Bonk focused on all-around game ahead of 2023 NHL Draft
Defenseman prospect takes pride in 'small little details'
Oliver, who was born in Ottawa, had several stops during his playing career, based on where Radek was at the time.
"I became a defenseman because back when I was in Czech, we had a team of players who couldn't really skate backwards very well," he said. "I was always a gifted backwards skater, so I started playing the position and it just stuck with me from that point."
Said Radek: "He's good defensively, wins battles, his first pass is good ... it's those little things I think people look for. Not everybody's going to be
Cale Makar, going end to end, highlight goals every week. I don't think it's him. It's just doing a lot of things well over the course of the game."
Oliver was chosen in the second round (No. 26) by London in the 2021 OHL draft.
He began the 2021-22 seaon with St. Thomas of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League and had 32 points (five goals, 27 assists) in 32 games, before getting his shot with London later that season.
"I was playing 25-plus minutes a game (with St. Thomas)," Oliver said. "I hopped right into the first defense pairing, first power-play unit, first penalty kill, so it was good to kind of learn the ropes. I learned how you need to act when you're playing big minutes, how you need to recover. Playing those minutes got me ready for the OHL."
Bonk (6-1, 180), No. 20 on
NHL Central Scouting's final ranking of North American skaters presented by BioSteel, ranked second among rookie defensemen in the Ontario Hockey League with 40 points (10 goals, 30 assists) and was first with 17 power-play points (15 assists) and four short-handed points (three assists) in 67 games.
"One of the things I've learned as a scout is that players that end up having success at the next level usually have a draft year where they really grow and understand the game better," Central Scouting director David Gregory said. "Oliver is a player who obviously has the lineage, but he's gotten so much better as the years have progressed. His trajectory has been straight up; no inconsistencies in his game. And he's gained more confidence playing with the puck."
Defenseman prospect takes pride in 'small little details'
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