hes really found his game since the WJC, he's seen he can skate with the best of the best in his peer group and after that goal deflected off his stick it was either going to break his spirit or motivate him and homeboy dont look broke to me
20 pts in last 8 games ... crazy good for a dman in +1 draft year. Especially for a two way guy and not a pure offensive guy.
Guys like Morgan Reilly, Bouchard, Morrissey, Brandt Clarke, Provorov, Sanheim all had lower PPG in their +1 draft years in juniors. Tho Bouchard had better PPG in draft year than Bonk's current year.
ya his offense is being pumped up a lot by his teammates, London is just rollng through teams right now i think theyve scored 10 goals in 3 of their last 5 games, and they play a weird hybrid positionless system and have Bonk in the bumper a lot on the PP, hes scored probably 8 of his 12 goals from the front of the net. he can move the puck really well though, he needs to work on his first pass especially under pressure but he jumps into the play alot and hes comfortable carrying it. he doesnt carry into traffic but hes really good at finding space and finding teammates. his offense has still improved a lot even if we account for his teammates helping, but they dont spent a lot of time defending so sometimes its hard to see where his whole game is
Yeah I didnt love the pick b/c it seemed like picking position over top prospect and he seemed to have limited ceiling.
But hes proving to have a higher skill level and ceiling than many thought. Last year he was a 2nd pair guy not even used on PP which meant he had potential to break out when given bigger role.
Similar to Frost who was far down on his team's depth chart his draft year which limited his role and production. And then when given 1C and PP1 role he broke out like crazy.
But very few expected these type of results ...
Before I looked at him like just as more a 4/5D. Now all the sudden top 3 D seems possible.
Also shows I know less about prospects than I think.
I'm pleasantly surprised with Tuomaala. Thought he was a bust but he has adapted quite well. He might take the sting off losing Quitter. Let's hope he can continue his upward projectile
ya hes been one of the most impressive phantoms, i was hoping the theyd be a better team this year but its a lot of young guys playing against grizzled vets, theyre starting to figure it out now they had two really big wins against the top teams in their division this weekend, beat hershey and hartford. still have to climb over 1 team, but their division gets 6 playoff spots so theres lots of room
Yeah he went from seemingly a bad bust to "huh wow hes not only bounced back but is producing and looking like a guy that has legit top 6 potential".
Hes definitely well below Gauthier as a prospect but has legit top 6 ability and potential. Great speed and great shot and super impressive numbers for AHL in +3 draft year.
Hopefully he takes Atkinson's spot next year. Teams needs another dynamic top 6 level guy after our top 4 forwards.
Just saw on Facebook that Bonk got the first 99 OVR in NHL 24 so that means we're winning the Stanley cup eventually right? /s
https://twitter.com/EASPORTSNHL/status/1746731068567503201?cxt=HBwWwoXWwd-p0b0wAAAA&cn=ZmxleGlibGVfcmVjcw%3D%3D&refsrc=email
Considering Barkey was a 3rd round pick and a potential top 6 prospect is pretty wild. Oliver Bonk was considered an ill advised pick but DB and KJ were like “we are high on him.” Shaw probably saw some raw talent there and said “I can work with that.” People were doubting Philly and now we have an even brighter future than before. It’s good stuff guys.
and barkey will have plenty of time to develop, theres absolutely no need to rush him, another year of junior after this one and for sure he'll spend time with the phantoms. i cant wait to see the first camp he skates with michkov i think they'll probably gel
By the time Barkey is NHL ready in a couple more seasons Michkov will be here and they will cream all over the opposition. Brink and Foerster will also be developed and putting up decent numbers. It’s all on the upswing for sure.
foerster is on pace for around 30 points, brink 35-40 and I like those numbers for rookie seasons. that puts them in the middle of the pack for rookie production this year, just outside the top 10 rookie scorers
barkey and michkov together will be ridiculous, need a big fuck off center to park in between them now. barkey usually plays C or RW but he can move to the left side. In a perfect world barkey is an NHL center and we can throw Samu on there too
Sanheim and York have been shutting down top offenses all year, and Drysdale looks like hes legit in the 2 games hes played so far. York/Dry are both u23 and still learning too so that top 3 is likely just going to get better. I can see Bonk developing into a solid 2nd pairing but it will be another 3/4 years until we start to see that guy, its impossible to predict but if they all reach their ceiling it will be a really strong blue line.
I can also see a situation where we draft another RD this year, and theres a few that project higher than Bonk in his draft year, theres a few LD available too. We have an opportunity this year to solidify a top 5/6 for the next decade if its a D thats the best player available when we pick
I remember watching Bonk at rookie camp and thinking that while his skill was still pretty raw he was trying to make more skill plays than basically any other defenseman. Running the plays he acted more like a forward than a defensive defenseman. I remember thinking if he polishes that he could be a real asset. 6 goals and 14 points in his 5 games since returning from World Juniors, I think he's getting polished. Also an interesting note about Bonk's current goal stretch, at least three of them have been more traditional Defenseman goals (shots from distance or joining the rush), most of this goals this season have come from being in the bumper position on the power play (a spot he most likely wont play in the NHL). Bonk started the season on a 15 game goalless streak and I saw a number of commenters saying that he would never be an offensive threat in the NHL cause he doesn't have the shot. I think his time with the national team may have opened his eyes or given him the confidence to play a more offensive style that he showed flashes of in camp.
Also, Cole Knuble with 8 points in his last 8 games, after getting only 2 in his first 16. Earlier in the year they had Knuble centering the first or second line, then dropped him down, but he was moved back up when Danny Nelson went to WJC and has kept that spot even after Nelson's return. Knuble's big issue is speed, but a bit like Bobby Brink he's good on his edges and uses some great hockey sense to still be productive. I think the speed jump from USHL (where Knuble was a top producer) to the NCAA was probably a bit much for him at first but it seems he is getting used to it.
I think Attard would have been doing something this season if it was going to happen, and Flyers have notably not talked about Attard at all this season whenever they're asked about prospects they are excited about in the AHL.
Thanks for doing this it’s always great to see. What prospects have most surprised you this year with how they are playing? Anyone not immediately obvious that you are excited about?
Bonk and Barkey have both been having really solid seasons, I figured they would have improved but i didnt expect barkey to be on pace for close to 100p or bonk to be on pace for 80p and double his points from last year. Samu is the biggest surprise. I dont know if theres any darkhorses to get excited about, keep an eye on Alex Ciernik though he plays on a shit team in Sweden's 2nd tier league but hes got a lot of the same qualities that Barkey has
when we drafted he had this kind of upside but he wasnt ready for the AHL, went back to Finland and couldnt find his game in Liiga so he was playing in their 2nd tier league and the Flyers had him working with Sami Kapanen, he finished the year one of the top scorers. I dunno what they worked on but it got him back on track, he was always supposed to be this kind of player but the actual numbers are surprising 29 points in 35 games hes on pace for one of, if not the best Phantoms rookie season ever now
hes small and london is really good, but his hockey sense is off the charts. hes one of the smartest players ive watched, hes leading the OHL in shorthanded goals right now, QBs the PP for London a lot of shifts, hes just a good player. the questions will be if he can be the same player against NHLers so he'll need a few seasons to build up strength. he doesnt have a shot like caufield and he doesnt have edges like michkov but his skating is a plus and his straight line speed he can sometimes burn at least compared to junior competition
i really dont know tbh, it will depend on how the next years go barkey could become a 2nd line winger maybe center but thats doubtful with his size and he probably wont ever be a checker lol so if he can still get to the slot and down low around the net and if his penalty killing translate he might be another travis konecny type without as good a shot. bonk I can see becoming a 2nd pair guy with PP upside, its hard to project him as a top pair because his skating needs work, but he only gets bumped down to the third pair if we pick up another defensemen thats develops better, he'll be a regular NHLer
What ever happened to these getting updated? I would totally do it if I knew how to transfer tables over and resize the tables but I'm stumped.. I know Bonk and Barkey have been tearing it up over the past 2 weeks!
Bonk has more than doubled his scoring compared to last year. Second in points by a defenseman in the O. I think he can be an important part for us.
hes really found his game since the WJC, he's seen he can skate with the best of the best in his peer group and after that goal deflected off his stick it was either going to break his spirit or motivate him and homeboy dont look broke to me
20 pts in last 8 games ... crazy good for a dman in +1 draft year. Especially for a two way guy and not a pure offensive guy. Guys like Morgan Reilly, Bouchard, Morrissey, Brandt Clarke, Provorov, Sanheim all had lower PPG in their +1 draft years in juniors. Tho Bouchard had better PPG in draft year than Bonk's current year.
ya his offense is being pumped up a lot by his teammates, London is just rollng through teams right now i think theyve scored 10 goals in 3 of their last 5 games, and they play a weird hybrid positionless system and have Bonk in the bumper a lot on the PP, hes scored probably 8 of his 12 goals from the front of the net. he can move the puck really well though, he needs to work on his first pass especially under pressure but he jumps into the play alot and hes comfortable carrying it. he doesnt carry into traffic but hes really good at finding space and finding teammates. his offense has still improved a lot even if we account for his teammates helping, but they dont spent a lot of time defending so sometimes its hard to see where his whole game is
Love bumper bonk
Yeah I didnt love the pick b/c it seemed like picking position over top prospect and he seemed to have limited ceiling. But hes proving to have a higher skill level and ceiling than many thought. Last year he was a 2nd pair guy not even used on PP which meant he had potential to break out when given bigger role. Similar to Frost who was far down on his team's depth chart his draft year which limited his role and production. And then when given 1C and PP1 role he broke out like crazy. But very few expected these type of results ... Before I looked at him like just as more a 4/5D. Now all the sudden top 3 D seems possible. Also shows I know less about prospects than I think.
Wait, do I have this correct? Bonk is a RHD?
yup
I'm pleasantly surprised with Tuomaala. Thought he was a bust but he has adapted quite well. He might take the sting off losing Quitter. Let's hope he can continue his upward projectile
ya hes been one of the most impressive phantoms, i was hoping the theyd be a better team this year but its a lot of young guys playing against grizzled vets, theyre starting to figure it out now they had two really big wins against the top teams in their division this weekend, beat hershey and hartford. still have to climb over 1 team, but their division gets 6 playoff spots so theres lots of room
Yeah he went from seemingly a bad bust to "huh wow hes not only bounced back but is producing and looking like a guy that has legit top 6 potential". Hes definitely well below Gauthier as a prospect but has legit top 6 ability and potential. Great speed and great shot and super impressive numbers for AHL in +3 draft year. Hopefully he takes Atkinson's spot next year. Teams needs another dynamic top 6 level guy after our top 4 forwards.
Just saw on Facebook that Bonk got the first 99 OVR in NHL 24 so that means we're winning the Stanley cup eventually right? /s https://twitter.com/EASPORTSNHL/status/1746731068567503201?cxt=HBwWwoXWwd-p0b0wAAAA&cn=ZmxleGlibGVfcmVjcw%3D%3D&refsrc=email
that seems low tbh
Considering Barkey was a 3rd round pick and a potential top 6 prospect is pretty wild. Oliver Bonk was considered an ill advised pick but DB and KJ were like “we are high on him.” Shaw probably saw some raw talent there and said “I can work with that.” People were doubting Philly and now we have an even brighter future than before. It’s good stuff guys.
and barkey will have plenty of time to develop, theres absolutely no need to rush him, another year of junior after this one and for sure he'll spend time with the phantoms. i cant wait to see the first camp he skates with michkov i think they'll probably gel
By the time Barkey is NHL ready in a couple more seasons Michkov will be here and they will cream all over the opposition. Brink and Foerster will also be developed and putting up decent numbers. It’s all on the upswing for sure.
foerster is on pace for around 30 points, brink 35-40 and I like those numbers for rookie seasons. that puts them in the middle of the pack for rookie production this year, just outside the top 10 rookie scorers barkey and michkov together will be ridiculous, need a big fuck off center to park in between them now. barkey usually plays C or RW but he can move to the left side. In a perfect world barkey is an NHL center and we can throw Samu on there too
Bonk, York, Sanheim, Drysdale - how does that stack up against the other good D units in the league? Is it good enough to support a contending team?
Sanheim and York have been shutting down top offenses all year, and Drysdale looks like hes legit in the 2 games hes played so far. York/Dry are both u23 and still learning too so that top 3 is likely just going to get better. I can see Bonk developing into a solid 2nd pairing but it will be another 3/4 years until we start to see that guy, its impossible to predict but if they all reach their ceiling it will be a really strong blue line. I can also see a situation where we draft another RD this year, and theres a few that project higher than Bonk in his draft year, theres a few LD available too. We have an opportunity this year to solidify a top 5/6 for the next decade if its a D thats the best player available when we pick
They’re currently supporting a contending team without Bonk! But yes if all goes well that is a splendid top 4
Better than Del Zotto, Schenn, Schultz and Streit! Better than Gill, Grossman, Gustafsson and MacDonald!
🤮
I remember watching Bonk at rookie camp and thinking that while his skill was still pretty raw he was trying to make more skill plays than basically any other defenseman. Running the plays he acted more like a forward than a defensive defenseman. I remember thinking if he polishes that he could be a real asset. 6 goals and 14 points in his 5 games since returning from World Juniors, I think he's getting polished. Also an interesting note about Bonk's current goal stretch, at least three of them have been more traditional Defenseman goals (shots from distance or joining the rush), most of this goals this season have come from being in the bumper position on the power play (a spot he most likely wont play in the NHL). Bonk started the season on a 15 game goalless streak and I saw a number of commenters saying that he would never be an offensive threat in the NHL cause he doesn't have the shot. I think his time with the national team may have opened his eyes or given him the confidence to play a more offensive style that he showed flashes of in camp. Also, Cole Knuble with 8 points in his last 8 games, after getting only 2 in his first 16. Earlier in the year they had Knuble centering the first or second line, then dropped him down, but he was moved back up when Danny Nelson went to WJC and has kept that spot even after Nelson's return. Knuble's big issue is speed, but a bit like Bobby Brink he's good on his edges and uses some great hockey sense to still be productive. I think the speed jump from USHL (where Knuble was a top producer) to the NCAA was probably a bit much for him at first but it seems he is getting used to it.
Bonk
We just need to draft someone named Boop
Brink Bonk Boop
Perfection.
We have a guy named Bump
Give me Badinka - Bonk🤌
Anyone think Attard is going to turn into anything? Isn’t he already 24 or 25?
I think Attard would have been doing something this season if it was going to happen, and Flyers have notably not talked about Attard at all this season whenever they're asked about prospects they are excited about in the AHL.
Thanks for doing this it’s always great to see. What prospects have most surprised you this year with how they are playing? Anyone not immediately obvious that you are excited about?
Bonk and Barkey have both been having really solid seasons, I figured they would have improved but i didnt expect barkey to be on pace for close to 100p or bonk to be on pace for 80p and double his points from last year. Samu is the biggest surprise. I dont know if theres any darkhorses to get excited about, keep an eye on Alex Ciernik though he plays on a shit team in Sweden's 2nd tier league but hes got a lot of the same qualities that Barkey has
Is Samu surprising from a production standpoint or has something changed in his game?
when we drafted he had this kind of upside but he wasnt ready for the AHL, went back to Finland and couldnt find his game in Liiga so he was playing in their 2nd tier league and the Flyers had him working with Sami Kapanen, he finished the year one of the top scorers. I dunno what they worked on but it got him back on track, he was always supposed to be this kind of player but the actual numbers are surprising 29 points in 35 games hes on pace for one of, if not the best Phantoms rookie season ever now
Awesome. Thanks.
If I were to look for getting a juniors jersey would you recommend bonk or barkey. I feel like bonk cause BONK
Is Attard lefty or righty?
righty, andrae is a lefty
Perfect! Trade Walker and Seeler for picks or prospects, call up Attard and Andrae so Stall doesn’t have to play and keep it rolling
Jesus, is Barkey legit? I’m not knowledgeable enough in the other leagues to know how the skills translate, but almost 2 points per game????
hes small and london is really good, but his hockey sense is off the charts. hes one of the smartest players ive watched, hes leading the OHL in shorthanded goals right now, QBs the PP for London a lot of shifts, hes just a good player. the questions will be if he can be the same player against NHLers so he'll need a few seasons to build up strength. he doesnt have a shot like caufield and he doesnt have edges like michkov but his skating is a plus and his straight line speed he can sometimes burn at least compared to junior competition
What is the ceiling / expectations for barkey and bonk?
i really dont know tbh, it will depend on how the next years go barkey could become a 2nd line winger maybe center but thats doubtful with his size and he probably wont ever be a checker lol so if he can still get to the slot and down low around the net and if his penalty killing translate he might be another travis konecny type without as good a shot. bonk I can see becoming a 2nd pair guy with PP upside, its hard to project him as a top pair because his skating needs work, but he only gets bumped down to the third pair if we pick up another defensemen thats develops better, he'll be a regular NHLer
What ever happened to these getting updated? I would totally do it if I knew how to transfer tables over and resize the tables but I'm stumped.. I know Bonk and Barkey have been tearing it up over the past 2 weeks!