Tag: Alex Bump

ALLENTOWN — Although it started feeling like the Flyers’ youth were living in Allentown, having been there since Friday for the start of rookie camp, they showed why everyone has a pretty good shot with an impressive set of games over the weekend.

The prospects worked hard and won Game 1 on Saturday, 3-2, before a decisive 4-1 victory in Game 2.

Here are our observations of the Flyers prospects from the Rookie Series:

Serving as captain, Denver Barkey played Sunday, and was in midseason form. The high-motor forward — “That’s what makes me an effective player,” he said postgame — was flying all night. He used his speed and quickness to effectively keep the Rangers defense on their heels as he drove to the net, notably on his goal. In the first period, Barkey streaked down the left side of the ice, receiving a feed from Oliver Bonk, his teammate of five years (four of them with London of the Ontario Hockey League), as he cut across the crease and dipped the puck around Rangers goalie Danai Shaiikov. Barkey later added an assist when he unselfishly passed up another goal to set up Porter Martone’s empty-netter.

Martone also looks ready to hit the ground running when the Flyers’ main camp opens Thursday in Voorhees, as he displayed his high-octane, edgy game on Sunday. A betting favorite to win the Calder Trophy this season as the NHL’s top rookie, Martone did have one bad turnover in the second period, leading to the Rangers’ lone goal, for which he apologized to his goalie, Marek Sklenička. He said after the game Sunday that he told the 2026 draft pick, “We’ll get it back here.” That wasn’t the only moment he was there for his teammates. He went after 6-foot-7 Rangers forward Dylan Roobroeck when he nailed Barkey. Martone, who looked more than ready for the NHL’s fast pace, posted a game-high five shots and also had an assist.

Alex Bump played only on Saturday but set the tone early following a disappointing main camp last year that stalled the start of his NHL career until March. Wanting to make an impression, Bump came out flying, showcasing his quickness and deftness with the puck, especially on the boards, his hockey IQ, and his willingness to drive to the net, finishing with two points. His goal was nice; his assist was dazzling as he sent a seam pass to Cole Knuble, who was driving to the net backdoor.

Knuble was also impressive in his one game on Saturday, showing a high-end motor akin to Barkey’s. He played physically, was active around the net, and used his feet and body well to protect the puck and create plays.

“Since the day I was drafted, I wanted to be a part of this organization,” said Knuble, who is about to begin his first full season as a pro. “I grew up loving this team, so it’s a dream come true. Every practice, every game, every offseason, that was the goal: to get one step closer to this.”

Jett Luchanko played both nights centering the top lines — Bump and Knuble were his wingers on Saturday and Barkey and Martone lined up with him on Sunday — and looked even better in Game 2. On Sunday, he was a play driver, carrying the puck up the ice and using his speed to wreak havoc in the Rangers’ defense. The recently turned 20-year-old had two assists, with his second coming on the goal by Barkey when he made a nice chip pass off the wall in the neutral zone while taking a hit.

“Showed us the flashes of what he really can become and what he’s going to be. That speed through the neutral zone and his ability to get on top of guys quickly,” Phantoms coach John Snowden said on Sunday. “… Back-to-back, too, right? His legs were still flying, and he was competitive and hard in situations. He had a little bite to his game.”

Maksim Sokolovskii continued to show this weekend why the Flyers made him a first-round pick. Despite his 6-7 frame, he is a smart, quick, fluid skater who can defend well while also creating time and space offensively. He broke up several plays on Sunday at the blue line with his long reach, while also using that same reach to protect the puck as he carried the puck around opponents. Sokolovskii had one assist in the game and has already been invited to the main Flyers camp.

Noah Powell, who Snowden called a “pretty raw, uncut diamond” that the Flyers can shape in an interview with The Inquirer back in May, may finally be coming into focus. The forward enjoys being a pest and played a hard, physical game all weekend. Oftentimes, his hits rattled the boards, and he got into it at the end of the game with the Rangers’ Jacob Battaglia before dropping the gloves with Jackson Dorrington.

“Hockey is a violent game. I’m not saying I’m a violent person, but when I get out there, I definitely do like to play a violent, vicious style of hockey,” said Powell, who noted he likes to blend Kiefer Sherwood’s motor and relentlessness with Tom Wilson’s toughness and heavy hitting to play his game.

Sklenička and Martin Psohlavec were solid on Sunday, but all eyes were on goalie Carson Bjarnason, who had a rocky first year as a pro with Lehigh Valley of the American Hockey League. The goalie, who turned 21 in June, acknowledged a learning curve with the AHL being faster and his reads needing to be quicker, but said he has put the past behind him. On Saturday, his lone start of the weekend, he looked sharp, stopping 27 of 29 shots — both goals were on a Rangers power play — while flashing the leather on several attempts. His best save came after Luchanko sent an errant pass right onto Roobroeck’s stick for a Grade-A chance in the third period.

“I thought today he looked big in the net,” Snowden said on Saturday. “He looked composed in the net, didn’t really get scrambly at times and just tracked the puck the way he needed to track the puck. If he couldn’t see through traffic at times, he stayed big and pucks hit him. Overall, I thought it was a good step in the right direction for him.”

Breakaways

Not long after he was drafted last year, Matthew Gard did not stand out at his first Rookie Series, but 2026 was different, especially in the first of two games. The press box was buzzing about the 6-5, lanky centerman who showed some pop — he scored the Flyers’ first goal of the weekend — and smarts. … Brek Liske said before Saturday’s game that he was looking forward to not just wearing an NHL logo on his jersey but to bringing the Flyers vs. Rangers video game matchup that he used to play on NHL 15 to reality. The Flyers’ 2026 second-rounder had a fantastic series, and one scout told The Inquirer that he and Luke Vlooswyk, his defensive partner with Everett of the Western Hockey League and a fellow Flyers prospect who he played with on Sunday, are underrated. Liske scored the go-ahead goal from the goal line on the second night with less than five seconds left in the middle frame after a Spencer Gill blast hit the end boards. Liske said he learned a great deal about communication at the Rookie Series and said after the game on Sunday, “I’m going to try and bring that back with me [to Everett], get everyone talking a little more, and make sure the rinks never quiet.” … Despite missing months after undergoing surgery on an upper-body injury in late January, Ty Murchison looked great in his lone game on Saturday, showing his smooth skating, hockey IQ, leadership — he wore the “C” — and grit as he dropped the gloves and went blow-for-blow at the end of Game 1 with Roobroeck.

It’s starting to feel like the Flyers are forever young, which is not a bad thing in a league that is continuously showing “youth’s like a diamond in the sun, and diamonds are forever.”

After years marred by a limited prospect pool, the Orange and Black have restocked the cupboard with promising youngsters who are either looking to make their mark in the NHL this season or take the next step in their development.

Compared to a year ago, the list has seen movement, with some players graduating, some moving up, and others falling. Three notable absences from this year’s list include Hunter McDonald and Helge Grans, who have aged out at 24, and Karsen Dorwart, who did not re-sign. Matvei Michkov has played too many games to qualify, as we are using 100 NHL contests as our cutoff.

With several Flyers prospects converging on Allentown and Voorhees this week for rookie camp, here’s our updated top 20 prospect rankings.

1. Porter Martone, RW, Flyers (NHL)

2025 rank: No. 1

There was some huffing and puffing when the Flyers did not take a center with the No. 6 pick in the 2025 NHL draft, but Martone, who will turn 20 at the end of October, quickly quieted the naysayers. The Calder Trophy betting favorite this year, Martone put together a dominant freshman campaign at Michigan State and made a scintillating NHL start last season. He tallied 10 points in nine regular-season games before adding five points, including two game-winning goals, in 10 playoff contests. A 6-foot-3, 208-pound winger, Martone brings size, strength, a big-time shot, playmaking ability, and an edge. He’ll play a significant role this season for the Flyers in the top six and on the power play.

2. Denver Barkey, C/LW, Flyers (NHL)

2025 rank: 8

What a start to Barkey’s pro career. After just 26 games with Lehigh Valley of the American Hockey League, he found himself in the NHL and never looked back. The 21-year-old used his high-end motor and responsible 200-foot game to stake a spot in the lineup, and posted 17 points in 43 regular-season games. Although he only put up two points in 10 playoff games, the 5-9 winger stepped up in the postseason, showing his relentless play style and willingness to be aggressive on pucks despite his small frame, especially when called upon by coach Rick Tocchet in the second round of the playoffs to play center. Barkey played so well as a pivot that some are penciling him as a bottom-six centerman instead of a winger.

3. Alex Bump, LW, Flyers (NHL)

2025 rank: 2

Where Martone and Barkey go, so goes Bump, and the 22-year-old will round out the trio of expected NHLers at rookie camp. This was the consensus belief last year, but the winger fell short and started the year with the Phantoms. The difference now? Bump has learned what happens if he doesn’t showcase his innate high-end offensive attributes and goal-scoring prowess at camp, and now has a full year of pro hockey — and a taste of the NHL — under his belt. After being recalled following the trade deadline, the Minnesotan played 23 games between the regular season and playoffs, racking up seven goals, 11 points, and a team-best shooting percentage of 21.2%.

4. Oliver Bonk, RHD, Flyers/Lehigh Valley Phantoms (NHL/AHL)

2025 rank: 5

The top blueline prospect in the organization, Bonk showed why during his NHL debut in the Flyers’ regular-season finale and his lone postseason appearance. A well-rounded defenseman, Bonk notched his first career goal and assist in April and has the tools to be an everyday top-four blueliner in the NHL. “I think you just have to be confident and believe that you’re good enough to be there, because you are there, and that’s pretty much it for me,” he said of the experience. “Just kind of working on that and realizing that I’m a good player and I should be there.” Last season he sustained an injury early in rookie camp and didn’t suit up until December; this year, a healthy Bonk, despite a short September, should strongly push for a spot with the main club.

5. Jack Berglund, C, Färjestad BK (Swedish Hockey League)

2025 rank: 11

The Swede skyrocketed up the Flyers’ prospect depth chart this season with his impressive play in Europe, Allentown, and for his country at World Juniors, where he captained Sweden to its first gold since 2012 and was one of the tournament’s standout players. Berglund linked up with the Phantoms for five games at the end of the season, and while he will return to the SHL this season on loan, he left quite an impression. “He drove play, he was around the puck, and his ability to play below the dots with the puck is exceptionally good,” Phantoms coach John Snowden told The Inquirer in May about the 6-4, 217-pound center. “He understands how to use his body and his frame to get guys on his back and get out of situations.”

6. Jack Nesbitt, C, University of Michigan (NCAA)

2025 rank: 6

After a strong season with Windsor of the Ontario Hockey League in which he scored at a 1.05-point-per-game clip, Nesbitt is off to the University of Michigan this fall. Tall and lanky, Nesbitt said at development camp he gained 10-15 pounds after the season by hitting the gym, and the 6-5, 193-pound centerman should only get stronger with the college hockey schedule. He’ll need that extra muscle to play his game of driving to the net and creating time and space with his body. Nesbitt has nifty hands for someone his size and is a player the organization believes has a long runway to develop as he grows into his frame.

7. David Jiříček, RHD, Flyers (NHL)

2025 rank: NA

The upcoming season will be a big one for the 6-4 blueliner who is on his third team despite being drafted just four years ago. A coveted right-shot defenseman with size, puck skills, and a booming shot, Jiříček is a bit of a project but will likely get a chance right away this season at the NHL level since he is no longer waiver-exempt. He impressed with the Phantoms after being acquired at the trade deadline — getting a chance to play at all strengths — and made his Flyers debut in the season finale. The Czech defender is someone Snowden says has “all the tools” to transition to the NHL, and the expectation is his “absolute missile” of a shot will get a chance to bolster the Flyers’ dismal power play.

8. Maksim Sokolovskii, LHD, London (Ontario Hockey League)

2025 rank: NA

When the Flyers selected Sokolovskii 27th overall in June, it turned a few heads. But watching the 6-7 defenseman play the body and skate like someone a foot shorter at development camp, it showed why he may prove to be a steal. Sokolovskii is still growing into his game as a mean shutdown blueliner, but the upside is tantalizing. Now that he’s no longer constrained to focusing only on his defensive game, he’s already shown in preseason action for London that he has an untapped offensive side. The 18-year-old, who will be at rookie camp this week, also showed that his confidence has skyrocketed evidenced by his heads-up plays through the neutral zone and in the offensive end for the Knights.

9. Yegor Zavragin, G, Metallurg Magnitogorsk (Kontinental Hockey League)

2025 rank: 4

When will Zavragin come to the U.S.? It likely won’t be any time soon, as the goalie’s contract was extended by a year when he was traded to Metallurg of the Kontinental Hockey League in June. Last season the netminder split time between the KHL and the VHL, Russia’s second-highest league, but this season he should stick in the top flight. Zavragin, 21, has posted a .918 save percentage in 56 career KHL games, and in his first start of this season with his new team, he stopped 16 of 17 shots in a 2-1 win.

10. Carter Amico, RHD, Boston University (NCAA)

2025 rank: 13

If anyone on this list has made the biggest transformation in the past year, it is Amico. This time last year, the 6-5 defenseman was still rebuilding his game after suffering a broken kneecap that sidelined him for most of his draft year. This past season, he left Boston University halfway through to get more playing time with Muskegon of the United States Hockey League. After a productive spell with the Lumberjacks, the Maine native will rejoin the Terriers this season, and if what he showed at development camp this past summer with his smooth skating and ability to close is any indication, it’ll be a good year. “He looks like a different player; he really does,” BU coach Jay Pandolfo told The Inquirer in June. “It was great for him to go there [to Muskegon] and just find his game again.”

11. Brek Liske, RHD, Everett (Western Hockey League)

2025 rank: NA

Taken in the second round in June by the Flyers, Liske is a versatile, well-rounded defenseman who needs to keep building his game, and he will do so this year alongside fellow Flyers prospect Luke Vlooswyk with Everett of the Western Hockey League. The son of a diehard Flyers fan from Manitoba, Liske is a strong skater and plays with confidence and smarts in his own end while adding some offensive punch. According to Flyers assistant general manager Brent Flahr, “he’s got some swagger,” and it has shown on and off the ice, notably when he was elevated to the top pair alongside projected 2027 No. 1 pick Landon Dupont amid the Silvertips’ run to the Memorial Cup final.

12. Jett Luchanko, C, Phantoms (AHL)

2025 rank: 3

While Amico and Berglund may have risen several spots, Luchanko fell considerably after a disappointing year in junior in which he scored just seven goals. There’s no denying there is talent within Luchanko, notably his speed and hockey IQ, but it was a tough slog for the center who was traded from Guelph to Brantford in the OHL and played sparingly for Canada at World Juniors. Luchanko has played in nine NHL games (including playoffs) but has yet to notch his first point. Expected to be a full participant at the rookie and main camps after undergoing core muscle surgery in June, this will represent a big year for the 20-year-old as he looks to get back on the trajectory that made him a lottery pick in 2024.

13. Spencer Gill, RHD, Phantoms (AHL)

2025 rank: 7

Since getting drafted in 2024, the 6-4 Gill has dealt with several major injuries — a broken ankle two years ago with Rimouski of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League and a wrist ailment that required surgery last year with Blainville-Boisbriand — that limited his playing time. But now the 20-year-old will turn pro and is projected to spend this season with Lehigh Valley, where he can expand his 200-foot game and get acclimated to the speed of pro hockey. “I really love the way he was able to kill the play effectively in the D zone along the boards. Once he put his hands on someone, that player was not going anywhere,” Armada coach Alexandre Jacques told The Inquirer in June, noting the blueliner is good offensively at the blue line and [at] getting shots on goal “ … I think where he needs to improve to play at the pro level, and he knows it, is explosion of his first few steps backward and forward. So, if he’s able to improve that, which I know the Flyers have been working really hard with him … I think you can become a good player for the team.”

14. Heikki Ruohonen, C, Harvard (NCAA)

2025 rank: 15

Projected to be a bottom-six forward, Ruohonen had a solid freshman season at Harvard, chipping in 19 points in 28 games while also playing for Finland — wearing an “A” — at World Juniors. A shutdown forward and pass-first center, he is hard on the puck and has started to sprout his wings offensively. It’ll be interesting to see how he does this upcoming season under a new coaching staff for the Crimson

15. Nikita Grebenkin, LW/RW, Flyers (NHL)

2025 rank: 10

The 23-year-old Russian spent his first full season in the NHL in 2025-26, serving as a pest and a powder keg regardless of where he slotted in the lineup. He scored his first NHL goal in an early-season nail-biter the Flyers won in overtime, finished with 14 points in 55 games, and dropped the gloves a few times in defense of his teammates. Grebenkin has an infectious personality, and it translates to the ice, making him invaluable on and off the ice. The winger suffered an upper-body injury in late March that kept him out of the lineup for the rest of the regular season and playoffs, but if he can bring some pop and energy this season, he could become a mainstay in the bottom-six.

16. Cole Knuble, C/RW, Phantoms (AHL)

2025 rank: NR

Despite being one of Flahr’s favorites in the system, the son of former Flyers forward Mike Knuble may not have drawn eyes in the past. But at this year’s development camp, the 22-year-old looked like a man on a mission to stand out. The forward, who has been playing more center, showed off his improved skating, a good motor, aggressiveness, high hockey IQ, and vision as he followed the advice from his dad: “He used to say, ‘If you have 12 eggs in your pockets, they should all be broken.’”

17. Carson Bjarnason, G, Phantoms (AHL)

2025 rank: 9

As Snowden put it, it was a roller coaster season for the goalie who made the jump to the pros and suited up for the Phantoms for most of the season — he had a short stint in Reading of the ECHL — and posted 14-11-3 with a 3.43 goals-against average and .877 save percentage. A confident kid who should hit the ground running in Year 2, he will split this net in Allentown with Aleksei Kolosov. “It’s a good league, and you can’t guess; you have to understand the situations, and I thought he had a little bit of a stretch where it became pretty hard for him,“ Snowden said. ”But Brady [Robinson, Lehigh Valley’s goaltender development coach] did an incredible job with him, continuing to push him and teach the moments of where we’ve got to clean up.”

18. Nathan Quinn, C, Quebec Remparts (Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League)

2025 rank: NR

Another player who has snuck up the rankings is Quinn, who is coming off a 73-point season with the Remparts. He had 25 points on the power play and was tied for 10th in goals (34) and 17th in points in the QMJHL. Former Flyers forward Simon Gagné, who is now the general manager for Québec, expects a big year from the 5-11, 184-pound center he calls a force before he heads off to Northeastern University for 2027-28. “Quinners, more, maybe I’m going to say more passer … [but] he could surprise you,” Gagné told The Inquirer in June. “He’s got a really, really good wrist shot. He knows how to score a goal as well. He’s really a skilled player, really good high IQ, and is flying on the ice.”

19. Ty Murchison, LHD, Phantoms (AHL)

2025 rank: NR

Murchison hasn’t been quiet about his growth this past year. In his first full season in the pros — it lasted only 32 games due to an upper-body injury — he left impressions across the organization. So much so that in December he made his NHL debut and stuck around for three games, skating an average of 15 minutes a night. At 6-2, he plays a big, physical game while also being efficient with the puck, and is a strong skater despite a late start on the ice because he was a roller hockey player in his youth. “I think Ty Murchison is a guy you should keep on the radar,” Snowden said. “Obviously, an injury shortened his season, but he was trending in an incredibly good direction.”

20. Jack Murtagh, C/LW, Boston University (NCAA)

2025 rank: 12

Like most true freshmen, Murtagh struggled to find his footing in college hockey going up against bigger, stronger players. The Upstate New Yorker called his season at BU “a little bit inconsistent” and a “little bit rocky.” He learned he cannot take a single shift off, and the expectation is that the 6-1, 198-pound forward will put up more than the 11 points in 35 games he managed last season. “He needs to be consistent, shift after shift, game after game, like those are the big things for younger players, just learning to be consistent in everything you do,” Pandolfo said. “ … That’s the one thing that he’s gotten better at over the course of the season, and we expect him to have a really big jump in his play coming into his sophomore year.”

10 more to watch (alphabetical order)

Alex Čiernik, LW, Phantoms (AHL), Matthew Gard, C, Seattle (WHL), Max Laatikainen, RHD, Sport (Finnish Liiga), Ilya Pautov, LW, TBD, Noah Powell, RW, Phantoms (AHL), Martin Psohlavec, G, Saskatoon (WHL), KJ Sauer, C, Edmonton (WHL), Max Westergård, LW, Frölunda (SHL), Shane Vansaghi, RW, Michigan State (NCAA), and Luke Vlooswyk, RHD, Everett (WHL)