Which Flyers prospects could push for starting jobs this season?
Training camps about to begin for the 2026-27 NHL season as the league prepares for its inaugural 84-game schedule. Rookie games took place over the weekend for teams, including the Philadelphia Flyers, who came away with two wins versus the Metropolitan Division rival New York Rangers.
Winning 3-2 and 4-1 (two empty-net goals) on Saturday and Sunday, respectively, some standouts for the Flyers had impacts at the NHL level. Alex Bump, 22, had a goal and an assist in the first game. After Bump got time with the Flyers toward the end of the regular season and in the playoffs last year, his performance over the weekend is a way to guarantee a spot many thought he would’ve locked down last year in training camp.
Denver Barkey, 21, only played in the second game (dawning the captain’s ‘C’) but was, “the best player on the ice,’’ according to one Flyers source. Barkey spent the bulk of last season with the Flyers, playing in 43 regular season games (five goals, 17 points) and all 10 playoff games (one goal, two points). He played on the “top line” in Sunday’s game alongside 2024 first-round pick Jett Luchanko and 2025 first-round pick Porter Martone.
Speaking of Martone, the soon-to-be 20-year-old winger tallied an empty-net goal in Sunday’s victory for the Flyers. Arriving late in the regular season last spring for the Flyers, there is no doubt that the Peterborough, Ont., native will be a lock to make the lineup on opening night.
Objectively speaking, the aforementioned three forward rookies are all considered front runners (or locks) to make the team out of camp. But what about some under-the-radar candidates?
Speaking with Flyers sources, forward Cole Knuble really caught the eye of the hockey operations staff over the weekend. A fourth-round pick in 2023, the 22-year-old Knuble played in just the Saturday game, registering one goal while skating alongside Bump and Luchanko.
What Knuble can ultimately be as a player has varied based on sources that Daily Faceoff has reached out to, with a Flyers source and a league executive viewing him as, “Logan Stankoven without the offensive upside,” with another Eastern Conference manager viewing him more as a “Jean-Gabriel Pageau” type.
Overall, Knuble’s versatility is something the Flyers really value, per sources. The Flyers’ lineup is fairly filled out already, but if there is a spot available, the fourth-line center role is the opening to watch. Per sources, the Flyers envision Sean Couturier and Noel Acciari as two players that, though fourth liners on paper, can serve as shutdown players. Knuble’s skillset could lend itself to gelling with Couturier and Acciari in a defensive role.
The same can be said for Luchanko (who did impress the Flyers’ brass), who many envision needing a full year in the AHL. According to team sources, Knuble is more ready for the NHL, primarily because of age.
If either were to make it, Luchanko or Knuble would need to beat out Barkey or Bump, per team sources. While certainly possible, it still does seem like an uphill battle at this point in time.
On the back end, 2023 first-round pick Oliver Bonk continues to impress. Bonk, 21, registered an assist in the second game. A first-round pick in 2023, the internal belief from the Flyers is that he will push for a starting-six job on the Flyers’ back end this season. Presumably battling David Jiricek (acquired from the Minnesota Wild at last year’s Trade Deadline), Bonk will need to earn a full-time role in the top six on defense, per sources.
Jiricek, 22, may have the inside track with his one-way contract, but the Flyers are seemingly more than open into Bonk playing his way into the starting lineup.
The Flyers don’t seem to have a ton of roster spots available, but there are certainly a handful of them up for grabs if certain players ultimately push through.
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