It was a scene of happiness as Oliver Bonk was still on the board in the first round with the Flyers on the clock to pick and they selected him with the 22nd overall pick. I could hear the Flyers fans go crazy even with this virtual draft and the “Let’s Go Flyers” chants being heard in every Flyers fans household. It really sent chills down your spine, and the people that live throughout the Delaware Valley in particular were going crazy I’m sure, as moments before the Flyers selected a prospect Matvei Michkov with superstar potential.
The Flyers finally have drafted a good skating defenseman. They needed a good skating defenseman, and this was one way to do it. There were weeks of speculation over who the Flyers would take with the 22nd pick, in particular. It was either going to be him, Mikhail Gulyayev, Gabe Perreault, or Riley Heidt. Moreover, the Flyers faithful started hearing the possibility of the orange and black trading the pick to move up in the draft. This led to a ton of trade speculation, with rumors swirling left and right. We can finally put that all to rest now, as we don a new era of Flyers hockey.
Bonk is an ok skater, like most prospects he can improve upon this area, but he has a great pair of hands. He stands at 6’2, weighs 176 pounds. Bonk is a very confident and skilled puck handler, who effectively transitions the puck out of his zone and into his opponent’s zone. He is an able bodied playmaker who excels at finding and creating passing lanes, mainly due to his edge work. Bonk plays a physical game, as he shuts down his opponents by taking the body, and board battling.
The young, slick gifted defenseman in Bonk plays a solid two-way game. He gets to the dirty areas to score, and has a lethal wrist shot, as well. His top four pairing upside sets him apart from prospects in the draft, as his first few steps are great. Bonk really could crack the NHL in a few years. Bonk plays in all situations the coaching staff asks of him, and he plays with an aggressive edge. This pick in Bonk is a high valued one, and one that will pay huge dividends in the future.
Check out our Flyers Nitty Gritty Store
Hopefully, the Flyers will benefit from a gifted player Right-Handed defenseman in Bonk. This selection was a great start to the draft for the Flyers, who are apparently in a “REBUILD” mode according to Dan Hilferty, Keith Jones, and Danny Briere. The proud orange-clad fans deserve this selection. They have supported the Flyers through the thick and thin, and it’s time the fans start reaping some of the benefits.
