Up next in 10
The Philadelphia Flyers have a pair of forward prospects who fans could see sooner than expected.
Ryan Gilbert, Steve Jacot, and Jacob Russell discuss the development of Shane Vansaghi and Heikki Ruohonen, who could both make their professional debuts as soon as this season.
#nhl #hockey #flyers #letsgoflyers #philadelphia #sports #philadelphiaflyers
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0:00
Hello and welcome back to Broad Street
0:03
Hockeyy's Flyers top 25 under 25 for
0:07
summer 2026 here. Continuing along with
0:09
with two forwards here in the Flyers
0:12
prospect pool. Shane Vansagi ranked 15th
0:15
and then Hecky Hiky Ruin ranked 14th.
0:18
There I am Ryan Gilbert joined by two
0:21
two guys I'd love to have on my line.
0:23
Steve Jako and Jacob Russell. How we
0:25
doing today, boys?
0:26
>> Am I playing center right now because
0:27
I'm in the middle? I guess that's fine.
0:29
>> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I think so. Yeah.
0:32
>> Yeah. There you go. Do Do we have higher
0:34
upside than either of these guys is what
0:36
I want to know right here.
0:37
>> I I I think we got plenty up. Plenty of
0:39
upside. Th
0:40
>> This is an interesting part of the list
0:42
right here that we've gotten into
0:44
because the We just finished a video
0:47
right before this. Spoiler, I guess.
0:49
Maybe. No, it came before this.
0:51
>> We were talking about Spencer Gil and we
0:54
were talking about uh I've already
0:55
forgotten his name and he was the first
0:57
round pick.
0:59
Soo and lime and those guys. We were a
1:03
little confused how those guys ended up
1:05
lower on the board overall
1:07
>> than Hiky and Vanagi here because I, you
1:12
know, I like both these guys, but I see,
1:14
you know, Solowski in particular, you
1:17
can see him potentially being a very big
1:19
piece of the Flyers in the future. And I
1:22
mean like big literally because he's
1:24
huge. He's faking huge. And then Vansagi
1:27
in particular because we're starting
1:28
with him. I'm not sure where he plays
1:32
out in this organization in the future
1:34
because he's a winger. He is decidedly a
1:37
winger and this team is winger heavy. I
1:40
watched a little bit of Van Sagi with he
1:42
played for Michigan State, right? I'm
1:44
not justating this
1:45
>> Michigan State. When I was watching
1:47
those uh you know those great Porter
1:49
Martone games last year, I watched some
1:51
Van Sagi because he played on the line
1:53
after him usually and I like Van Sagi.
1:57
You know, I don't think there's anything
1:59
like amazing about him. But the problem
2:02
for him is just the Flyers winger depth
2:04
is so deep. I don't know when the hell
2:06
he gets in there, especially considering
2:08
one of Denver Barky or Alex Bump are
2:11
going to be on the fourth line this
2:13
coming season, which is just like wild
2:15
to think about because both neither of
2:16
those guys are fourth line players,
2:18
which means the Flyers just have too
2:19
many wingers. Oops, all wingers. And I
2:22
don't know when Vanagi is going to break
2:24
through into this. So, he's a player I
2:26
like, but I just I don't know what his
2:28
future space is with this team.
2:30
>> Realistically, I don't really like Shane
2:32
Vanagi. I don't really think he's all
2:34
that good um to be a second round pick.
2:38
His numbers just aren't there. He's a
2:40
skate hard, shoot hard kind of guy. He's
2:43
a missile. He's got a missile of a shot
2:45
and he kind of is a missile. He is
2:46
skating straight. He's trying to get
2:48
around you straight and he's going in
2:51
the corners straight. Um
2:55
he's never really popped for me. And
2:57
that's one of those things I look at
2:58
like maybe it's just, you know, as as a
3:01
guy 6'216 already, maybe he's just David
3:05
Clarkson, early career David Clarkson
3:07
before he got the money and then I'll
3:09
let it let the fame go to his head and
3:10
stop forchecking. But just just dump it
3:13
in flying after it hammer guys Ryan
3:16
White style. Like maybe that's just his
3:19
calling. Maybe the Flyers find a way to
3:21
get him in there because that's who he
3:23
is. He's going to hit people hard. He's
3:25
going to try his ass off and and he's a
3:27
bit bigger than a lot of the wingers you
3:29
mentioned, Steve, right? Like Barky is
3:31
obviously very small, very leaps and
3:33
bounds more talented than Vince Sagi
3:35
even at this age, I think. Um
3:38
>> Bump has that scoring age or Bump
3:40
>> has
3:42
another shoot first guy. He's guy like
3:45
Tippet as well who who shoots first and
3:47
and wants to skate with the puck. Those
3:49
are the type of guys you need to to win
3:51
hockey games. and Ben Sagi. I don't know
3:53
that he kind of I I have the same
3:55
criticism of him that I almost had of
3:57
Sokovski at the time when they took him.
3:59
And I as not spoiler alert, the video
4:01
comes after the the uh video we did
4:04
before. I was talking about how Solowski
4:07
have kind of warmed to him. Uh just
4:09
given like he is a bit more of a
4:11
unicorn. He's not just the big guy who
4:14
you can put on the back end on your
4:16
third pair and he's just going to be
4:17
there to hit people. I think Vanagi,
4:19
that archetype, that type of guy is kind
4:22
of everywhere. I think a lot of teams
4:24
who are successful have a Shane Vanagi.
4:26
So, that is a gift and a curse. But in
4:29
terms of having him above like a
4:30
Solowski or a Gil or or even even like a
4:34
Bjarnison in terms of, you know, the
4:36
goalie, you never know what he's going
4:37
to turn into with his pedigree and his
4:40
size. I just don't get it. I'm, you
4:42
know, he's fine. He's whatever. Like,
4:44
he's he's a fourthline guy. I don't see
4:46
any any way on a team that's actually
4:49
decent he exceeds that because he's just
4:52
doesn't he didn't pop. He's got 11
4:53
points last year. He went down in points
4:55
from the year before.
4:56
>> Yeah, I I
4:57
>> with Baltimore.
4:58
>> Yeah, I had him ranked 17th, but which
5:00
looking at it now, it's a bit high. He's
5:02
above Mertag. I was low on Spencer Gil
5:05
because of his injuries, but he probably
5:07
is higher. Definitely has
5:08
>> That's fair though.
5:09
>> a higher upside like this. This is this
5:11
is not a good bet to have an upside on
5:13
Shane Mazaki. But you can always get
5:15
good bets at our sponsor over at
5:16
FanDuel. So check that out and of course
5:18
check out the 25 under 25 playlist we
5:21
have on uh YouTube with the Solowski
5:24
goal videos, with the Merk tag videos,
5:26
all these other guys we've talked about.
5:28
And like Vanagi is like another kind of
5:30
like Cole Canubal type guy for me.
5:33
Looking at Vanagi, he's never scored
5:36
more than 12 goals in a season. and he
5:38
scored 12 goals in 59 games for the U18
5:42
team in 23-24 when he had a career-high
5:45
23 points. Like he's not going to put up
5:47
points. He had 16 points freshman year
5:50
and 11 points this past season. He's
5:53
going to be a good fourth liner, maybe
5:55
maybe a third line with the right
5:56
linemates, but it's just not much more
5:59
than that. And you you want to see more
6:01
out of a second round pick. 48th
6:03
overall. That's uh you know, right smack
6:05
dab at the middle of the second round.
6:07
You know, I think there was hope that
6:09
when they drafted him that he'd be more
6:11
of a Wayne Simmons. And hearing you guys
6:13
talk about him, he sounds like a lot
6:15
more of a Garnett Hathaway to me.
6:17
>> It's not It's not super far off. He is
6:20
kind of like he is bigger than Gar. I
6:21
think I don't think Garn is that is that
6:24
tall or honestly he's just he plays
6:26
above his weight. Um I think a little
6:28
bit. I think Vanig probably bigger than
6:30
him, but like Cole Canubal in his
6:32
freshman year at Notre Dame who stunk
6:36
stinks. Notre Dame does not play hockey
6:38
well, or at least they didn't when Cole
6:40
Canubal got there. He had 20 points in
6:42
36 games, right? Van Sagi had 16 and 37
6:45
on Michigan State and then 35 and 11 in
6:48
in his sophomore season. Cole Kenubal
6:51
had was a Hobie Baker nominee and he was
6:53
a fourth round pick. Um, you know, I I
6:57
just I I don't necessarily see it with
7:00
him. He hasn't proven to really be an
7:02
offensive force beyond a fourth line
7:04
guy. So, you know, if he's going to be a
7:06
fourth line guy in Michigan State, why
7:07
am I going to project him to be more
7:09
than that at the NHL level? I just, you
7:12
know, he is what he is.
7:14
>> No high hopes here.
7:16
>> No.
7:16
>> Yeah. Yeah. And like Haway is 6'3, 207,
7:20
so he is bigger than Shane.
7:22
>> He's a bit he's a bit less less less
7:24
pounds on him, but yeah, I guess he is.
7:27
Jacob, you haven't had a great track
7:28
record on the uh on the Heights so far
7:30
in these videos based on based on some
7:32
of the some of the comments we got on
7:34
the early ones. But yeah, Vanagi
7:36
apparently played more minutes this
7:38
season according to to Dobber Hockey. He
7:40
he played more minutes, which maybe I I
7:43
thought maybe he he played less because
7:45
they got Marone and they have Kayen
7:47
LindstrΓΆm or whoever else is there, but
7:49
no, it's just like at least seven of his
7:51
nine assists were primary. Um his hits
7:54
declined from 69 to 41 his freshman year
7:58
to to not nice at all.
8:00
>> Um one thing that was interesting was
8:02
back in January uh when Danny Breer was
8:06
on with Jason Martitus. All the best to
8:08
Jason on Flyers Daily. He uh said uh
8:11
there's no doubt that collectively both
8:12
wingers right and left are very strong
8:14
and it's looking even stronger too.
8:16
Mentioned Barky, mentioned Bump and then
8:18
said you know Martone and Vanagi are a
8:21
few months away as well. So, it's really
8:22
exciting. So, I don't know if he was
8:25
just throwing those two together because
8:26
like he had recently watched a Michigan
8:28
State game, but when when he said that,
8:30
I I I noted that. I wrote an article on
8:32
it. So, maybe they see him as somebody
8:35
who plays a pro game and can maybe turn
8:37
pro right away after college.
8:40
>> I mean, certainly more of a fourthline
8:42
fit than a a Barky or a bump right now.
8:44
You know, having Barky, let's say they
8:46
do roll into the season and Barky's on
8:48
the fourth line, like that's a luxury
8:50
for you. Whereas Vanagi, it feels more
8:52
like, oh, this is where you belong.
8:53
You're a fourthline player right here.
8:56
And I just I don't see anywhere in the
8:58
Flyers lineup where he fits right now.
9:01
Maybe in a couple years after they make
9:03
some trades or something, but in the
9:04
current Flyers lineup, I don't see the
9:06
fit. I don't really know enough about
9:08
the Phantoms right now to really say
9:10
that if he does or doesn't belong there.
9:12
But I would like to see what he does
9:14
this year at Michigan State and see what
9:15
he eventually does with the Phantoms
9:17
before making too much of a judgment.
9:19
But based on what I'm hearing today, I
9:20
don't really see a very high ceiling for
9:22
this kind of player, especially on the
9:24
Flyers as they're currently made up.
9:26
>> Well, and I guess a counterpoint to that
9:28
is maybe Van Sagi's just done
9:30
developing. Like this is just what he is
9:32
going to be. You throw him in uh across
9:35
from a guy like Nolachari and just let
9:38
them go to town, you know, just let him
9:40
let the dogs run as it were and and see
9:43
what happens because there's nothing
9:44
really to
9:46
>> to wait for for this guy. I just think
9:48
he is what he is. He's going to be
9:50
whatever offense he creates is probably
9:52
going to be a product of the guys around
9:54
him at this point. I I haven't seen much
9:56
to suggest otherwise. Um and yeah, maybe
10:00
maybe he goes pro next year. I mean,
10:04
he's back at Michigan State, so maybe he
10:06
goes pro next year and then with the
10:10
Phantoms, you know, he has a decent
10:12
enough start to the season and the
10:14
Flyers give him a shot if he's uh if if
10:17
someone gets injured, you know, down the
10:18
lineup or or something happens there.
10:20
It's just the Flyers have seemed to, at
10:22
least early on in the Rier era, um want
10:26
to have that fourth line kind of grinder
10:28
spot occupied by a bit more of a
10:30
veteran. So, it would be weird to just
10:33
say like Shane Van Sagi is the guy who
10:35
bucks the trend. Um, but you know, there
10:39
might not be much left in the tank
10:41
development wise. Maybe he's just ready
10:42
to go as it is and he can do the exact
10:44
same thing in the NHL. It's very good,
10:46
very good chance.
10:48
>> And maybe they do go the younger route
10:50
when they have to pay Mechov and they
10:52
have to pay Martone more and they want
10:53
these, you know, million-dollar players
10:56
on the fourth line. And and Bruce
10:58
definitely agrees with that there. And
10:59
yeah, there could be a lot lot of dog, a
11:01
lot of bark in in the fourth line of uh
11:03
of Vanagi and Couttoriier in Achari.
11:06
Like I wouldn't be shocked if we see
11:08
Vanagi turn pro the end of this season.
11:11
Maybe get a few games with the Flyers.
11:12
>> When the mailman comes, all bets are
11:14
off.
11:15
>> Yeah. Yeah. But Vince Zagi like I don't
11:17
know if there's much more much more to
11:18
say about him. He just seems like the
11:21
mailman.
11:22
>> He'll be
11:24
cuz he always delivers uh checks.
11:26
There's always he delivers my check in.
11:30
>> Yeah. I I'm not sure where his ceiling
11:33
is, but the next guy we're going to talk
11:35
about, I also have no idea where his
11:37
ceiling is. I have to imagine though,
11:39
just based solely on his position, that
11:42
he is where he is in the rankings.
11:45
>> Yeah. Hiking Ruin in here. Uh 2024,
11:48
fourth round pick, 107th overall. Uh
11:50
6'2, 205 pounds, a lefthand shot from
11:55
Finland. uh played his most of his
11:57
teenage years over there in Finland. Has
11:59
come over now to North America for two
12:02
seasons. First with the Debuke Fighting
12:04
Saints in the US and then uh went to
12:07
Harvard last year for his freshman year.
12:09
19 points, six goals on a Harvard team
12:11
that I think finished around 500 there.
12:14
And he's I always thought he was a
12:16
winger. I don't know if I got him
12:18
confused with someone else, but it looks
12:20
like he could be a center here. And I
12:23
feel like maybe if he was a higher draft
12:25
pick, we'd put him in that conversation
12:27
with someone like Jack Bergland.
12:30
>> Yeah. I mean, Ruin, you know, he he has
12:33
still continued to fly under the radar.
12:35
I think probably because of his draft
12:37
position, but I think there was a little
12:39
bit of hype uh this past year when he
12:42
was the assistant captain at the World
12:43
Juniors for Finland. Nine points in
12:45
seven games, led the team in points. Uh
12:47
the Finnish the Finnish World Junior
12:49
team. It's not anything to sneeze at,
12:50
especially for a guy who was taken in
12:52
the fourth round. And um yeah, like you
12:55
said, that production at Harvard, again,
12:58
a hockey powerhouse, Harvard University,
13:00
known for their their their stick and
13:02
puck over there at Harvard. Um 19 points
13:06
in 28 games. You know, that's just a
13:08
very solid um a very solid amount of
13:11
production, especially for a team like
13:12
Harvard. Uh
13:15
fourth on the team in points, tied for
13:17
third on the team in points, excuse me.
13:19
um behind some guys who played uh more
13:21
games than he did. And uh you know, I
13:25
think there's just there's something
13:27
here with the two-way game with the
13:30
little bit of scoring that he started to
13:31
show this year. I mean, that's uh he's
13:34
he's really driving up the dra the the
13:37
25 boards. Like I think at the start of
13:39
the season, he wouldn't have even been
13:41
ranked and now he suddenly finds himself
13:43
in the mid- teens there. And and I
13:45
think, you know, if we're talking about
13:47
Van Sagi as maybe a Garnet Hathaway type
13:51
of guy, I think you can talk about Ruin
13:54
as a Noah Kates, you know, late bloomer
13:56
from a college no one really sees coming
13:58
and then suddenly you got this two-way
14:00
guy who is actually really dependable
14:03
really quickly. Um 20 years old, 6'2,
14:06
205. He's got the frame for it, you
14:08
know, and and he's only played center in
14:10
the NCAA. So, I think, you know, there
14:13
is definitely at least a little bit more
14:16
to be desired here out of his
14:18
development. Uh, especially if you see
14:19
him again, another guy who could maybe
14:22
come up to the AHL level after this
14:23
season or later on this year. I wouldn't
14:25
be shocked if he made a little cameo for
14:27
the Flyers at the end of the season.
14:29
>> And we're going to have our center block
14:31
coming up. Like, there's like three
14:32
centers in a row coming soon, folks. And
14:35
you really want to put him in that lump
14:38
at this point because they're going to
14:40
need one of these guys to work out in a
14:42
deaf position. I mean, hopefully one of
14:44
them can work out to be a 1C, that's
14:46
really sky, you know, skyhigh thinking
14:48
right there. But if you can get a two
14:50
and a three and maybe even your 4C out
14:52
of this grouping, you're doing pretty
14:54
okay with this drafting right here. And
14:57
if this can be your Kates replacement,
14:58
that's really big because Kates is a guy
15:00
who we all love. He's in his prime right
15:02
now. But also when you talk about the
15:04
Flyers potentially making some trades,
15:06
making some deals, Noah Kates is a guy
15:08
whose name often comes up and if you do
15:12
have a guy in the miners that you feel
15:13
confident can kind of slide into that
15:15
role eventually, that's a great asset to
15:17
have. And if if Hiky over here can be
15:21
your guy, that's really great. But he
15:23
fits the Flyers mold, that responsible
15:25
two-way player. He's clearly smart
15:26
because he's in Hobbit over there. So,
15:29
Hiky Ruinan is a guy that I think based
15:33
on the fact that he is a center, which
15:35
is the position of need for the Flyers
15:37
and the way he's risen, that's really
15:41
why he's ranked this high right now. And
15:43
I think also they like the leadership
15:44
aspects. You know, that's a big factor
15:46
for them. Marton was a captain of the
15:49
Canadian Juniors team. Berglin winning
15:51
captain for Sweden. So, there's
15:54
something to be said for getting these
15:55
guys who are leaders and putting them
15:57
into the room and putting them into the
15:59
grouping. So, uh you know, I'm kind of
16:01
talking myself onto the hikey hype train
16:03
right here.
16:04
>> Uh hike hype train. Yeah, he he wore the
16:06
C for the under 16 team over in Finland.
16:08
Uh Kao Espoo, then the uh the A for the
16:12
under 18 under 20. Led the team with 47
16:15
points in that 23 24 season. So, and one
16:19
thing I like about him is is that he has
16:21
he he grew up in Finland, played played
16:23
over there and has seamlessly made the
16:26
transition over to North America. You
16:27
know, sometimes you see these guys that
16:29
are, you know, you know, the Europeans
16:31
Europeans can't play in the NHL, North
16:32
America style of hockey, but he's 6'2.
16:36
He likes using his body. He pushes the
16:38
pace. Like, he he's somebody that I I
16:41
feel like is is underrated here. And
16:43
maybe he is properly rated here where 14
16:46
we have him. He was tied for 19th in the
16:49
winter one. So, he's moved up a bit. And
16:52
I feel like he's only going to have uh
16:54
keep that going with a a good trajectory
16:56
here.
16:57
>> Yeah. And it's not as if like he is in
17:01
contention to be like a middle six
17:03
center now. He's going to be the third
17:04
line center of the future. He's going to
17:06
just like take over Kates's mantle
17:08
whenever he actually gets traded. It
17:10
seems like it's been talked about month
17:12
after month for a year and a half. But
17:15
when you look at a guy with the US in
17:17
the USL with Debuke, he had the 39
17:20
points in 49 games and then kind of
17:22
transitioned to the NCAA and if not
17:24
keeping up the same pace is pretty damn
17:26
close. And it's not like he's playing
17:28
with a Martone on his wing or with a
17:31
fantastic uh program who's dominating
17:34
every game they're in, scoring a ton of
17:35
goals. So I I you know, it is intriguing
17:39
to see how well he kind of adapted. and
17:41
if his offensive game's not there yet,
17:43
there still is enough end product to
17:45
look at his raw stats and say there's
17:47
something there offensively that I think
17:49
he can dig out. Um, and like we saw with
17:52
Kate, he never really necessarily put it
17:55
all together. like he's one of the
17:56
better defensive forwards in the league,
17:58
but he never really put it together
17:59
offensively in in the way of like he's a
18:02
play driver, he's a real creator out
18:05
there, but he was still able to, you
18:07
know, he's carved out a niche for
18:08
himself as a great defender, really
18:10
smart player. Um, and if he's not, you
18:14
know, the Flyers would love to keep him
18:15
for as long as they can. Obviously, I'd
18:17
love to have him be on the flyers for
18:18
the rest of his career, but if he's not
18:21
a flyer at some point in time, he's
18:23
going to get another job on a very good
18:26
hockey team just because, you know, he's
18:28
the type of guy that that coaches really
18:30
like. He's the type of guy that's
18:31
desired to play down your lineup. And I
18:34
think Ruinan could become that one day,
18:37
even if he doesn't necessarily take this
18:39
massive jump in points uh uh next season
18:41
with Harvard. But, you know, I think
18:44
he's really played himself um just off
18:47
of like the proof that he's put out
18:49
there into being one of the more
18:53
more watched prospects in the NCAA that
18:55
the Flyers have right now.
18:57
>> Yeah, he he's solidified kind of where
19:00
his floor is. Like like you wouldn't be
19:02
surprised if it becomes that that bottom
19:04
six center of the future. you know,
19:06
maybe the next the next cadence, like
19:08
you said, like I don't know if it's
19:09
going to be that good defensively, but
19:11
you know, he's played well against his
19:13
peers, 17 points in 14 games for the for
19:16
the U20 team, including nine points in
19:18
those seven games at the World Juniors,
19:20
named player of the game when they upset
19:23
uh Team USA. So, he steps up in big
19:25
moments. He has the leadership really
19:28
nothing negative to say really about him
19:30
so far. Yeah, unlike some of these other
19:33
guys, like I can actually see a space
19:34
for him in the future. Like Van Sagi, I
19:37
really don't know where he fits in
19:38
unless they make some trades. Like I can
19:41
see Hikey fitting in there somewhere.
19:44
>> Yeah. Yeah. So I can ruin here and Shane
19:47
Vanagi. Two guys that probably have, you
19:49
know, bottom six upside here, but are
19:51
very likely to hit the NHL, I think, in
19:54
these next coming seasons. Could even
19:56
see him in orange and black, whether
19:58
it's with the Flyers or Phantoms at the
19:59
end of this season. So, we'll see what
20:01
happens with these two forwards.
20:05
All right, make sure you guys uh check
20:07
out the uh subscribe Broadst Street
20:08
Hockey on YouTube and the podcast feed
20:11
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out the playlist that'll be up here on
20:15
the screen at the end of the video.
20:17
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20:18
the show. Follow us on socials and read
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