11 Philadelphia Flyers prospects set to take over the 2024 World Junior Championship

The team will be well represented by both the Canadian and USA World Junior hockey teams. Among those eligible to play for the Flyers this year, we will examine what they can bring to the table:

When it comes to Philadelphia Flyers prospects, Cutter Gauthier is a name that should come to mind first. He's eligible to return to the World Junior Championships for the 2023-2024 season. With Logan Cooley out, Gauthier may have the opportunity to take on a leadership role with the US National Team Development Program.

Last year, Gauthier had an impressive showing at the World Juniors, scoring four goals and six assists in 10 games played. Over the course of two years at the WJC, he has totaled 19 points in 13 games, with an impressive 2.00 points-per-game average.

In the 2021-2022 season, the power-forward earned a silver medal and will be looking to attain gold with the US NTDP this time around.

The star forward of the Flyers in the KHL will not be participating in the IIHF tournament due to geopolitical tensions. Michkov, a young forward, will be missing out on the WJC this year. The IIHF has cited security concerns as the reason for leaving out Russian players from the competition, which is caused by the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.

Michkov last played in the WJC in the 2020-2021 season, where he scored 16 points in 7 games, surpassing even Bedard that year.

Devlin Kaplan, the Philadelphia Flyers' 3rd round pick in 2022, has been getting considerable ice time with the US National Team Development Program (NTDP) and the United States Hockey League (USHL) lately. He played alongside Cutter Gauthier and while playing for Team USA, he had five assists in six games at the World Juniors in 2021-2022.

In the NTDP, the 19-year-old has scored 27 goals and made 53 assists, for a total of 80 points in 101 games. Although he is presently eligible to play for Team USA, he will need to qualify for selection. Devlin has been in excellent form in the NCAA, having scored three goals and provided six assists for a total of nine points in 12 games, thus proving his relevance in the field.

One Canadian prospect stands out among the rest as a potential standout for Team Canada this year. Oliver Bonk is currently playing exceptionally well for the London Knights, having scored 3 goals and 16 assists for a total of 19 points.

Despite his impressive performance, Bonk has never been selected to represent Team Canada before, and has only played in the OHL, GOJHL, and HEO. This opportunity would provide him with great learning experience and a chance to showcase his skills, if he were to be chosen.

Denver Barkey, a London Knight, has been identified as a potential impactful player for Team Canada by Scott Wheeler of The Athletic. He is expected to form a formidable partnership with his teammates, Easton Cowan and Owen Beck, and wreak havoc at the WJC.

Cowan and Barkey have been in great form and have an excellent understanding of each other's game, which has helped them dominate in the OHL this season. They could provide a perfect solution for Team Canada as wingers on opposite sides of the field.

Barkey, a Flyers' 3rd round prospect, is currently on track for 91 points this season, with 13 goals and 15 assists in 21 OHL games so far.

Danny Briere made a great move by trading up in the 2023 NHL draft and selecting Carson Bjarnasson, who was considered the top rank netminder in the draft class. Carson has previously competed in six world junior games for Team Canada and won a bronze medal in 2022-2023.

However, it took Carson some time to adjust to the IIHF resulting in a 3.51 GAA and a .849 save percentage.

Currently, Carson has improved his performance, posting a .906 save percentage and 3.15 GAA. He plays for the Brandon Wheat Kings, who are struggling defensively this season. Carson will be competing against Domenic DiVincentiis, Scott Ratzlaff, and Mathis Rousseau.

Cole Knuble is a young American ice hockey player who has not yet had the opportunity to play for Team USA. Although he has not received an invitation to the team, he has played in the US NTDP and USHL, just like his fellow prospects Cutter Gauthier and Devlin Kaplan.

Currently, Knuble is playing for Notre Dame in the NCAA. However, he has been struggling since committing to the team, despite a strong showing last season with the Fargo Force. The Flyers initially saw potential in Mike Knuble's son, but he now needs to improve his performance as he has only scored 2 points in 13 games with the Fighting Irish.

Although he is eligible, it is unlikely that Knuble will receive an invitation to join Team USA.

Alex Ciernik is a skilled player who has already gained considerable experience playing at the international level with Team Slovakia. During the 2022-2023 season, he managed to score 2 goals and made 3 assists, resulting in a total of 5 points.

The 19-year-old player stands a chance of making the team's roster once again and participating in the World Juniors for the third time. Additionally, he is currently performing well in the HockeyAllsvenskan league as a member of Västerviks IK.

Ciernik is the only player on the Västerviks team with a positive rating on ice, boasting a +2 and having scored 4 goals and 7 assists in 17 games played. He has been involved in a remarkable 30% of all the team's goals this season.

The Philadelphia Flyers may have found a gem in the later rounds of the draft with their pick of a skilled defenseman. Sotheran, a Manitoba native, was ranked 71st among all North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting and was projected by Eliteprospects to be drafted ahead of Oliver Bonk. He has a right-hand shot and reminds people of Shayne Gostisbehere, Ivan Provorov, or Travis Sanheim. He is not afraid to throw his weight around and is even more physical than the aforementioned players.

In the WHL, Sotheran has scored 5 goals and 6 assists in 17 games, on pace for a career year. He has a natural ability to find open areas and likes to take shots from anywhere on the ice. At 6'3" and 203 pounds, he is a towering presence on the ice and knows how to use his size to his advantage.

Although he has not played at the international level yet, Team Canada could benefit from having a two-way defenseman like Sotheran in their lineup.

Ryan MacPherson is one of the top prospects in the BCHL and he is currently surpassing expectations in the league. Although the BCHL is generally considered to be a weaker league, MacPherson has been playing exceptionally well, scoring 22 goals in 19 games and on track to achieve 63 points this season.

However, it is unlikely that MacPherson will be invited to play on an international level this year. Nevertheless, he has committed to the University of New Hampshire for the 2024-2025 season, which means it is possible that he may participate in international play in the future.

Out of all the remaining prospects, Matteo Mann is the only one left. However, being a late round pick already puts him out of the conversation. With the amount of depth available, it's highly unlikely that he will ever be able to make it to Team Canada's roster in the future. Although it isn't impossible for an 18-year-old to represent his country, for now, it seems out of the cards for Matteo Mann.

Once he masters both sides of the ice, there may be a chance for him to get an invitation to the World Juniors.