Flyers Prospect Report: January 2024

Key standouts include Oliver Bonk, Denver Barkey, Samu Tuomaala, and more!

Welcome to our Philadelphia Flyers Prospect Report for January 2024! In this edition, we look at how 11 different prospects have performed for the Orange and Black this month, spanning across leagues in North America and Europe. We examine the big guns, those who have risen in the rankings, and even some veterans.

Now on to the prospect report…

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The Main Culprits: Matvei Michkov, Oliver Bonk, Denver Barkey, Samu Tuomaala, Emil Andrae, Alexei Kolosov

19-year-old Matvei Michkov has been battling sickness for a while now, and that didn’t stop in January. He only played seven games but really started to pick it up on Jan. 28 with a two-assist contest. Many view him as a goal-scoring monster — that’s not inaccurate, but he is a wonderful playmaker. In the Kontinental Hockey League this month, he has scored two goals and three assists. Unfortunately, he had a rotten last game which led to him being a healthy scratch on Jan. 31. With a contract in the KHL through the 2025-26 season, he should only continue to evolve as he approaches his NHL debut, so this shouldn't be too worrying.

In January, 19-year-old defenseman Oliver Bonk and his London Knights have taken a step up. In 10 games, he has 10 goals and 11 assists for 21 points. Even if he’s doing this in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), it’s still insanely impressive. Drafted with the 22nd-overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, he’s looking like a steal. Players taken around that range are pretty hit-or-miss, but he seems to be the former. It’s still early and he will need to develop more, but his future is promising.

Oliver Bonk, Philadelphia Flyers (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)

Denver Barkey, a teammate of Bonk’s, has unsurprisingly excelled, as well. In nine games, he scored six goals and nine assists for 15 points. It’s not quite as good as what Bonk did, but it’s still fairly impressive. He’s been a consistent force all season long, and that shows no signs of stopping. Still just 18 years old, he’s an exciting prospect.

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