With the addition of Matvei Michkov to the Philadelphia Flyers’ offense, there’s only one small, young winger on anyone’s mind right now. However, there’s another one to be taken notice of: Bobby Brink.
Brink, a 23-year-old, signed a two-year extension worth $1.5 million annually in the 2024 offseason which reads as a “prove it” deal. Though he likely won’t have a top spot in the lineup, it really is time for him to take that next step.
Brink Needs to Progress
It might seem like Brink is just getting started in his career, but the reality is that he’s been a member of the Flyers for a long time. Entering his sixth season since being drafted by the Orange and Black (34th overall in 2019), he has to prove himself soon. At this stage, progression will be needed—stagnation could mean losing a spot in an NHL lineup once his two-year deal is up.
Now, it might seem hasty to talk this way about Brink, a player who was impressive at the collegiate level and has only 67 NHL games under his belt. But he’s a 5-foot-8, 169-pound winger who centers his game around offense—27 points with very poor on-ice stats is not ideal. His plus-1 rating might look okay, but he benefitted from having the highest sum of on-ice save percentage and on-ice shooting percentage, also known as PDO, among Flyer forwards.
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Brink was decent points-wise with 23 in 57 contests, finishing sixth on the team in points per 60 (P/60) with 1.76. That being said, his subpar defense and chance creation make a future breakout pretty vital, seeing as he really hasn’t shown he deserves more than a depth forward role in the NHL.
At this stage, it’s less about whether head coach John Tortorella will give the youngster his chances and more about earning those opportunities. With wingers Tyson Foerster, Michkov, Owen Tippett, Travis Konecny, and Joel Farabee all ahead of him in terms of importance, it’ll be a battle for ice time. Noah Cates and Garnet Hathaway, two elite defensive wingers on a team that relied on their defense in 2023-24, make it guaranteed that no chance will just be handed to Brink.
It doesn’t look inspiring for Brink’s future in Philadelphia, but it’s important to realize that he controls his own destiny here. If he plays better than his teammates, he’ll get a higher share of ice time—a middle-six role and good power-play usage is his upside, and it could be achieved with enough work. Adding, say, two minutes to his 13:48 of average ice time from last season would go a long way.
With the abundance of talent the Flyers have on the wing currently and in the pipeline who aren’t far from NHL-ready (Samu Tuomaala, Denver Barkey, and possibly Massimo Rizzo), another passable season wouldn’t be enough. Brink’s skills are unfortunately replaceable, so it’s up to him to prove he belongs with the Orange and Black for the long-term future. Scoring around 45 points with good on-ice stats is the key here—it’s very possible but still a challenge for someone who seems limited to the third line.
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Stagnation is the biggest killer of NHL careers. As long as someone is consistently improving, it doesn’t matter if it takes them until 27, for example, to break out. But Brink hasn’t really progressed since his 2021-22 campaign—that’s why these next couple of seasons are huge for him.
Players Who Inspire Brink Can Have a Memorable Career
Bigger, more physical players tend to be given the benefit of the doubt, as their size is useful in the NHL. But Brink is already facing a disadvantage with his size—coupling that with mediocre production makes it hard to put him in the lineup with full confidence. However, he’s not the first player of his kind. Here, let’s look at some smaller players who took their time to reach new heights at the NHL level.
Cam Atkinson
Cam Atkinson, a former Flyer, is exactly the type of career archetype that Brink should be aiming for. Atkinson, a 5-foot-8, 175-pound winger taken in the sixth round of the 2008 NHL Draft, rose up the ranks to defy his late selection. But it didn’t come without struggle.
Atkinson didn’t debut in the NHL until 2011-12, which was four seasons after being drafted by the Columbus Blue Jackets. He had elite numbers in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) just like Brink, so this comparison isn’t far off. The former had 14 points in 27 NHL contests with great on-ice stats that season, so he was a bit further ahead in terms of development. However, he had a nearly identical campaign in a shortened 2012-13 (18 points in 35 games)—he wasn’t a star just yet.
Atkinson had back-to-back 40-point seasons before reaching 53 in 2015-16. Scoring 35 goals and 62 points in 2016-17 and earning All-Star honors, that’s when he reached top-six forward status. While he was always a little bit better than Brink, the progression here goes to show how important these next couple of seasons are for the 23-year-old.
Viktor Arvidsson
A slightly bigger Viktor Arvidsson holds a 5-foot-10, 185-pound frame but had to earn what has been a solid NHL career. Selected in the 2014 NHL Draft a whole three seasons after first being eligible, he was expected to take charge very early even if he was a fourth-rounder. He got his first true stint in the NHL in 2015-16, his age-22 campaign—this is the same as Brink. Arvidsson scored 16 points in 56 games and had below-average on-ice numbers, setting up a pivotal 2016-17 campaign. And that’s where he showed his true colors.
Arvidsson had a 61-point season in 2016-17, making him a vital member of the Nashville Predators’ run to the Stanley Cup Final. That’s obviously a stretch for Brink, but bigger opportunities are gained with better play on the ice. It’s hard to see the latter putting up more than 50 points, but reaching that would prove he’s a worthy NHLer. The numbers suggest that it was a battle for Arvidsson, much like it was for Brink, but a great career was achieved.
Jonathan Marchessault
Our first undrafted player here, the 5-foot-9, 185-pound Jonathan Marchessault had just four games under his belt entering the seventh season following his eligibility for the 2009 NHL Draft. In 2014-15, Marchessault had 67 points in 68 American Hockey League (AHL) games, which is inspiring for Brink who had 13 points in 13 AHL contests in 2023-24.
Marchessault had a decent 18 points in 45 games with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2015-16 with inspiring on-ice metrics. However, he was already 25 and 26 years old at this time, so a breakout was necessary. He found that with the Florida Panthers in 2016-17, scoring 30 goals and 51 points—he has averaged 67 points per 82 contests since then, even winning the 2023 Conn Smythe Trophy. Again, there’s time, but not a ton of it.
It’s not easy for small wingers to craft a memorable NHL career if they haven’t made an impact by the time they turn 23, but it’s been done before. Could Brink be the next to do it?
Stats courtesy of Natural Stat Trick
