As the Flyers continue to build through the draft, their prospect pipeline is not full, but there are players worth watching. Some who may even make the big club this season.
Oliver Bonk
Bonk was the Flyers' 22nd overall pick in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft. He is a coveted right-handed defender with a high hockey IQ.
Sitting at 6’2”, he has some size but still needs to put on some muscle. Bonk can shut down the opposition, but also quarterback a power play when needed. He is currently one of the top three Flyers prospects in the organization and certainly the top amateur.
The organization is very high on the 20-year-old. He signed an entry-level contract in 2023-24, which slid to the 2024-25 season. However, he remained with the London Knights of the OHL, where he helped the team win two-consecutive championships in 2023-24, and 2024-25 as the team’s alternate captain.
Denver Barkey
The 20-year-old forward plays center and left wing. At 5’9” and 154 pounds, he is undersized. Though that seems to be less of an issue in today’s NHL, he will be tossed around at that weight.
Like Bonk, he has been an important part of the London Knights. Barkey has been a point-per-game player, topping out at 102 points in 64 games of the 2023-24 season. He captained the team this past season and had a big impact on the team’s two championships.
Yegor Zavragin
The idea of an Eastern European goalie may give some pause to the fanbase, which is completely within reason. However, the 19-year-old is dominating the KHL at a very young age. He also has a higher ceiling than Alexei Kolosov or Ivan Fedotov.
Zavragin is fast, smart, athletic, and has great vision. Adapting to the KHL did not seem to be much of a problem for him, and hopefully, adapting to the North American game will go better than it did for Kolosov and Fedotov.
The downside is that he signed a three-year contract with SKA Saint Petersburg last year. So, it will be a few years before he makes it to the States.
Carson Bjarnason
Bjarnason dressed for his first professional games after the Lehigh Valley Phantoms' Parker Gahagen was injured in the postseason. However, the goalie never made his way off the bench, which was expected.
He has a good size at 6’4”, which is right between Kolosov and Fedotov, but is more athletic than both. The netminder signed an entry-level contract before the 2023-24 season, which slid to the next year.
Given the Flyers’ goaltending issues, he should have an opportunity to make the team or compete for the Phantoms’ starting job.
Spencer Gill
Gill is another right-handed defender with a big shot and big size. He stands at 6’4” and, like most prospects, also needs to put on muscle. The Flyers drafted him 59th overall in this past draft. He has strength and high potential, but is the rawest prospect on the list.
He also signed an entry-level contract with the Flyers before the 2024-25 season. In the last two seasons for Rimouski, he had 46 and 35 points, respectively. It will probably be a year or so before he gets a shot at making the team, but it will be interesting to watch him develop.
Nothing in life is guaranteed, including a team's prospects. While we wait to see how things pan out, there are some players who will be fun to watch develop.