With their third of four picks in the second round of the 2025 NHL Draft, the Philadelphia Flyers stuck with their theme of size and strength, selecting Shane Vansaghi at pick #48.
An 18-year-old from St. Louis, Missouri, Vansaghi stands at 6’2” and 216 pounds. He just wrapped up his freshman season at Michigan State, where he totaled 6 goals and 10 assists over 37 games.
It is an added bonus for the Flyers that Vansaghi spent the season playing alongside Karsen Dorwart, who the team signed as a college free agent back in March.
Michigan State Head Coach Adam Nightingale had high praise for Vansaghi, calling him “a guy who’s in the rink all the time” and emphasizing the impact he has already made on the Spartans’ roster.
Vansaghi also came up through USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program, making him the third straight NTDP product selected by the Flyers, although he did not overlap directly with Carter Amico or Jack Murtagh. In his U-18 season (2023-24), he posted 12 goals and 11 assists in 59 games while setting the tone physically every time he stepped on the ice.
Analyst Scott Wheeler of The Athletic did not hold back when evaluating Vansaghi, saying he “looks like a 30-year-old pro physically already,” and noted how he “bullied mid-20s players in college hockey as a teenager, dominating some games on the forecheck and manhandling some guys below the goal line.”
He plays with a power-forward edge, grinding on the forecheck, wearing opponents down, and never shying away from contact. He is the kind of player who brings grit and energy to every shift, and projects as a tough-to-play-against middle-six winger at the NHL level.
He may not be flashy, but Vansaghi has the potential to be an absolute handful at the NHL level. With a physical presence, the hockey mindset, and a growing offensive game, he feels like the kind of player who could quickly become a fan favorite in Philadelphia.
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