Flyers draft Brek Liske with first of two second-round picks
The Philadelphia Flyers opened Day 2 of the 2026 NHL draft by taking Brek Liske at No. 53 overall, their first of two second-round picks. The 6-foot-1 Everett Silvertips defenseman gives GM Danny Brière another blueliner one day after trading back to grab towering Maksim Sokolovskii at No. 27.
Key Takeaways
- The Flyers selected Brek Liske, an 18-year-old WHL defenseman, with the 53rd overall pick on Saturday in Atlantic City.
- Liske posted 24 points and a plus-36 rating in 52 games for Everett during the 2025-26 season.
- Philadelphia holds a second pick in Round 2 at No. 62 after trading down from 21 to 27 on Friday night.
- The club added two defensemen in the first two rounds, continuing a pipeline push on the blue line.
- Experts graded Friday's Maksim Sokolovskii pick as a size-heavy, long-term bet that left Day 2 as the next test.
Who did the Flyers pick at No. 53 overall?
At 53rd overall, the Flyers chose Brek Liske, a 6-foot-1, 190-pound defenseman from the WHL's Everett Silvertips. The 18-year-old finished the season with 24 points, scoring seven goals and adding 17 assists while posting a plus-36 rating across 52 games, according to Yahoo Sports.
The selection opened Philadelphia's Day 2 work at the 2026 NHL draft in Atlantic City, N.J. Yahoo's report, syndicated from NBC Sports Philadelphia, described the move as the Flyers going with another defenseman after addressing the blue line in Round 1.
Why does the Brek Liske pick matter for Philadelphia?
The Flyers used the first of two second-round slots to keep building on the back end rather than pivoting to another position. Liske arrives one day after the club traded down from No. 21 to No. 27 and selected Sokolovskii, a 6-foot-7¼, 240-pound left-shot defender from the London Knights.
The Inquirer's draft-grade analysis called Sokolovskii a boom-or-bust prospect with rare size and skating but limited offense — he had eight points in 44 OHL games. Liske's 6-foot-1 frame offers a noticeably different profile than the towering first-rounder, even though the available reports in our sources focus on his steady production rather than elite offensive upside.
Brière told reporters after the Sokolovskii pick that the defenseman's compete level and month-over-month progression stood out. Organizationally, the Inquirer noted the first-round choice helped fill depth on the left side of a thin prospect group behind the NHL roster.
What happens next for the Flyers on Day 2?
Philadelphia is not finished in Round 2. The club selects again at No. 62, one of the extra assets acquired in Friday's trade-back. That second Day 2 slot gives Danny Brière another chance to add talent after a first round that netted Sokolovskii plus additional draft capital.
For more roster-building moves across sports and markets, see our Fintech & Crypto Alerts coverage hub. The Flyers' Day 2 opener suggests Philadelphia is executing a defense-first draft plan after Friday's size-heavy investment at No. 27.
How did experts grade Philadelphia's draft weekend so far?
The Inquirer handed out an early grade on the Sokolovskii pick, questioning whether the Flyers reached for a raw defender but noting he was always their target once Ilia Morozov went at No. 20. Several outlets, including The Inquirer's final mock draft, had projected Philadelphia to take Sokolovskii at 21 before the trade-back.
Liske's grade will come later, but the Day 2 opener keeps the Flyers on a clear path: add a massive, physical blueliner first, then use the extra second-rounder to keep stocking the pipeline. Whether Liske becomes a core piece remains the key question for prospect watchers tracking the Flyers' 2026 draft class.