Up next in 10
Which Flyers made Top 100 prospects list? | Broad Street Hockey
0 views
Aug 21, 2025
Ryan Gilbert and Jacob Russell react to the Philadelphia Flyers players who made Elite Prospects' top 100 NHL prospects list. Porter Martone was a slam dunk, but were there any surprises? #nhl #hockey #flyers #letsgoflyers #philadelphia #sports #philadelphiaflyers Broad Street Hockey is the top place for independent coverage of the Philadelphia Flyers and the hockey world at large. πΉπ¬π¨π«: https://www.broadstreethockey.com/ π΄π¬πΉπͺπ―: https://broad-street-hockey.myspreadshop.com/ πππππππ: https://open.spotify.com/show/5k5IfqqGTBdJmcqdZ6nF91 πΌππππ: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/broad-street-hockey/id1708766515 πππππππ: https://twitter.com/BroadStHockey πππππΌπππΌπ: https://www.instagram.com/broadsthockey/ ππππππ: https://www.tiktok.com/@broadsthockey
View Video Transcript
0:14
Heat. Heat.
0:22
[Music]
0:31
[Music] down.
0:44
Ohoo. [Music]
0:53
Hello and welcome to this Ryan and Russ stream on the Broad Street Hockey
0:59
YouTube. I am your host Ryan Gilbert. Joining me today to talk some prospects is Jacob Russell. How we doing today,
1:06
Jake? We're back. We're back. We're back. I'm good. Um I'm good. Just uh little
1:11
overcast here today. A little dreary day out. So, just uh everyone cuddling up
1:16
inside, talking some talking some August prospect talk,
1:22
feeding the algorithm, giving giving the people what they want to see in the middle of August, uh sports-wise. So,
1:28
yeah. Uh interesting list came out, Gilbs, recently that you had some thoughts on yourself.
1:35
Yeah. Um Wednesday morning here, Elite Prospects released their top 100 NHL
1:41
affiliated prospects there. So, no, no Gavin McKenna, no one no one no one like that, but um top 100 is behind their pay
1:48
wall, but uh we do have four flyers on the list. Uh Porter Marone obviously
1:53
headlines that. So, uh yeah, like you mentioned, it's it's August. It's dreary here. The Phillies played at one. There
1:58
was I think there was a slight delay or something there. Uh but yeah, it's mid August and you know what people love
2:04
even more than rankings is is just two guys reacting to rankings. I feel like I feel like that is what everyone wants
2:10
when they look for hockey content. So, that's what we're going to do here today. Uh, make sure you are subscribed to the Broad Street Hockey YouTube
2:16
channel. Smash that like button. Also, subscribe to the podcast feed on Apple and, uh, Spotify.
2:23
Let's just get right into it here. Uh, Porter Martone, uh, sixth overall pick in the most recent draft, was number
2:29
four on Elite Prospects top 100 list there. Uh, it's not really surprising given that their their draft guide had
2:36
him third behind Scha Schaefer and Misa. And not a lot of people would have been surprised if Chicago took him. But, you
2:42
know, seeing the Flyers have a top five prospect again just after Mechoff graduated is uh pretty fantastic.
2:49
Yeah. And it it like you said, it makes sense as to why Marone is so highly coveted um and valued by EP. Uh they
2:56
they've liked him throughout basically the entire season. And I think they've as much as like the the draft content I
3:03
read um from from the them as an outlet, they always had Martone as a consensus
3:09
top five no matter what. Um so there's not really surprise here that they they still value him. And I think when you
3:15
look at the quality of player that Martone is and the ability that he already has as a puck mover, as a big
3:24
guy who can just move, a big guy who can get side to side, up and down the ice quick, he's not necessarily somebody who
3:30
is a sniper as of yet, but there's like an ability there. There's an untapped
3:36
potential um to to round out his scoring game. And if he's able to do that while
3:42
continuing to get used to playing as a a big guy and and using that body, using
3:48
that frame that's already there and doesn't even really need to be developed further, I think he's got some of the
3:54
highest potential of anyone on on this list. Absolutely. Yeah. And like I wrote it in
4:00
in the article on broadstrehockey.com. Make sure you like and subscribe and check that out. But like he could easily
4:05
play in the NHL this season. The Flyers just have no need for that. They don't have a spot for that. But like
4:12
if some great team had a few injuries last year and missed the playoffs and got like a top three pick and took
4:18
Marton, like imagine Martone like with a superstar like McDavid or McKinnon or
4:23
even like just a solid center like Dylan Larkin or Sebastian Aaho. Like he can make the NHL and hold his own. But you
4:31
know last year 98 points, 37 goals, 61 assists in 57 games. made the decision
4:36
to go to Michigan State. I feel like that is what is best for his development rather than trying to, you know, rush him here. And going back to the OL and
4:44
dominating again, wasn't worth it. And uh you wrote a good article last week on that. Like we don't know what to expect
4:50
from a guy going from the CHL to the to to the college route because this is the first time it's ever been allowed.
4:56
Yeah. No. And and going back to Martone, like his potential to play as a pro right now. I mean, if you look at say
5:03
I'm not going to begrudge the the Sharks for taking someone like Michael Misa, but if the Sharks went with Martone, you
5:09
could see Marton playing next to Mlin Celbrini at the start of this season. It wouldn't have been that far-fetched
5:14
because he could do it physically um as a player. He's just not fully
5:19
actualized. There's just something there. there's a little more snarl that needs to be added, I think, for him to
5:25
really become what I think um a lot of GMs uh view his his top end potential
5:31
as. Um but yeah, like you said, right, um he's he's already so good and
5:40
when he goes to the NCAA, there's going to be nights where it's not going to feel like a step up from the OHL, right?
5:47
You play against the London Knights or teams like that who are real dominant year-over-year in that league and it's
5:53
tough. It's a really tough game every single night and he's not going to play,
5:58
you know, Boston University, Boston College, you know, every night. He's not going to go headto-head with the best
6:03
guys ever. So, there could be nights right off the bat, and that's what I said in the article, like you mentioned, there could be nights off the bat where
6:09
Marton looks like he's the best player to come from the CHL. Like, out of the
6:15
peers that that are joining him there, like Misa and and like McKenna, he could look the best just because physically um
6:23
body-wise, he's just all there and he's got the sense like to play pretty much
6:29
in any any league in the world, I think, right now. Um, which is why you you can't underestimate how good he is, even
6:37
with him being a winger and not and not the coveted centerman. Yeah, I'm I'm still kind of surprised
6:42
that the Blackhawks didn't take him just to pair him with Baddard with the questions about if Baddard is a center or a winger. If you get a guy like
6:49
Martone with Bard, like you you just stick him down the middle, get Marton, get some fast guy on the left wing and
6:55
to make his money and like that could be a good line. Yeah. And I don't want to like dwell on
7:00
this point obviously, but I think that Chicago makes made made their decision on that sort of on that issue or like
7:08
what they thought about that issue with the selection of Fond Del, right? Um so I think they've just kind of they have
7:15
some serious doubt about uh Baddard being that that centerman. But you know,
7:21
that's what I'm saying, right? Marton and and and Baddard, you've got twothirds of a line that could be a top
7:27
line for the next 15 years, right? Uh if you kept them together and and it it was
7:33
a little weird at the time, and I think it shows with EP's ranking, right? Like he's got the the
7:39
what happened with him sliding, what what ended up the the circumstances that led to him sliding, I don't think had
7:45
anything to do with the way that he played or or how his his game fell off. He was good the entire time. he did what
7:51
he could have uh done in the OHL. He's going to move on to to a bigger stage.
7:56
And I I think you have no reason not to think he's one of the best players uh
8:02
currently a prospect anywhere in the NHL. Yeah, absolutely. He's right there at
8:07
four. We'll probably see him at the end of the season, I would imagine, unless the Flyers are completely out of it and
8:13
he goes the route of Alex Bump where he's just like, "All right, get me to the Phantoms cuz the Phantoms should be good. Get me to the Phantoms. Let me
8:18
play some playoff hockey." Dan, they're in the CER cup playoffs. But yeah, Martone definitely a huge bright spot
8:23
here along with Beachoff. Yeah, and and I think you you you nailed it on the head, right? Um there's a
8:30
chance that maybe the the Phantoms go back to some of the old days, Carter Richards days where they're just a force
8:36
for absolutely no reason. Um but ideally is is here at the end of the year. he
8:44
has um he doesn't even need to dominate I don't think in the NCAA in order to get there right like it's just he's got
8:50
to have um a good season where he seems acclimated maybe starts to build a
8:57
little bit of chemistry with with his linemates and and maybe playing with Shane Vanagi uh who we'll mention a
9:03
little bit later on uh can can help that but yeah I I I think his rating here is
9:09
justified and honestly I'm I'm a little surprised that he's this high but I'm not going to disagree with it.
9:14
Yeah. What do you think about what do you think about Demid being being number one? I know there's a lot there's a lot of some Canadians fans trying to make a
9:21
rivalry between him and and Mitchkov, but I mean he looked great last year, ended the year in the playoffs, but um I
9:29
guess he deserves to be number one because like Schaefer Misa aren't potentially generational. Yeah, I I
9:37
Demidov to me he's very very talented and I'm not going to disagree with him
9:42
being number one at all, but at the same time I I I think you still
9:47
it's not a case where any of these guys are like head and shoulders above one
9:52
another. I could see a world where Michael Misa becomes a better NHL player than uh Ivan Demidov very very easily,
10:02
right? You know, you look at uh Matthew Schaefer, the number one overall pick. I think
10:07
everyone already believes and thinks that he's going to be a very good NHL defenseman. He just looks like he he
10:13
looks the part, he plays the part. Um there's not really many doubts about his game, right? So, if if you're saying
10:19
that Schaefer becomes a number two defenseman and Demi Dov is is a a topline winger, well, Demi Dov is going
10:26
to have to score I don't know what n 80 90 points in order to to make it like a clear one two
10:33
to some of these other guys, right? Um I don't think he's I I think since he
10:38
played in the NHL and he had that playoff run where he looked really impressive, I I think it it warrants him
10:43
being there. Um and I'm not going to argue against it. I just think you could put a bunch of guys there. I mean, I
10:49
really liked Ryan Leonard um when he played for the Capitals as well. I thought Ryan Leonard was quite good. Um
10:55
he's number six. Uh our old friend Zou, you know, he's he's hanging around. Uh
11:02
he's he's pretty good. People seem to think he's he's all right. But like my my um
11:09
true qualms with the list don't come to like when you get to Ardum Lavouch at at
11:15
at 10 or something. I was like, I don't or Simv at 11. I'm like, yeah, okay, maybe I could I could get down with
11:21
that, but I'm not I'm not stomping down the door like these guys are going to be the next future of the NHL just yet. But
11:29
for a guy like Demidov, I you know, the the proof's kind of there. He was really good. Yeah, I really kind of wish they put
11:35
like a few tiers in there because you can see like like you said, like probably 10 to 20 or down even further
11:40
can kind of be mixed and matched depending on on who you ask there. And yeah, Demi Doof, our our good friends
11:46
over at FanDuel. He is the favorite for the Cer trophy at plus 230. And you
11:51
know, not he's not quite Connor Bernard, but Jet Luchenko and Porter Martone could be quite the duo in the coming
11:57
years. He's a 300 to1 for the Carter Trophy, which I know he's not a lot to make the roster. Some people think he
12:02
won't, but uh Jet Ljenko, that could be a good look there at FanDuel. Make sure you check them out. Thanks to them for
12:09
sponsoring us. And uh yeah, Jet Lenko is the next flyer on the list at number 30,
12:15
which I I I like it. I I feel like it might be might be kind of high. Like last year, Flyers took him 14th overall.
12:23
No one really liked it, but now a year later, like 30th best prospect in all of
12:28
hockey. Um clear path to a top six center role if he can can can earn it.
12:33
At at worst, he's probably a great thirdline center for the Flyers. And um yeah, what do you think about Luchenko
12:40
at 30? What do you think his uh plans are for this year? Well, Luchenko is he has this sort of
12:47
luxury that a lot of guys on this list, especially the defenseman, don't necessarily have where he's basically
12:53
going to just have a limitless he's not going to have a ceiling as to where he can get in the lineup, right?
13:00
Like as you said, he can become the number one center at the end of this year. like that is not out of the realm
13:06
of possibility, which is probably says something about the state of the franchise uh down the middle, but uh
13:13
that is the case, right? And and at the start of last year, at the start of last
13:18
year when when you saw Torch just beating down the door trying to get this
13:24
guy into the lineup, trying to keep him there, trying to get that that those 10
13:29
games to roll over so he would have to stay in the NHL. He didn't even score. He didn't score any points. He didn't
13:34
get on the board, right? Like there's got to be something there. John Tortoella may have his faults as a
13:41
coach that we've all seen in in in color over the last few few years. And really,
13:46
he hasn't been all that successful since I was about 5 years old, but
13:52
he knows what makes a good hockey player, especially a good two-way hockey player. and he saw something in Luchenko
13:59
that I think a lot of people see and that's a sense and and a sense of duty um both ways offensively and defensively
14:07
and and just being a guy who if he can develop a bit more of a scoring touch.
14:12
He's going to be a middle six center for quite a while. The reason why I think some people may think he is a bit high
14:20
on this list is that we kind of until he creates a bit more offense. We're kind
14:27
of he's a high floor, low ceiling guy, we're kind of not sure where he's going to end up as a full-time NHL or if he's
14:35
going to be able to put points up on the board that befit, you know, a second line center on a good
14:42
team. Yeah. just I mean and say say what you want about John Tonerella's ability as a
14:47
coach, but if he likes a young player that says a ton about that young player. We saw that with Tyson Forester, saw
14:54
that with Jet Luchenko there. And yeah, 30 is a bit surprising for him because I'm scrolling down this list like
15:01
someone like like a Jimmy Snuger who's going to be in the NHL this year, put up four points in seven games last year, 51
15:08
points in 40 games at the college level. Like I would think he definitely has a higher ceiling, maybe has a lower floor
15:15
and he's a winger opposed to a center. So like yeah, I really like seeing Luchenko at 30. It's like
15:21
But I'm going to interject and say the guy just above Luchenko in order to
15:26
counteract my praise of Ivan Demdov. David Reinbacher is not very good. Like
15:33
I'll like David Rybach. I like Jet Luchenko over David Rybacher long term as as a prospect.
15:40
Um, I just don't think he's that good, especially on a team like the Habs. And he's going to be at 29, right? Probably
15:46
because of his draft position. Um, that's a lot of it, right? He he does have ability, but it's just a matter of
15:55
if that can be actualized at the NHL level. With Luchenko, I think at the
16:00
very worst, he'll have a career in the league for quite a long time as
16:06
an undersized 3C who can contribute to winning. Now,
16:12
again, like I said before, if he takes that next step, he's going to be able to become a guy who can center a line and
16:19
be kind of like what Tyson Forester is on the wing in the in the way that he
16:24
can be a two-way force that kind of helps anchor a line, but this time as a center, he is going to be more valuable
16:31
at the NHL level. And I think he can play as a center, which keeps that, you know, that that value up even still
16:38
because we saw that he has some traits that could at least help to make him a
16:43
full-time NHL center at a higher level. Absolutely. There. And yeah, looking above Luchenko, you got Berkeley Caden
16:49
at 28. He was someone Flyers fans, including myself, wanted. He went what, seven, eight, nine there to Seattle. You
16:56
got you got Front Dell at 26. You got uh Brady Martin 24. Jake O'Brien 22. Like
17:03
you have these guys that the Flyers passed on or, you know, didn't have a chance to get. And Luchenko there at 30,
17:09
I think, is a pretty solid ranking for him. Um, where do you stand on him making the roster? Do you think he
17:15
should? Do you want him to? Or does it all depend on what happens in camp? I think you always want him to. Um, I
17:22
think there's no, it's not a bad thing if he goes to the Phantoms and plays part of his year
17:29
there, but I I would ideally want him to play in the NHL. I I think he's got NHL
17:36
abilities right now. Um, the issue with bringing him up is there
17:45
may be there may come a point where Luchenko is stuck sort of like as a
17:50
three left wing or a 4C and he's not really getting a ton of
17:57
time in order in in in offensive situations, right? He's maybe getting a
18:02
lot of defensive zone starts as a threeleft left wing, right? As as part of like a stopper line. Maybe he's playing with Christian D'vorak or
18:08
something like that, you know, midway through the season. And and you can see how that might stall his development
18:14
more than if he went to the AHL and and lit it up, which is
18:19
He can't go to the AHL, though, cuz he has to go back to the OHL. Yeah. Yes. He can't. See, this is the thing.
18:26
That's what makes it tough. It's like, yeah, I totally That totally slipped my mind. I would rather have him start the
18:32
season as the 3C 4C and he can grow and you know we've seen Jean Couture wear
18:38
down like Lenko can make his way up the lineup. Couttori might fall down a bit.
18:43
That's the thing. He can't go back to the OHL. He's just especially with G. There's just nothing there for him.
18:49
He can't do it. Yeah. Sorry I slipped my mind. But yeah, Luchenko he just he's
18:54
got to be like what I said still stands right. if he's gets stuck as like a 4C,
19:00
it does suck. Like that's not great for his development, but you just you're just going to have to push him to play
19:06
with guys who won't inhibit his offense or his offensive development. And I
19:11
think the Flyers are going to have a pretty well spread out offensive like team. They're not going to have um one
19:18
line that's the scoring line. They're going to have to contribute from everywhere. That's what it's been the last few years. So if he's playing still
19:24
with like Bobby Brink and like D'vorak, I don't think he's like playing with bums necessarily.
19:31
Yeah. And you know later in this season you could see D'vorak traded and Luchenko taking that spot. I I just
19:36
think there's like you said there's nothing for him to do more in G. Like we saw him last year put up over a point
19:42
per game. You know, maybe they want him to be at G just so then he can go to World Juniors, not have to interrupt his
19:49
NHL season if he wants to do that. But I don't know. I I really want to see him and make the roster just to see what
19:55
they have in him going into next off season to know are should they are they going to go out for like a McDavid or
20:00
Eel if they're available and be like all right we got Luchenko he's a good middle six center we have these wingers you can
20:06
be the piece and we're a playoff team right away like so I don't know there there's a log jam obviously with Ziggris
20:13
and D'vorak and Kates but any of those three can move to the wing pretty easily and I don't want to move Lenko to the
20:20
wing cuz he's a great two-way player with great speed. So, we'll see what happens with him. We'll see what happen with Tocket here. But, uh, yeah, very
20:26
happy with with a 30th ranking, though. Yeah, I think I think it's it's fair for
20:32
the most part for what he can bring and what he can be. Um, yeah, there are there guys in front of him, behind him
20:38
that you can probably like, you know, take issue with, but like again, I think we we said the same thing about 10 to
20:44
20. Um, a lot of these guys are pretty interchangeable and you don't know what's going to happen until they
20:50
actually get to the NHL anyways. So, Mhm. So, yeah, it's a it's a ranking focus on
20:56
projected value in the NHL elite prospects as here. I think it's like taking a bunch of different people or at
21:02
least a few different scouts and whatnot. So, it's not just one person, but um you you still don't know with all
21:09
these all these junior players, so many different um variables here and there with them. Uh yeah, scrolling down, 32
21:16
is our uh old friend Gabe Perau. And you're not down then until 50 spots
21:21
later, you have uh Oliver Bank at 82. Uh you know, just looking at the raw
21:27
numbers for Bon, he definitely took a step back last year in terms of points. Uh I know a lot of that was due to the
21:33
power play in London the year before, but he's he seems like he can still be, you know, a solid second pair.
21:39
right-hand defenseman are always valuable and he has like a round game that everyone says, you know, does
21:44
nothing exceptional, but is does everything well. Yeah, he's he's not a sexy player by any
21:52
means, I think. um first round pick wise is about as boring
21:57
of a prospect as you can have because he's just gonna steadily get better and better until he gets the NHL and then
22:04
we'll see how much it how long it takes for him to translate those skills to the
22:09
NHL. Like he's got a reasonable frame for a defenseman. He's got hockey sense.
22:16
He's learned really well how to play for the Knights. And
22:21
the problem with guys who come out of London is sometimes they are viewed as almost a product of the organization
22:27
because their organization is so strong. The culture is so strong year-over-year. So Bonk I think takes a hit there
22:35
especially as a defenseman alongside guys like Sam Dickinson who are you know more aesthetically impressive when you
22:42
watch them than a guy like Bonk. But I I don't see why he can't be a middle a
22:48
middle pair guy uh if not a a number two on a on a defense that's that's pretty
22:54
damn good because he has everything and it's not like his offensive game is is completely not there. He he can move the
23:01
puck. He can play within a structure and he's shown that he's very coachable and
23:07
he can do a lot of different things. He can you know he's he's willing to move outside of his comfort zone. you know,
23:13
playing in the bumper was not something that I think he ever would have thought that he was going to do at a high level
23:19
of hockey uh on the power play, especially for a team that was
23:24
awesome. So, I I like Bonk. I've always liked Bon. You can't get too excited about
23:31
him, but I think he'll bring a lot of the same attributes he had in the OHL to
23:37
the next level. And you you you do need these guys just to be around and to be
23:44
constantly supplementing that that defense because you can't you can't sign every guy you think who's going to be
23:50
Travis Sanheim to 6.25, right? You need extra waves. Um it's not going to be Nick Cer and and Noah Jules patchwork
23:57
forever, right? So you you'd hope that Bon is going to be the one and I think he's on a decent path. Yeah, Bon is
24:04
turning pro this season, so he has a chance to make the roster if he really wows in training camp. But I I you know,
24:10
AHL seems like he'll need at least full a full season there. But like down the road, I could just see a second
24:16
pair of Cam York, Oliver Bon being a great second pair and fans hating him.
24:21
Fans fans like everybody would hate that It would be like a Braden Coburn Carl
24:27
thing. It' be like I would be the only guy who likes that Two first round picks, neither score.
24:33
They don't hit. Yonyi Pitkin homage. Like a Cam York Oliver Blanc pairing is a
24:40
Bill Matt's nightmare. They're just two, you know, midsize defenseman. Don't hit, don't score, and just just do their job
24:46
well. They pass the puck around. Yeah. They don't even seem like they play defense well, but nobody really scores
24:52
when they're on the ice. So, all right. I guess it's fine. Yeah, I can see it in
24:57
the future. Yeah, it'll be really um it'll be really funny to see it and and
25:04
because it just seems like it's it's already forming up that way. Maybe as soon as next season, honestly. Um but
25:10
yeah, I think York and Bon are very similar types of players, honestly. Um not identical, but I think they're
25:17
they're both not going to be the sexiest guys on the back end. That's the way I can describe
25:22
Oliver Bon's game. It's just lunch pale. he'll do his job and maybe something
25:28
else is there, right? He does have he he does have the baseline skills. He's not
25:34
like a slow skater. He's not um stupid.
25:40
He's got Did you watch Did you watch much London this year? Uh yeah, I did. You know, Bonk looks
25:46
good. Okay, my Do you think he has like the vision to be a power play quarterback in the future?
25:53
It depends. I think he could do it in a pinch. I think he could do it in the way that like a teamin can do it. I think he
26:00
the Flyers tried Risto there. They had Eigoros. Oh yeah. Well, this is the thing is what
26:06
I'm hoping for in the future with the Flyers and maybe even a guy who's not on here like Spencer Gil who I think is
26:12
going to end up being he's going to climb a lot of lists in the in the upcoming year or so. Um, like those type
26:19
they they have guys in the system who'll probably be better at it than Bonk
26:24
realistically. Uh, but I think he can do it. He's not He's got the ability to pass it around.
26:31
He plays on the power play. He understands the power play. It's just he wasn't necessarily needed in that spot
26:38
um because of Dickinson being being there as as the as the quarterback. And and Dickson's a great power play
26:43
quarterback. He'll probably be one of the better ones in the NHL when he gets here. I would assume or he at least be top, you know, 20. He'll at least do it
26:50
on the Sharks, right, at some point eventually. So, is Bon gonna be great at
26:56
it? I I couldn't project that. I don't think he's going to be insane at it, but I think he can fill in a pinch. Yeah, hopefully they don't need him.
27:01
Hopefully Dale becomes one of the better ones or one actually do it at that. Yeah, you would you would Dill's got
27:07
more of the traits for it as like the stop start sort of skating style and a lot more um willingness to make the the
27:14
the the seam passes and and rotate rotate down low with with the
27:21
wingers and stuff, but like Bon this this is why he's also similar to
27:26
York is like York should be able to play the power play quarterback as well, but he just doesn't because
27:33
also Tors hated him so maybe he gets a that this No, maybe he gets a chance now, right? Maybe he can still do it. That's the
27:39
case. That's kind of I think the sort of area that Bon falls into though currently. I can't say much more about
27:45
it because he just didn't do it in London either. Yeah, he just seems like a solid second pair guy, which you know, it makes sense
27:51
why he's down here at 82. There's so many unknowns above him that probably have higher ceilings and you don't want
27:57
to be like, oh, you don't want to rank someone lower than Bon if they're going to somehow turn into a first-line player
28:02
like he's offensively he's offensively like capable. So, I could see him being a guy
28:08
who like a year he gets like 45 50 assists or something, right? Like that's 40 40
28:15
assists. Like I, you know, maybe one day he could do that. I mean, it's not like he gets shots to the net, he tries to
28:21
activate, he tries to to do the right thing with the puck, and if that can translate, he'll he'll be able to be
28:27
fine at the next level. And I just don't think you put him much higher because I don't think he's a top pair defenseman.
28:32
Yeah. Really? Exactly. Unless he shows something in the AHL that like, okay, he took a real step up and like he's just as good at this level
28:39
he was the last one, then you can refocus and say, maybe maybe he's just going to be steady. Maybe, you know,
28:45
Gustav Forsling does not play. He's not the most, you know, unbelievable looking defenseman, but at this point, he's one
28:51
of the best, you know, shutdown guys in the league. He's been proving been proving that year over year. But nobody
28:57
necessarily watching him ever thought he would be amazing. I mean, if you put
29:02
Bonk or or a lot of these other guys even in in a system where they're playing alongside five legitimately good
29:09
or decent NHL defenseman, you never know what can happen to them, right? Yeah, like he could be a top pair guy like
29:15
with Sanheim if Sanheim's this good in a few years when Bon comes up like that could be and they want Sanheim back on
29:20
the left side. That could work out. York Dale second pair like the Flyers. I think that's the mold they have to go
29:26
for because it's it's so hard to get like a true number one Victor Headman type defenseman that you have to build
29:32
like Florida like Florida does, like Vegas did. Get these four or five solid second pair first pair guys and run with
29:39
it. Yep. All right, the final Flyers prospect on the top 100 is probably the most
29:46
surprising. I I was uh kind of shocked to see him there down two spots to 84.
29:52
We have Alex Bump. You know, everyone kind of had him pencled into the lineup uh depending on Tyson Forers's injury.
29:59
It looks like he's going to be healthy though, so it does uh you know, add a battle to training camp for Alex Bump.
30:04
But 47 points, 23 goals last year in 42 games, three points in two regular
30:10
season AHL games, over 10 shots per game in college, gets the dirty areas, goes
30:17
to the slot, former fifth round pick. He just looks like he looks like a top six winger. He just does.
30:23
Yeah. No, he has he's risen he's made his stock rise like
30:29
crazy over the last probably six months. Um he's he's legit. You're not going to see
30:35
many fifth round picks, you know, on this list at all in any sense. Uh and
30:40
and his time at Western Michigan, he's just looks so much more dangerous. And
30:46
if he can even bring a fraction of like that potential
30:51
to the NHL, you're looking at a guy who is very interesting for a team that has
30:57
struggled with finding out and out goal scorers for quite a while, right? Um, and Bump getting on this list, you know,
31:05
you you can it it just shows that he has had a season that really made everyone
31:11
take notice of him. and heading into Lehigh Valley, into this camp, into a
31:16
battle for a spot with the Flyers, um that he can maybe make permanent if he plays well enough. You know, the the
31:23
sky's is the limit for him. I think he can even Yeah, I wouldn't be shocked to see him as as a second line left winger
31:31
at some point, you know, in February. We look up randomly and he's just ends up there because there's going to be a lot
31:37
of battles here in and around the roster. And if he plays well enough, he starts to score as like you said, if he
31:44
starts getting to the the middle of the ice and shooting that puck in a way that way like sometimes ask Owen Tippet to do
31:51
more of you know that sort of way where he just sort of busts to the middle and then gets to the more dangerous areas
31:57
instead of settling outside. The sky's is the limit for this kid and I kind of came out of nowhere. Yeah, I
32:04
you love to see the these fifth round picks, late later round picks making even contributing at the NHL level, let
32:09
alone potentially, you know, second line winger there. Um I I I'd love to see him
32:14
bang the door down in training camp, but I also kind of want to see him start at the AHL just because he they have the
32:21
option with him to bring him up and I'd rather see Luchenko. I'd rather see a guy like Rebankin who can definitely
32:27
play in the bottom six in the NHL. We've seen that before in Toronto there. So, I
32:32
I'm big fan of Bump. I expect to see him a decent amount this season. Um, yeah,
32:37
he's come out of nowhere to be a potential, you know, 20 plus goal scorer. Yeah, I, you know, I like he's going to
32:45
be very interesting to see in camp and and how he adapts to playing against NHLers because if he brings that
32:51
fearlessness that he had in college and doesn't get his head taken off immediately,
32:58
I think he's going to be a pretty fun guy to watch. and and you know, just the
33:03
name, the swagger, the full package of it. It's just funny, you know. It's just fun. He's one of those fun guys. It'd be
33:09
fun to have him on the roster. I agree with you that like it probably serves him well to go to the AHL and and play a
33:16
style of hockey. I think that he would actually like kind of thrive in, you know, a little slower, but it's still
33:24
very quick. Not slower than than college, obviously slower than the NHL, but it's still obviously quick. and
33:30
there's still big guys there. He's still got to navigate, right? You don't want to get caught coming across the middle
33:35
in the AHL ever um with their head down. So, I I think it would help his development. Uh but I think he's going
33:42
to make a push to to make that spot in the lineup permanent. Absolutely. And and looking at last year
33:48
with the Phantoms, he had the three points in two regular season games, a two-goal game, including a power play
33:54
goal to open the playoffs against the Penguins with three shots. Game two had three shots. They won that and then you
34:00
know you hear people say Hershey kind of locked in on him and teams can't do that at the NHL. They're not going to lock in
34:05
on Alex Bump when you have connect each maybe maybe maybe eventually in five years
34:10
buddy. Yeah. Cole takes exposed right there. Um yeah I mean then game one against
34:16
Hershey he had eight shots on goal and then the next four games he had one zero one and two. So I mean that that's teams
34:23
like all right Hershey was like all right let's let's lock on him in Hershey's got a bunch of men. Yes, has
34:29
like like all these all these Galdi on him that five seven little like
34:36
water bug going all over the place still playing in the AHL. Um but yeah, Hers is
34:42
a very tough team and and bump like that initial just spark that that's kind of
34:48
all you need to see, right? Like there's something there. Um there even if he was
34:53
a streaky scorer, right? again, fifth round pick, guy came coming out of college, you didn't really expect that
34:59
from him and and it'll be fun to see what he can do uh heading into training camp. Yeah. G get us another streaky score
35:05
like as long as they don't all go cold at the same time like they they can't possibly you got you got connect Tippet,
35:11
Forester Bump, I mean the whole team pretty much. It's the whole team. Yeah, I I've seen I've seen teams go
35:18
cold at the same time. Yeah. In a lot of different sports.
35:23
All right. And then there were uh two flyers on the honorable mentions. A pretty long honorable mention list here.
35:29
Uh second round picks from this this year, Jack Merte and Shane Van Sagi. Was
35:35
kind of surprised to not see Jack Nesbbit at least get a nod here as an honorable mention. But you know, maybe
35:41
we come around in a year from now and we see him up at 30 like like Luchenko was. Like we could see him learn to skate at
35:48
all and not just be a a boat turning on the ice. And then he's a great prospect.
35:53
No. Uh, Elite Prospects famously does not love guys who can't skate. Um, yeah,
36:00
there's still some stuff that Nesbbit has to work on. I think that with the
36:05
projectability of his value, I think that, um, EP probably just thinks that
36:11
he's a three a 3C, you know, just kind of a
36:17
guy, just a jag, you know. So, um, there's
36:24
it's it's funny when you see a guy like Mr. above him, though, because Mertag played a bit of center
36:31
uh last year, but I don't necessarily project him to be one in the NHL. Even
36:36
like EP has him listed as a left winger on the list, right, going to be this year. Um, but like it it's he's not like
36:45
a guy that I would look at and say that he's head and shoulders above Jack Nesbbit, you know? Um, if you stick them
36:52
both in the NHL right now, Nesbbit's probably better because he just he he's
36:58
boring, but he'll get the job done. I don't know if Jack Merte can play there. Uh, it's just the projectability of a of
37:03
a skill set of of Myrtag and Van Sagi, another big burly winger, right? uh that
37:09
they like more than than guys like Nesbbit. And yeah, maybe if Nesbbit takes a more leading role offensively,
37:15
he's the sky's the limit for him. He's just again got to learn to fix that stride and be a bit more offensively
37:21
sound and and round out his game. So that's that'll be it for him. I didn't
37:27
expect him to see him on this list. Elite prospects did not like him through throughout the entire entire draft process. So that's not surprising me
37:33
whatsoever. Yeah. Uh yeah, Jack Desp also a bit older. He turned 18 back in January. Uh
37:38
Jack Merrtag is still 17 years old. He turns uh 18 on Friday. So happy early
37:44
birthday to uh Jack Merte there. And we gota got to shout out Lyndon 49 in the chat here. Been very active. He says,
37:50
"Guys, I'm an old head and Jack Nesbet will be a horse for us one day." So I I
37:56
I trust you there. You can see it. You can see it. Like I'm not against it. It's just, you know,
38:01
they're not I knew they weren't going to like him. That's not the type of guy that EP is going to like. They they like the projectable skill guys. Like I look
38:08
at a guy like Matt Vay Griden who is also in the honorable mentions. Um
38:14
I definitely know who that is. Yeah. So he played he played Muskegan I believe. Um or at least I think he's
38:20
going to Michigan I believe now. He's he's very good. He could be very skilled. There's a chance he just
38:25
doesn't play in the NHL. Like there's a chance that none of this works. Like any of his scoring ability, there's a chance
38:31
none of that works. He does not make the NHL and he does not play at the NHL in any meaningful sort of like uh any
38:39
meaningful sort of way. So Nesbbit I think again it's about the ceiling that
38:45
they don't think he has the ceiling that some of these other guys do and that's the only reason.
38:50
Yeah. What do you think though about Merte and Vanagi? Like I admittedly am not a big prospect head and like I'm
38:57
these second round picks they got they got four of them you know hopefully two of them pan out. Merkag looks like, you
39:02
know, a good good scoring winger. Looks like he has a good shot and Vinceagi obviously has the big body, can be that,
39:08
you know, power forward hopefully on a middle six line in the future. Um, personally to me, Merte, he was part
39:16
of that kind of glut of US and is it N I
39:22
never get this right. National team development program. It is NTDP. NTDP. Yeah. Yes. He was full of those
39:29
guys with Cole McKini and and Moore and uh you know all those guys at the end at
39:34
the end of the first round bleeding into the start of the second. I Horov was the other one as well.
39:41
William Horov was the other one um that that I also was thinking about. All those guys kind of occupied the same
39:46
space in my mind. It's just uh they scored around the same amount of points
39:52
last year. They were pretty similar and I didn't love the the NTDP this year. I
39:58
didn't think they were very good. Um they struggled at times. So Mr. I think
40:04
has the most scoring potential. Like he's he's
40:09
not he doesn't fly like Oliver Moore um or or or necessarily have a huge
40:16
frame, right? I don't think he's a centerman, but I think he's got some scoring chops to him. And I think at BEu
40:22
this year, there's a chance that he takes another step and it looks really good and he's able to kind of like
40:28
cement himself as more of a top line option rather than just a guy who's is
40:34
in the middle of the lineup kind of contributing offense. Um, and and part of like a glut of guys
40:40
who are all scoring around the same amount of points. You know, you just start to take over a little bit more. And Ben Sagi, like you said, big huge
40:46
guy going to Michigan State. Um, hopefully going to play with Martone. That' be a sick line with those two massive behemoths out there. That' be
40:53
really cool. Or he could play with Gavin McKenna. You never know. Um Well, no. McKenna's at Penn State.
41:00
Yeah, McKenna's at Penn State. Or is it Kayen LindstΓΆm at uh Kayen L?
41:06
Kayen LindstΓΆm if he's healthy would be the one. Yes. Um and yeah, so again, that's going to
41:12
be potential to have a couple massive guys on the line. Uh potential to really make uh a splash there for him. He
41:19
didn't score very much in his first year, but he gets moved up the lineup. He gets some power play time. Netfront
41:25
again, another netfront guy. Maybe uh in Van Sagi. I think he fits that profile really well if he's able to get a
41:31
scoring touch going a little bit more than it has. Um and yeah, I I think both
41:36
these guys are really intriguing. I really like them. They were my two favorite second rounders. Okay. Uh out of the guys the Flyers took. Um,
41:43
well, Amoiko is like a big Amo I like a lot, but again, Amo I like a lot, but it's hard to really say much
41:50
about him. We haven't seen him. It's just the build of having a 66 defenseman who's built. I mean, if he's healthy, yeah,
41:57
I'm sure he's going to be pretty awesome to watch because he's going to be absolutely a behemoth back there. So,
42:03
uh, yeah, but in terms of the guys that I'm watching this year, uh, in in
42:08
college outside of Marton, obviously Merte and and Ben Sagi are high on the
42:13
list. Yeah. And I I like that they're going to college. I wonder if that's why, you know, elite prospects put them over some
42:18
other guys because what Nesbbit's going back to to Windsor in the OHL after having, you know, pretty much a point
42:24
per game there last year and Saggy already played a year at the college level. I don't know if it's like the
42:29
shining shiny new syndrome of being able to see these players in college after the OHL, but I feel like it's just a a
42:36
better development for players that are physically ready to play against, you know, 22, 23 year olds rather than 17,
42:44
18, 19, 16 year olds sometimes. Well, the problem with the NCAA is you you can get stuck behind guys a lot. Um,
42:51
there are certain situations where players won't get the maximum amount of
42:57
playing time they could have if they were on like say a flint in the OHL where they just get free rain to do
43:03
whatever they want and play power play one penalty kill one as much as possible. Go. Um, so yeah, that that
43:11
probably won't be a problem for a lot of the Flyers guys. I think they're if they're healthy and if they're playing,
43:16
they should all be pretty um key pieces to their to their schools.
43:23
So, um to the programs. So, I I think I think the Flyers are going to avoid that this year. You know,
43:29
Mr. Vanagi, Martone, Amo, if he plays, all those guys are going to be pretty
43:34
big uh pretty big pieces to their squad. So, I I think they'll be fine this year,
43:40
but um there's still a a route for guys in the OHL. I mean, you put up a a ton
43:46
of points in the OHL, it it gets people's eyes opening wide, right? And and it's not easy for a guy who's like
43:54
young young, especially at a as a smaller build to uh make it in the NCAA
44:00
and not get swallowed up, right? M. So, it's a give and take process, but I
44:05
think for a lot of these big programs like Michigan State, Penn State, BEu, BC, yeah, if you can get there and get
44:12
playing time there, well, Penn State is sort of building something there. It's not necessarily a traditional hockey
44:18
school, but they're building something huge there apparently, uh, seemingly. Um, so if you can get playtime there,
44:25
you're you're golden. You're set. you're going to have a great uh developmental process because those guys know how to
44:31
how to turn out professional hockey players. Yeah, college hockey definitely on the up and up right now. Should be should be
44:37
exciting to watch Martone and all these other guys. Like what I think college hockey is typically like Friday, Saturday, maybe maybe sometimes Friday,
44:44
Saturday, Sunday. So Friday night there's rarely any NHL games. So all the sickos can turn on their uh whatever
44:50
whatever streaming service they're using to to watch these games. Yeah. You know, get some flow hockey
44:55
sessions in. Blow it up. You know all about flow, don't you? You prospect prospect guru Ryan Gilbert.
45:02
Absolutely. I'm a prospect expert. Flow hockey is my my homepage actually. Yeah. Yeah. No, it's actually I have it
45:08
bookmarked. Nice. Nice. Yeah. On my phone and my computer. Nice. Um Okay. Yeah. So, Flyers there
45:14
had six players in the top 100 in honorable mentions. Um that is tied for
45:19
the fourth most. The Blackhawks had eight. Uh Utah and Washington and Nashville all had seven. And then the
45:26
Flyers, Flames, Blues, Red Wings, Kraken, Hurricanes, and Penguins all have six. So Flyers got a a good young
45:34
core, a few good veterans with the with the Travi there, and uh you know, some prospects to boot there. So hopefully
45:39
this pans out. Hopefully it's not like it was a decade ago where we had a bunch of prospects and uh we're we're back
45:46
here again. So um yeah, any any closing thoughts here? Yeah, it's nice to see them get um a
45:53
bunch of a bunch of mentions here. you know, six is a pretty good amount and it's the type of path that they want to
45:58
go down uh for for the rebuild. You you would like to see more centers, obviously. I think we would like to see
46:04
the centers be more prominently featured outside of Luchenko, but um at the end
46:10
of the day, you just got to hope that they all turn out and they all stay healthy and in two years they're all
46:16
flyers and we can we can start to turn this ship around a little bit more than it already is. Uh so yeah, that's all I
46:25
got. But uh it's nice to see some guys getting some recognition here around the
46:30
league and and and that we're not crazy for thinking maybe this time it might be
46:36
at least a little different. Yeah, I I don't know if it's on I'm hoping it's on my end because you just sounded you like frozen sounded very
46:42
robotic there. So hopefully the the live viewers and the podcast listeners would hear that. I heard most of it. So, um,
46:48
yeah, more centers. Just just get more guys here in the system. You're once again frozen making a fantastic face
46:53
there. Maybe I'll make that the the thumbnail there. Uh, I don't see myself freezing and I can see myself talking on Streamyard, so I'm
46:59
gonna say that it's you and say probably my end. Yeah. By Ryan Gilbert.
47:05
Oh. Um, so Jacob, where where can people follow you if you want them to? Uh, Russell_28 on underscore two
47:13
underscores underscore uh on Twitter. I'm not on there. I'm not
47:18
on anywhere, you know. Just find me on the website. I'll be back here eventually. Uh I'll be around. Uh yeah,
47:25
go go go check out brahockey.com, please. There you go. Yeah. Uh brush hockey.com.
47:30
Broad Street Hockey YouTube channel. Uh you can follow me on Blue Sky Ryan Gilbert.
47:37
And shout out FanDuel once again for sponsoring the show here. And until next time, thanks for listening.
#Hockey
#Team Sports