With Flyers training camp coming up soon, we are excited for the players to hit the ice again. With a new head coach and some new players, there is a sense of optimism heading into the 2025-26 season. Part of what makes this time of year fun is thinking about which prospect could crack the roster.
Last year, first-rounder Jett Luchanko broke camp with the team for a few days. There is speculation that Oliver Bonk could make the team while Helge Grans waits in the wings. Denver Barkey looks like he could be ready to come up soon. Some want to take a quick look at what Nikita Grebenkin can bring to the ice and how Rick Tocchett could employ him.
Another guy with a lot of buzz around his name is Alex Bump. Bump was a fifth-round pick in 2022 and has been a fun surprise thus far. And if successful, he'd join a team that already has some solid fifth-round talent with Noah Cates, Sam Ersson, and Grebenkin.
A Bump in the Road
Bump was a star at Western Michigan for two years. After playing three seasons in the USHL for the Omaha Lancers and Tri-City Storm, he took off for WMU. In three seasons in the USHL, he tallied 25 goals. For Western Michigan, he scored 14 in his first season and 23 in his second. His play earned a call-up to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, where he scored a goal with two assists in the two regular-season games he appeared in.
This is a rapid rise for a 21-year-old prospect. He flew under the radar when drafted in 2022. Draft analysts thought he had good tools, but he was just never "tested" against tough competition. Now, he is seen as a top-10 prospect and has a legit shot at making his Flyers debut.
A few months ago, it was almost certain. After all, here is a young kid who is fast, skates well, passes well, and shoots left. The Flyers could use a solid left winger. With Tyson Foerster sidelined with an injury, it looked as if his roster spot was all but locked up.
However, Foerster looks as if he should be ready to play at the start of the season. Most likely, they will take it easy with him so he doesn't reaggravate anything during camp. This could still give Bump a chance to take some reps with the top two lines. If he does well, he could break camp with the team or be a first chance call-up if someone goes down.
Bump is one of those guys who gets everyone excited. Here is a young, hardworking kid who appears to be driven towards success. That sounds like a Philly love story to me! We all love those gritty, hard-working players who do whatever it takes to win. We may not have to wait long to see Bump with the Flyers. Hopefully, he can be an exciting part of the lineup for years to come.