Prospect Info: Round 1, 22nd overall: Oliver Bonk, RHD, London (OHL)

[Gainesvillain]

Habs fan here who watched Bonk a ton this year.

Bonk's IQ is extremely high, he's all about attention to the small details, he's defense-first but not afraid to jump into the play when warranted, Showed in the playoffs that he can handle a heavy forecheck (vs Petes) and get the puck out of the zone. Good passer. Lots of smart decisions. Behind Mailloux on London's depth chart so not a lot of PP opportunities, but next year I think you'll see his offense explode, He has good size, above-average vision, good agility.

You got a gem.

 

[CutOnDime97]

From Elite Prospects Draft Guide

2023 Elite Prospects NHL Draft Guide

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[Adtar02]

Smart teams dont go for floor picks in the first round.

Don’t think they see this as a floor pick. He’s playing above his age because of smarts and understanding of the game.

 

[Adtar02]

Most reports scream smarts. Something I think translates better than most other skills. Again I know there were other players. But if he has the iq this isn’t bad.

 

[bauer]

I do think he’ll be a solid top 4 RHD, just liked a few other players more at 22.

I wish him the best. Let’s not crucify him because our coach is dumb. He’s a Flyer now so hopefully he develops better than some of our other recent young D.

 

[GKJ]

Really good pick at 22, he's going to be a top 4 d man in the league. Cant believe you guys dont like it, in the hockey factory at London with terrific pedigree. Strange stance around here.

we are a strange people. our default reaction is misery.

 

[Striiker]

Let’s make this clear, since this thread will absolutely be misrepresented:

It’s not that anyone is saying he can’t become a good player. Nobody is guaranteeing he’ll be bad.

The problem is, based on what we know TODAY, they still have a bad process and passed up on players with much higher ceilings - who are also a bigger area of need for this team - because they were too focused on defense/defensemen.

 

[CutOnDime97]

HockeyProspect.com had him at 16

 

[BringBackFletcher]

So they fixated on defense for that pick... ugh

Idiotic approach. Very disheartening

 

[Magua]

Not that I know shit, but this was my 2nd lowest rated player picked tonight. He's not Ginning, but screams of picking for need in the same vein. When I hear "he's going to be a solid #4" I want to rip my hair out. The downside is always much lower for those types than Hockey people like to admit.

They just couldn't stomach picking another (undersized) winger.

No one understands defensive defensemen at that level (defense in general) -- some just know less than others. It's the archetype with the least ROI for a reason. If you compiled a list of the best NHL ones, they'd almost all be non-1st rounders.

I do lean conservative, but I'm out here calling Reinbacher a solid 2nd pair defender and using the same descriptions as you see for Bonk. The baseline skill level is always underrated.

Briere essentially admitted they wanted a defender with that pick (fit!). I'll give him an honest watch, but it has all the trappings of a bad process pick.

 

[Adtar02]

Let’s make this clear, since this thread will absolutely be misrepresented:

It’s not that anyone is saying he can’t become a good player. Nobody is guaranteeing he’ll be bad.

The problem is, based on what we know TODAY, they still have a bad process and passed up on players with much higher ceilings - who are also a bigger area of need for this team - because they were too focused on defense/defensemen.

Don’t think anyone is claiming that. I also didn’t study the draft like I use too. From reports his iq doesn’t scream floor pick. It says his a smart young player that has upside. Not number one. Upside but solid good nhl player upside. Ie not a ginning. Like I’ve seen posted. While there were higher upside players with lower iq they scream more of a Obrien pick. Let’s see the rest of the draft to see what happen. The biggest concern based off reports is they seemed focused on defense over best player available. After getting the Russian stud. I am less likely to be upset about that thought process than normal years. Heck the may have pick the most skilled player in the draft and the smartest defender. Time will tell.

 

[Adtar02]

No one understands defensive defenseman at that level (defense in general) -- some just know less than others. It's the archetype with the least ROI for a reason. If you compiled a list of the best NHL ones, they'd almost all be non-1st rounders.

I do lean conservative, but I'm out here calling Reinbacher a solid 2nd pair defender and using the same descriptions as you see for Bonk. The baseline skill level is always underrated.

Briere essentially admitted they wanted a defender with that pick (fit!). I'll give him an honest watch, but it has all the trappings of a bad process pick.

Biggest concern I will agree with the process being bad. But the other defender you mentioned was picked at 5 At 7 we got maybe the second best player in the draft and at 22 got a defender that compares to number 5. Yes there were higher up side players. But this kid does seem to have some good positives.

 

[Captain Dave Poulin]

I'm not going to lie, I like him a lot better since the guy with the Luffy avatar asked us to take care of him for the Sens.

 

[Gregor Samsa]

Since the pick was made I've warmed up a little to him. Definitely not a sexy pick but one that could be a contributor depth wise. I know we all want high ceiling players, and the Flyers sorely need a #1D, but how often do you find #1D in the late 1st round without a bit of luck?

Ideally the Flyers tank the next 2-3 years and use one of those high draft picks on a Dman who becomes our bonafide #1. I'm not optimistic about York becoming a 1D, but I think he could be a good Robin to a Batman or a strong second pair defender. In my dream world, Flyers find that 1D with a top pick in the next couple drafts and push York down. York-Bonk could be one of those steady-eddie type pairings that can play against anyone in any situations. Such pairings aren't sexy but valuable. Even the 1 syllable names match each other.

I'm no scout but maybe we are a little hasty saying that Bonk doesn't have potential to be a top pair guy. He did fine in his first full season in major junior and will hopefully make even bigger strides next year. He will definitely be a player to keep an eye on. We have a good idea that we have an elite talent in Michkov, but Bonk is more of a question mark. We should keep an open mind. If he becomes a Coburn/Carle-esque player, the Flyers did great with the pick. You just aren't finding 1D in the 20's that isn't a surprise. Great depth defenders are valuable too. Time will tell about this pick

All I know is the future is much brighter today. Michkov has the potential to be one of the best in the world, better than a prime Giroux. I don't want to count the chickens before they hatch but I'm very optimistic. I also feel like I'm higher on Gauthier than many here. He's done great at every level. The potential is there for a 30-40 goal, 60-80 point guy. I think we will be as good as who he plays with and can be an elite triggerman. I think he is most likely a winger though. If the Flyers can find a way to draft high the next 2-3 years an find a 1C and 1D, I think they have the makings of a championship caliber team. Easier said than done though. Michkov, Gauthier, Frost, Foerster, Tippett, Farabee, York, Bonk, and whoever else steps up has the potential to be a solid lineup in 5 years. Just need to a couple high 1sts to really be cooking with fire.

 

[Rebels57]

This is what I feared. Briere is going to be stuck in a "one for me, one for them" place.

Provy deal - Briere
Hayes deal - Torts
Michkov - Briere
Bonk - Torts

Bonk is allllllllllll Flahrsy.

 

[Rebels57]

sounds like a lot of the good will gained for getting Michkov has been blown mostly away lol

It certainly shouldnt be. We just drafted a player that would have gone 1st overall the last 3-4 years and again next year...at 7th overall..and not because of some bizarre injury concerns.

Assuming no issues with him coming over to play for us, this is a monumental moment and not nailing the 22nd overall pick (according to consensus opinion) shouldnt change that. They could f*** up every pick tomorrow too and I will still walk away happy because of Michkov.

 

[Adam Warlock]

It certainly shouldnt be. We just drafted a player that would have gone 1st overall the last 3-4 years and again next year...at 7th overall..and not because of some bizarre injury concerns.

Assuming no issues with him coming over to play for us, this is a monumental moment and not nailing the 22nd overall pick (according to consensus opinion) shouldnt change that. They could f*** up every pick tomorrow too and I will still walk away happy because of Michkov.

The pick meant more than the player. It showed Briere understands that what this team needs beyond all else is pure gamebreaking talent. Not intagibles or culture bs, but talent. This showed a dramatic shift in their priorities...which to me was as exciting as the player.

Then came the Bonk pick. The exact opposite and it ruined the night.

Why? Bc no matter how good michkov is or how much Danny gets it....he only has one hand on the wheel. The dinos are still here and holding the franchise back.

 

[Magua]

But the other defender you mentioned was picked at 5 At 7 we got maybe the second best player in the draft and at 22 got a defender that compares to number 5. Yes there were higher up side players. But this kid does seem to have some good positives.

The other defender I ranked 12th though. And that's a player who struck me as a decently high floor 2nd pair guy. My top ranked defender (marginally) went 17th. He's not actually being compared to Reinbacher; I'm saying Reinbacher is how I envision a player with the descriptors used for Bonk. How Montreal (or whoever) would describe Reinbacher is not how I'd describe him. That's me saying my bar for a 2nd pair defender is that high, and GMs consistently set floor bars too low.

I'll watch a few games in the next day or so, and I'll formulate an opinion.

 

[deadhead]

Given the play of Flyer defenders the last few years, and how quickly York became their #1 defenseman (as a rookie, on his off side) I can see why they valued Bonk's high IQ. It's easy to fall in love with the mobile, highly skilled D-men these days, but you want to pair those guys with a smart, more defensively oriented partner.

The problem with Provorov and Risto is they're not the reliable partner you want with an offense first D-man, and Sanheim never developed into an elite offensive D-man. With York and Bonk, hopefully you have two guys who can easily fit next to one of these guys when they find them.

 

[Bumblebee Man]

Aren't some of the same ppl here complaining about this pick the same ones who supported the move to drop back and take Cam York instead of Caufield

 

[CutOnDime97]

They really photoshopped the patch on him

 

[SolidSnakeUS]

I know I reacted early in this thread, and even with given that there were better players ahead of him, I want to give the kid a shot. He looks like, with his size, he could have some good raw talent, but I do think it'll probably take him about 2 or 3 years to get to a point before he sniffs the NHL. Hope the kid pans out.

 

[flyerslducks]

I’ll be honest.. I really didn’t have a shit about this pick once Michkov was selected. Nothing is going to ruin my mood at least for tonight.

Same here. Probably not the best pick but we got our guy to build around finally. Let’s get some more top 10 picks and build on it. Hopefully we find some gems next next few years

Wishing all the best to bonk. Hopefully he becomes our cernak

 

[trostol]

Hire Timo to develop this kid and any other dmen we take

 

[dats81]

Serious question, is he Brayden Coburn 2.0?
Defense first, some puck handling skills, good outlet pass, but not projected to ever play the PP ... or am I missing something here?