With the 2024-25 campaign underway, prospects in the Philadelphia Flyers system are competing in leagues around the world. From the junior-level ranks to the minor leagues, the Flyers have many talented players making an impact. Several prospects have seized the opportunity to assume leadership roles and continue to put their skills on full display in hopes of one day competing for an NHL roster spot.
The Flyers have struggled to find a way to consistently win in the first month of the season. Despite setbacks and much-needed adjustments, general manager Daniel Brière and other members of the front office should be happy about their pool of prospects. Flyers draft picks such as Denver Barkey, Oliver Bonk, and Alex Ciernik stand out as solid contributors to their teams as they continue to work toward developing into NHL-caliber players. This edition of the Flyers Prospects Report focuses on the achievements of various players over the first few weeks of the season.
Denver Barkey (London Knight)
Denver Barkey was drafted by the Flyers 95th overall in 2023. In his fourth Ontario Hockey League (OHL) campaign, the 19-year-old is wearing the “C” on his sweater. Last season, the left-shot centerman appeared in 102 games for the Knights, racking up 35 goals, 67 assists, and an outstanding plus-45 rating. He was just as good in the postseason; in 18 playoff games, the 5-foot-9, 154-pounder scored six goals, tallied 21 assists, and a plus-10 rating. In addition to capturing an OHL championship, Barkey was named to the league’s Second All-Star Team.
Known for his outstanding passing and puckhandling skills, Barkey is settling into his offensive groove with London. In the first eight games, he has six points, and in a 5-2 win against the Sarnia Sting over the weekend, the Ontario native scored his first goal of the season.
Oliver Bonk (London Knights)
London blueliner Oliver Bonk has one goal, six assists, and a plus-5 rating in eight OHL games so far. The 6-foot-2, 179-pounder was drafted by the Flyers in the first round (22nd overall) in 2023. Now in his fourth season with the Knights, Bonk and Barkey have Flyers fans watching a lot of highlight reels coming out of London, Ontario.
Related: Philadelphia Flyers 2024-25 Prospect Pyramid
Last season, the blueliner recorded an impressive 24 goals, 43 assists, and a plus-28 rating. After this breakout season, Bonk was named alternate captain of the Knights leading up to the 2024-25 campaign. In the first eight games of this season, Bonk, 19, has one goal and six assists. He also already has two multi-point games in victories over the Owen Sound Attack and Barrie Colts earlier this month. Scouting reports consider him an excellent passer, which is very evident in his assist totals over the past few seasons.
Cole Knuble (University of Notre Dame)
The University of Notre Dame’s Cole Knuble is considered by scouting reports to be a top-notch passing and scoring threat. The right-shot centerman appeared in 36 games for the Fighting Irish last season, recording 20 points (nine goals and 11 assists) and a plus-4 rating. A veteran of international play with Team USA, the 5-foot-11, 185-pounder was drafted 103rd overall in 2023.
Knuble is now in his sophomore season with Notre Dame. He appears to be on track to surpass his offensive totals from last season. In six games, he has five goals, five assists, and a plus-7 rating. On Oct. 25, the Grand Rapids, Michigan native exploded offensively on Long Island University, recording four points (one goal and three assists) in a 4-1 victory.
Alex Bump (Western Michigan University)
Drafted 133rd overall in 2022, Western Michigan University’s Alex Bump is considered by scouting reports to be an offensive talent. The second-year college player and left-shot forward is especially known for his shot accuracy, passing, and puckhandling skills. Named an alternate captain for the 2024-25 Broncos’ squad, the Minnesota native had United States Hockey League (USHL) experience before turning to the ranks of NCAA Division I hockey.
In 38 games last season, Bump had 14 goals, 22 assists, and a plus-7 rating for Western Michigan. He is off to a great start this campaign, with three points in the first four games. In an Oct. 17 showdown with Bowling Green State University, the winger scored a goal and tallied an assist for the Broncos. Western Michigan has a 3-1-0 record to start, with their first loss coming this weekend on the road against Boston College, one of the top three programs in the country. Going into the game, the Broncos were ranked number 14 in college hockey polls, falling to the Eagles 4-2.
Devin Kaplan (Boston University)
A native of Bridgewater, New Jersey, right-shot forward Devin Kaplan has appeared in 77 games over two seasons for Boston University. Now in his third campaign with the Terriers, the newly appointed alternate captain has appeared in five games for Boston University, with one goal and two assists. His physicality has also been on full display, recording 27 penalty minutes for the top three-ranked program.
Kaplan and his Terriers currently sit at 4-1-0, with their only loss of the season coming at the hands of a tough University of North Dakota team on Oct. 25. The following day, the Terriers got their revenge on North Dakota, winning the game 4-3. Kaplan had two points in the game, a goal and an assist. The right-winger was drafted 69th overall by the Flyers in 2022.
Ty Murchison (Arizona State University)
Named an alternate captain for the 2024-25 Arizona State Sun Devils’ squad, Ty Murchison is now in his fourth season of college hockey. The 6-foot-2, 205-pound blueliner is known for his skating and physicality and has established himself as a tough defenseman in Tempe. Drafted 158th overall in 2021 by the Flyers, he was an important part of the ASU squad’s success last season.
Arizona State is now in their first season in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC). In eight games, Murchison has one assist, 14 penalty minutes, and a plus-3 rating – his point came in the Sun Devils’ victory over Northern Michigan University on Oct. 25. Last season, Murchison had seven points (three goals and four assists), 62 penalty minutes, and a plus-7 rating in 37 games. This past summer, the left-shot defenseman participated in the 2024 Flyers Development Camp in Voorhees, New Jersey.
Alex Ciernik (Nybro Vikings)
Left-shot forward Alex Ciernik was drafted by the Flyers 120th overall in 2023. A German-born Slovakia national, the 20-year-old has made a name for himself in Europe as an explosive skater with excellent puckhandling skills. Last season, the 5-foot-10, 179-pound winger appeared in 26 games for Västerviks Ishockeyklubb (IK) of the HockeyAllsvenskan, the second-highest professional league in Sweden, where he scored four goals and ten assists.
This season, Ciernik has appeared in 11 games with the Nybro Vikings, also of the HockeyAllsvenskan. He appears to be finding his rhythm as an offensive contributor, having already recorded nine points (four goals and five assists). In an Oct. 26, 4-3 shootout victory over Kalmar HC the speedster tallied an assist.
Ilya Pautov (Krasnaya Armiya Moskva)
Drafted 173rd overall by the Flyers in 2024, left-shot forward Ilya Pautov is well into his third season in Russia’s Molodyozhnaya Hokkeinaya Liga (MHL). The MHL, sometimes translated as the Youth or Minor Hockey League, is a major junior ice hockey league in Eurasia with teams operating in Russia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan. In 15 games with Krasnaya Armiya Moskva, the Novosibirsk, Russia native has four goals, ten assists, and a plus-8 rating. He has four multi-point games this season, including a recent two-point outing on Oct. 24.
Terms such as “cerebral tactician” and “playmaker” are often applied to Pautov’s style of play. Largely thanks to his impressive offensive numbers last season, the 5-foot-10, 165-pounder has received a lot of attention from the Flyers faithful, eager to see yet another top Russian prospect don the burnt orange, black, and white. In 46 games last season, he had 45 points (15 goals and 30 assists) for Krasnaya Armiya Moskva.
Santeri Sulku (Iisalmen Peli-Karhut)
A solid passer, puckhandler, and overall open-ice playmaker, Santeri Sulku is now in his second season in Mestis, Finland’s second-highest men’s hockey league. Having spent the 2023-24 campaign with Kokkolan Hermes (Hermes) of Mestis, he scored 17 goals and nine assists in 36 games.
The left-shot forward, now signed to Iisalmen Peli-Karhut (IPK), has nine points (six goals and three assists) in seven games this season, recording points in each game. Born in Helsinki, Finland, Sulku has appeared in leagues in both Sweden and Finland. The 20-year-old is a towering figure on the ice, standing at 6-foot-4 and 201 pounds. He was selected by the Flyers in the seventh round in 2022.
Flyers, Royals, Phantoms Upcoming Games
The Flyers return to action against the Boston Bruins on Oct. 29 at 7:00 PM EDT. Minor league affiliates the Reading Royals and Lehigh Valley Phantoms are both in action this Wednesday, Oct. 30, night on the road. The Royals will square off against Trois-Rivières Lions at 7:00 PM EDT, while the Phantoms will travel to Hershey for a 7:00 PM EDT faceoff against the in-state rival Bears.
