burst and jumping into a spot at the right time. His transition game: he’s really good at moving a puck, and then keeping his speed going, and getting above the forecheck, and that allows him to join that rush and be even more connected with it. He’s shown that last year, and he’s shown it right away again that he has the ability to understand when to go and how to get there, and how to be sneaky in defining those little dead areas that he finds.” – John Snowden; 9/13/2026

He was no exception to the earlier point. Bonk, at the end of the 2025-2026 NHL Regular Season, was called up onto the Flyers’ roster to make his NHL debut. Then, he’s paired with Sokolovskii. During the 2026 NHL Rookie Series, if what we saw is any indication of the future, Philadelphia has multiple defensemen en route from the Phantoms who could help win in the future. It’s time to buy stock in Bonk, and potentially his tandem with Sokolovskii.

Now, if his chemistry with Barkey while in the OHL is anything to reference, Bonk could also help on the power play.

Noah Powell (+)

On Sunday, Powell remained very physical. He was mixing it up with the Rangers after whistles. In fact, he had to swap out of his original sweater (#50) and into a different sweater with a new number (#69) by the end of regulation time. He’s absolutely bringing that warrior mentality to the ice, which is a requirement in hockey. In Lehigh Valley, he’ll quickly become a fan favorite.

“He’s [Noah Powell] disruptive, he’s physical, he’s hard, he’s in the middle of everything. You notice him every shift for some reason, shape, or form. Even at the end of the game. He played a hard game; he gets into a fight, he’s finishing his hits, he’s in the middle of everything, then he blocks a shot with the goalie pulled, and he ends up getting rewarded and scoring a goal. Those are all really positive things. The one thing I’ll say about him is the kid is willing to do whatever you ask him to do, and he’s going to do it one-hundred and twenty percent, every single time. I was really happy. He was really effective on the weekend.” – John Snowden; 9/13/2026

In the finale, Powell tallied another point. He scored an empty-net goal, 3-1, with 1:55 remaining in the third period.

Martin Psohlavec (+)

Psohlavec shut out the Rangers before the scheduled change to swap out for Sklenička. However, he didn’t see many pucks. Sometimes, that’s a harder battle for a goaltender. Typically, goaltenders want to find a groove or flow during the game. When they’re cold, not facing many shots on goal, that’s typically when the flukey pucks find their way past the goal line.

This was a good first impression. You can’t ask for much more than a goaltender not allowing a single goal when on the ice. Psohlavec stymied every attempt from the Rangers, holding tight to the lead created by Barkey.

Marek Sklenička (+)

Sklenička is credited with the win. He surrendered the lone goal, which was a direct reflection of an untimely turnover by Martone. However, Sklenička finished strong. A new goaltender could let a quick goal eat away at his confidence. Instead, Sklenička and Martone remained composed, which was rewarded.

In all, a good combined effort from each goaltender taken by the Flyers in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft.

Porter Martone (+)

Martone dressed once during the 2026 NHL Rookie Series. He generated shots on goal, as you would expect. However, Shaiikov denied every blast from Martone. That didn’t keep Martone off the score sheet. He just needed to outlast Shaiikov on the ice, which he did.

He scored an empty-net goal, 4-1, with 0:47 remaining in the third period. Earlier, Martone stepped to Roobroeck, who put a good hit on Barkey. Here, Barkey sprung Martone for the empty-net marker.

This was a multi-point outing for Martone, who more than made up for his turnover that cost Philadelphia a combined shutout bid.

“Short memory. Things happen. He’s [Porter Martone] a player that’s always looking to make a play. That’s what we need him to do. Learn from the situation. That’s part of what we want in that development: to understand the situation.” – John Snowden; 9/13/2026

Luke Vlooswyk

Luke Vlooswyk disrupted the Rangers’ attack quite often. He didn’t exactly pop like Bonk, Sokolovskii, Liske, or Gill, but that’s okay. Those other defensemen were outstanding, and Vlooswyk was sturdy, too.

What’s cool about Vlooswyk is that he’ll tandem with Liske in the WHL. They believe they’ll be the best defensive pair in the WHL.

Brek Liske (+)

Liske scored the game-winner, 2-1, with 0:05 remaining in the second period. He zipped around the ice, potting the rebound past Shaiikov. The effort on that sequence didn’t just highlight a nifty shot at a sharp angle from Liske.

His dream was to play for the Flyers, and he’s putting in the real work. Liske could help on the power play after further development. He certainly passed the eye test with the puck. Philadelphia has always over-emphasized puck-moving defensemen in the offensive zone, which adds to the mystery of a miserable power play.

Spencer Gill (+)

Spencer Gill was a defenseman who surprised me because of his play in the offensive zone. Gill isn’t shy about board battles for physicality; however, I was unfamiliar with his ability to find room to shoot along the blue line. Then, his shot on goal generated the rebound that became the game-winner by Liske.

“He [Spencer Gill] was on the right side of the puck. The one thing that I really liked watching today is he was under pressure like six times with guys on his back, barreling down, and he just kept them on his back. He was under control. He would have to take a hit to make the next play, or he would hold them off and skate himself out of the situation. He’s big and long, and his stick was getting on things, and he’s closing quick. He had two really good hockey games.” – John Snowden; 9/13/2026

He’s looking a lot better after recovering from injury, adding new wrinkles to his game. Defensively, the Flyers seem to be in a great position in terms of prospects, with Nick Schultz helping the development.

Up Next

The Philadelphia Flyers will finish their 2026 Rookie Camp this week. The 2026 Flyers Training Camp will begin on September 17th, 2026, in Voorhees, New Jersey, at the Flyers Training Center.