When the Flyers were back on the clock with the 22nd overall pick, there were plenty of options on the board. Majority were forwards. The Flyers opted to bolster their blue line with a shutdown, right-handed option.
With the 22nd overall pick, the Flyers selected defenseman Oliver Bonk.
Bonk played in the OHL with the London Knights, scoring 10 goals and 40 points in 67 games. The 6’1”, 176-pound blueliner can be reliable in the defensive zone.
This pick, countering the decision to go with a forward in the Top 10 in each of the last two drafts, is designed to address the defensive core. Bonk has all the tools of an NHL defenseman, particularly one that can provide the consistency in the defensive zone that the team needs.
More to come on this selection, as well as a breakdown of Matvei Michkov with the seventh overall pick. That concludes the first round for the Flyers. The team has eight picks on Day 2, their next coming at 87th overall in the third round.
