Quick Hits: August 22, 2023
1) Yesterday, the Flyers signed 2023 first-round pick Oliver Bonk to an entry-level contract. The 18-year-old defenseman was selected with the 22nd overall selection of this year's Draft. Although he was chosen relatively late in the first round, Bonk is a pretty safe bet to eventually play in the National Hockey League: sound in his own end of the ice, reasonably mobile (which will further become an asset as he adds more strength), has puck-moving upside and competes hard with a physical aspect to his game but also the discipline to stay out of the penalty box.
The primary question mark with Bonk is how much offensive upside there will be at the NHL level (particularly in whether he'll ever be a power play duty candidate). He had 10 goals, 30 assists and 40 points last season for the OHL's London Knights. Those are respectable totals for a Draft-eligible player. He tied for 24th among defensemen in the league scoring chart.
However, it should also be noted that Bonk went the final 42 games of 2022-23 -- regular season and playoffs combined -- without scoring a goal. He had one goal (Feb. 6 against Flint) over his final 50 games. Bonk's overall play was fine and hitting double-digit goals on the season in his Draft year was a nice accomplishment, but it explains why some have said to expect him to be more of a puck-moving top-four defenseman with two-way upside than a likely candidate to be a big point producer from the back end. That said, he has the work ethic and will, and is one of those players who has to be just about pried away from the ice on an off-day.
Bonk's three-year contract is slide-rule eligible for the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons. He can keep his annual $95,000 signing bonus installments regardless of whether he's in the NHL or the Ontario League. However, assuming he debuts as a pro in 2025-26, his $950,000 cap hit would begin (if he makes the NHL roster, but $82,500 in the AHL) at that point.
2) Congratulations to Team KLYR for winning 2023 Flyers Alumni Fantasy Camp Cup. The team overcame a 3-0 deficit against Team Neumann on Monday afternoon to capture the championship and finish with a perfect 4-0-0 record.
3) Today in Flyers History: August 22
* 1974: After being forced to retire from playing due to a serious injury sustained in the 1974 Stanley Cup semifinal, Barry Ashbee was hired on this date as an assistant coach under Fred Shero. He joined holdover assistant Mike Nykoluk. Before Shero and the Flyers no NHL team had a full-time assistant coach. There were training camp assistants and some part-time assistants in the league before Nykoluk, and Team Canada had assistants ahead of the Flyers. However, the Flyers were the first club to have an assistant coach on the ice at practice, behind the bench in games and on the road with the team from Day 1 of training camp until the end of the campaign. Other teams followed suit after the Flyers won their first Stanley Cup. The hiring of Ashbee then gave the Flyers the first two-man staff of assistants.
* 1985: After sitting out the entire 1983-84 season unsuccessfully trying to rehabilitate a degenerative knee issue, Hockey Hall of Fame left winger Bill Barber announced his retirement as a player on Aug. 22, 1985. With the departure of Ted Sator to become the New York Rangers head coach, Barber joined Mike Keenan's staff along with holdover assistant coach E.J. McGuire, first-year coach Paul Holmgren (himself recently retired from his playing career) and goalie coach Bernie Parent.
4) August 21 Flyers Alumni birthdays: Mitch Lamoureux (1962), Brayden Schenn (1991), Bruno St. Jacques (1980).