Grading the Philadelphia Flyers 2023 First-Round Picks
The Philadelphia Flyers struck gold at seventh overall when Matvei Michkov slid down to them, before drafting Oliver Bonk 22nd.
All eyes were on the Philadelphia Flyers prior to the start of the 2023 NHL Draft. After acquiring the 22nd pick in a trade with the Columbus Blue Jackets, first-time general manager Daniel Briere set out to acquire another first-round pick. Ultimately, that didn’t happen, but Briere and the Flyers still managed to come away with two key pieces to build towards the future with.
Matvei Michkov scores a Michigan-style goal in the KHL pic.twitter.com/MWfyDaGI7n
— Coots (@YaBoyCoots) June 29, 2023
Star Russian forward Matvei Michkov managed to avoid being taken by both the Arizona Coyotes and Montreal Canadiens, allowing the Philadelphia Flyers to draft Michkov without much resistance. It was rumored that the Washington Capitals coveted Michkov, but obviously none of the teams ahead of the Flyers were willing to negotiate a trade, and instead stood their ground and made their own picks. As a result, the Capitals had to settle for Ryan Leonard. In a different draft or at a different time in the world, Michkov probably goes second overall behind Connor Bedard. Given his status as a KHL player until 2026 and scouts’ concerns over his belonging to his homeland of Russia, it wasn’t that simple. Still, the Flyers did the right thing by drafting Michkov. With a pick this high, teams should always draft for value, and that’s exactly what Daniel Briere and the Flyers did.
Matvei Michkov is a star talent, no doubt about it. Michkov broke Tampa Bay Lightning star Nikita Kucherov’s Russian U-17 scoring record, and scored 13 points in five games as the Russian U-18s won a gold medal in the Hlinka Gretzky Cup in 2021. Then, Michkov went on to win the MHL Kharlamov Cup whilst leading the team in goals, as well as scoring the Cup-clinching goal. Not only is Michkov talented, he isn’t afraid of the bright lights either. That is something that was reiterated with Philadelphia Flyers brass in their draft meetings. Daniel Briere said “[Matvei Michkov] told us he wants to play in the NHL. He told us he wants to win a Stanley Cup. He told us he wanted to be a Flyer”. Michkov doubled down on what Briere said, saying that “Right now, it’s important for me to finish the goal my dad had for me: winning a Stanley Cup”. Not bad for a guy who nobody thought would come to North America and play in the NHL.
Matvei Michkov still has a three-year contract with SKA St. Petersburg of the KHL, which runs until 2026. Daniel Briere doesn’t currently believe Michkov will be available to attend the Philadelphia Flyers’ development camp, but it’s too early to tell. Based on Michkov’s eagerness to come to Philadelphia after his contract is up, this pick is a home run.
Grade: A+
In contrast to Matvei Michkov, defenseman Oliver Bonk‘s name was more of a surprise when he came off of the board at 22nd overall. Bonk, son of former NHLer Radek Bonk, was a bit of a reach, but still addressed an organizational need on the right side of the defense. This selection was an example of drafting for need, not value. Forwards like Gabriel Perreault and Quentin Musty were still on the board, but Daniel Briere and the Philadelphia Flyers went with a safer choice.
BRETT BROCHU WITH NO GLOVE
— London Knights (@LondonKnights) April 29, 2023
OLIVER BONK SAVE
MAYHEM pic.twitter.com/wBGDLVR8TI
Prior to the 2023 NHL Draft, Oliver Bonk’s draft rankings saw a solid amount of volatility. Bonk was ranked as low as 86th by Smaht Scouting, and as high as 20th by Sportsnet. Clearly, Daniel Briere and the Philadelphia Flyers agreed with the latter. Bonk projects as a near-certainty to make the NHL, but his offensive game is still lacking. At 6’2″ 176 pounds, Bonk has the range to develop into a shutdown defenseman – perhaps one that can become a foil to Cam York. Still, Bonk has proven to be at least adequate at getting pucks to the net and keeping plays alive. In the 2022-23 season with the London Knights in the OHL, Bonk posted 10 goals and 30 assists in 67 games. In 21 playoff games, Bonk went goalless but supplied 11 assists with a +8 plus-minus rating. Like future teammate Matvei Michkov, Bonk also won a Hlinka Gretzky Cup gold medal, which he won with Canada this year.
Did the Philadelphia Flyers get the absolute best player available on the board with Oliver Bonk? Probably not, but it makes sense Daniel Briere reached a bit for a player he needed, considering the Flyers do not have a second-round pick as of this writing. According to Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff, this was the first draft in 16 years (2007) that no trades were completed in the first round of the draft. Basically, Briere’s strategy was to use the 22nd pick as a second-round pick to get whoever he wanted. That player is Oliver Bonk.
Grade: B
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