Next up in our Philadelphia Flyers player grading series, we look at what 22-year-old rookie Bobby Brink was able to do. The 5-foot-9 winger was a second-round pick in the 2019 NHL draft by Philadelphia.
Brink seemed like a long shot to make the Flyers’ opening night roster for 2023-24 with how many solid wingers were on the team, but he battled hard and won a spot. How did he perform with an extended look in the NHL?
Brink Shows Some Promise
In his rookie season, Brink showed some flashes of top-six potential. In 57 games, he had 11 goals and 12 assists for 23 points and a plus-1 rating. With a 13.6 shooting percentage, he was third on the team overall and first among forwards. With efficiency like that, he probably should have gotten a look on the first line here and there.
Brink is a good skater and shooter, making him one of the better offensive weapons that the Flyers had. He wasn’t exactly their top producer, but he made some needed strides in his first full season.
Brink’s shooting percentage was definitely not misleading. He has always had a great shot, but translating that to the NHL is a completely different discussion. When the puck was on his stick, he usually made some good plays. He could use some growth at this young stage of his career, but he is an NHL player regardless — that much has become apparent.
Brink was on the way to making the Flyers’ 2022-23 roster, but a torn labrum in the summer prior to that season gave him no shot of making the team. By the time he was back, it just didn’t make sense for a 20 and 21-year-old to play in the NHL when he wasn’t playing nearly enough hockey. To be a roster regular this time around was a success in itself — being effective was a huge plus.
Inconsistent Opportunities for the Flyers
Brink’s inconsistencies weren’t really on him. At around the mid-point of the season, he was placed on the fourth line by head coach John Tortorella after a few games without any points. His defensive numbers took a hit, he couldn’t generate much offense, and he was sent down to the American Hockey League (AHL) as a result of being put in a no-win situation.
Related: Flyers’ Demotion of Bobby Brink to the AHL Is a Mistake
Once Brink earned his chance to come back up to the NHL, the same things happened to him. He was a healthy scratch or a fourth-line staple fairly often in the last quarter of the season. Never able to win over his coach, his numbers took a massive hit, and so did the success of the Flyers.
While Brink might not have deserved to be thrown on the first line every game, he was clearly one of the Flyers’ better players. Tortorella has always had a reputation for being hard on players, but he took it to the extreme with the 22-year-old. It might have just been a bit of rookie hazing, but there were players around his age that were treated a bit better.
Some more consistency in his spot in the lineup might have resulted in a bigger breakout. Brink wasn’t perfect, but the way he was coached made it seem like he had to be. With a chance to make the Flyers’ top six next season pending the team’s offseason moves, he might be motivated by his treatment.
Brink’s Final Grade
Though Brink’s on-ice numbers weren’t great and his scoring didn’t quite make up for that, his numbers are sort of misleading. Playing on one of the more ineffective fourth lines in the entire NHL didn’t do him any justice, and he probably didn’t deserve to be there, either.
When he was in the top six for Philadelphia, which didn’t happen very often, it seemed like he belonged there. His placement in the bottom six was sometimes justified, but not to the tune of under 14 minutes of ice time each game and just 786 total minutes. If he had played more, perhaps the Flyers could have made the playoffs.
Brink’s numbers are ultimately a reflection of his play, but it is worth noting everything that went on for context. Overall, a C+ grade for the rookie seems about right. If he can improve his all-around game and be a little bit more effective on the power play (five points despite playing 126 total minutes), his 2024-25 campaign could be a great one.