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We’ve reached No. 2 the Team Toyota Top 20 Flyers prospects countdown. The spot belongs to Flyers 2023 first-round pick Oliver Bonk (drafted 22nd overall). Bonk turned pro during the 2025-26 season. A preseason lower-back injury start of his campaign significantly.
Bonk finally joined the Lehigh Valley Phantoms lineup on December 6, 2025. Coming off a Memorial Cup championship with the OHL’s London and back-to-back World Junior Championship appearances for Team Canada, Bonk entered the American Hockey League with high expectations from many fans.
However, Bonk unsurprisingly had some growing pains for a while. He had to adjust to the pace of the pro game, tweak his gap control and make somewhat quicker decisions on breakouts. Offensively, he did not record his first point until his 10th game in the AHL.
Incremental improvements
Bonk started to turn the corner after his return to play. He improved as the weeks and months went along despite the Phantoms hitting the wall as a team. Lehigh Valley ultimately missed the playoffs. Individually, the rookie posted 19 points (six goals, 13 assists), 22 penalty minutes and a minus-14 rating.
Note: With the exception of fellow rookie defenseman Ty Murchison, much of the Phantoms’ roster finished underwater in plus-minus. As is often the case, the plus-minus said more about the team itself than the player. Even so, Bonk still has some adjustments to make in his second pro season.
Bonk enjoyed a memorable NHL debut in the Flyers’ final regular season game. The young defenseman scored an early first-period goal. Later, he added an assist for a two-point night. Subsequently, he dressed in one playoff game during the series against Carolina.
Power play role: bumper, point or none?
One of the main questions moving forward: As a junior player, Bonk became a fixture on the bumper in London’s power play. However, it’s rare for a defenseman to play into the slot as a pro. However, some people in the Flyers’ organization — president of hockey operations Keith Jones for one — feel it’s possible for Bonk to do it in the NHL ultimately, too.
So far, he’s been better from the bumper than the point. The Phantoms tried him in both spots last season.
Even if he does not become a power play regular in the NHL, the Flyers are high on the right-handed shooting defenseman’s two-way game. He may need more AHL season, but will get a long look in training camp.
Bonk’s Flyers training camp competition
Bonk’s competition in camp includes fellow right-shot defenseman David Jiricek. While Jiricek, 22, is no longer waiver-exempt, Bonk could be loaned to the Phantoms without needing waivers. This won’t be the sole factor in the depth chart competition. However, it does give Jiricek an edge at the start.
Furthermore, Bonk will compete in camp with Ty Murchison and Hunter McDonald. Both play different styles that Bonk. However, it always comes down to a numbers game.
Finally, the assorted young Flyers defensemen are not locks for starting (top six) spots even if one or more makes the NHL roster. Veteran Simon Benoit is also in the mix. The Flyers acquired Benoit from Toronto in the same trade they acquired goalie Joseph Woll. Until he’s knocked out of the top six — or someone else gets moved — Benoit enters came as the default.
Travis Sanheim – Rasmus Ristolainen
Cam York – Jamie Drysdale
Nick Seeler – Simon Benoit
7th defenseman
Ideally, Bonk or another youngster grabs a top-six spot. That relegates Benoit to a spot starter/ 7th defenseman insurance policy. However, Flyers general manager Daniel Briere expressed no reservations about Benoit in a regular lineup spot.
Flyers Daily: Expectations
Jason Myrtetus devoted his most recent edition of the Flyers Daily podcast to one topic: expectations. As Flyers fans, how would you define the team meeting your expectations for 2026-27? What would falling short of your expectations look like? Meanwhile. what would it take to exceed them?
Michkov discusses his summer training and fitness
Flyers third-year winger Matvei Michkov readily admits that he reported to training camp last year in poor physical condition. By all appearances, he learned a valuable less.
The young Russian forward worked hard during the Olympic break to get in better shape. Coincidentally or not, he played his best hockey of the regular season after the Olympics. He had a rough playoff run as the shift-in and shift-out expectations expanded even further. That, however, was unrelated to conditioning.
This off-season, Michkov embarked upon a very intensive training regimen. He dropped not only weight but also a significant amount of body fat percentage. Michkov seems ready to hit the ground running when NHL training camp starts at the end of next week.
O&B Puckcast: Rookie Camp
Thank you as always to Isiah and Chef (Brendan Gillespie) for having me as the guest on their Rookie Camp and NHL Training Camp Edition of the O&B Puckcast. Over the course of the one-hour podcast, we talked about a number of attendees at the upcoming camp. Which ones may springboard it to a shot at the big club out of NHL camp. Who needs more seasoning?
Phans of Philly Flyers Trips: 2026-27
Our friends at Phans of Philly have put together an extensive lineup of fan travel packages and tailgates to support the Flyers on the road this season. In 2025-26, the team went a perfect 6-0-0 in regular season and playoff trips attended by Flyers supporters traveling with Phans of Philly. The trips typically sell out. Phans of Philly is also the fan travel partner of the Official Flyers Fan Club and Nasty Knuckles as well as Hockey Hot Stove. Plan now if you aim to participate in the trips or give one as a holiday gift.
This season’s two big trips:
- Ottawa (Nov. 19 game) and Montreal (Nov 21)
- Vegas (March 11, 2027) and Utah (March 13, 2027). This is a five-night and two-game trip. However, travelers also have an exclusive option to add the Colorado leg (March 9 game) of the road trip to the front end of the package.
- Additionally, Phans of Philly annually organizes shorter-distance bus trips for Flyers fans, such as road games against Pittsburgh or New Jersey. These trips will be announced on a later dates. They trips are typically the most budget-friendly, as they don’t involve flights or hotel stays.
You can reach Phans of Philly through the following direct contact methods:
Phone : 610-517-7171
Email: [email protected]
Online contact form: Here
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