As of right now, the Philadelphia Flyers have a total of nine defenders on their team. Ryan Ellis is one of them, but won't be playing, so let's bring that number down to eight.
With Rasmus Ristolainen out for a few weeks to start the season, that leaves the following guys as locks on the defense: Travis Sanheim, Cam York, Jamie Drysdale, and Nick Seeler. Noah Juulsen and Dennis Gilbert were brought in to add veteran depth in case of injury. Egor Zamula and Emil Andrae are still trying to earn their permanent spots in the NHL.
Is that enough? Is there some young skater who could oust someone on the depth chart? After all, people get hurt and some people get into funks where they need to be sent back down to Allentown or scratched for a few games. Is there a prospect who could take their spot?
Let's look at which prospects could crack the roster.
Oliver Bonk
There is a lot of hype concerning Oliver Bonk. He was the 22nd overall pick in 2023 and has quickly risen in the Flyers' prospect rankings. He had a bit of a down year last year, with just 11 goals, down from 24 the year before. He had a shoulder injury in May and missed the Flyers' development camp as the team prioritized rest.
The 20-year-old helped to power the London Knights to the OHL Championships the last two seasons. Because of his offensive abilities, a lot of fans are drooling for him to be called up. He seems to have an inside track in case something happens. It would be easy to assume he could spend a few days in October as a Flyer before being sent down to the AHL. However, if he has a great training camp, it might be hard to send him down. Keep an eye on him this summer.
Helge Grans
If anyone has a chance at beating out Bonk to the NHL, Grans would be it. The former 2020 second pick by the LA Kings has had his share of issues before becoming property of the Flyers. However, it would seem that he has improved his skills in Philadelphia
Grans was called up for six games last year and had an assist. This also comes with a career high in the AHL of eight goals and 42 points. While Bonk is more of an offensive-type defender, Grans is more of a grinder, defensive player. He's still just 23 and has room for growth. Because of his previous experience, he could get the call over Bonk, but you never know what skill set the Flyers will need this year.
Adam Ginning
Ginning was a second-round pick in 2018 by Philly. He's 26 and is among their oldest prospects with the Phantoms. He's appeared in 11 games over the last three seasons for the Flyers. During that time, he had one goal and one assist.
It's not so much that he's good. It's more that he has some NHL experience. It's also that with him being 26, the team needs to figure out what they are going to do. Are they going to hold onto him and give him a chance, or is he going to be yet another piece of the 2018 class that just hasn't performed well at all? It could be that he is just a really good AHL player, but not NHL caliber.
Hunter McDonald
Bonk and Grans get more of the headlines. There are still people who advocate for Andrae and Zamula. Then there is McDonald. The former sixth-round pick is starting to get noticed after two years with the Phantoms. The 6'4" giant is becoming a shut-down defender and is using his size to keep opponents out of the zone.
With Rick Tocchet as the head coach, the Flyers seem to be making an emphasis on size again. You saw that with the draft. McDonald may bring that sort of physical presence that Tocchet is looking for. While he may not be called up right now, he could be a depth piece if the team wants to bring someone up for a game or two midseason. He could also be a late-season addition to the team. Don't count him out yet.