Winter 2025 Top 25 Under 25 Flyers: #10-6

We\'re nearing the top of Broad Street Hockey\'s Winter 2025 Top 25 Under 25 ranking, and we have already covered a whole lot of interesting prospects and young NHLers. From longshot late-round picks to players currently in the AHL just waiting for a bigger opportunity to show that they can be part of an NHL supporting cast -- there are some interesting names.

But now we move into the top 10 of the ranking. This is where it gets more serious and with players we could see actually make a long-term impact for the Flyers -- or, at least, some players currently on the team that still have some runway ahead of them.

Again, the total ranking is made up of 10 ballots from folks here at Broad Street Hockey, but not everyone put their thoughts down in digital ink (just in case the math doesn\'t work out for you). Let\'s see where some young dudes are at.

10: Egor Zamula, LD

Primary Team: Philadelphia Flyers, NHL 2024-25 Stats: 3 G, 12 Pts in 40 GP Rank in Summer 25 Under 25: 12 Age: 24 Acquired: Undrafted free agent signing

Jason M (Ranked #10): Zamula didn’t make my summer ranking at all, that’s how little I thought of him. He’s done an okay job this season in the time he’s played, but when you’re competing with veteran Erik Johnson and haven’t clearly surpassed him in the depth chart, he might not be a long-term piece moving forward. He’ll be close to matching his career high in games (66) this season but only if he plays out the stretch (he’s played 39 with 25 to go). He’s not a huge expense with a $1.7 million cap hit through next season. I just don’t see him at the cusp of turning 25 amounting to much more than at best a workable third pairing blueliner.

Maddie (Ranked #12): Zamula gets the NHL games played bump in my ranking, but I’m still kind of out on him as a long-term option for the team at that level. He’s a good 7 in my book, and he’s certainly shown that he can step into games and have a positive impact, but his play always seems to break down in a marked way as the length of his playing stint goes on. He’s playing his role well this season, but I do wonder how much longer his time with the team will be – they have defensemen coming up through the pipeline who could play his minutes just as well, if not with a little more skill and polish.

Thomas (Ranked #12): Yeah, like Maddie, I think Zamula earned his spot simply by being an NHL player, compared to some of the current crop of Flyers prospects who aren’t the top guys but have made the list regardless. While he has had stretches of horrendous play, Zamula has been relatively performing well this season. As a bottom-pairing defenseman, you can’t really go wrong for a dude with that size advantage over most forwards and has decent reach. You sort of know what you’re getting from him right now, so expectations are just to hang around.

9: Denver Barkey, LW

Primary Team: London Knights, OHL 2024-25 Stats: 22 G, 74 Pts in 47 GP Rank in Summer 25 Under 25: 11 Age: 19 Acquired: 3rd round (95th overall) in 2023 NHL Draft

Jason M (Ranked #11): Barkey has had another solid season with the Knights, setting team records for most shorties and leading the team with 72 points in 45 games. That point total is even more impressive given he’s missed seven games. He has a chance to hit 100 points down the stretch and hasn’t regressed in any part of his game this season. He’s beginning to look more and more like a steal in the third round. If he’d played center I’d be over the moon. But Michkov is not a center either and he’s doing okay for himself. Another glimmer of hope for the rebuild, Barkey is shining bright.

Maddie (Ranked #7): Barkey is just such a fun prospect. He’s all skill and has shown without a doubt that he’s able to score tons at the junior level, but on top of that, he’s just such a Flyer. The Travis Konecny comparisons will probably get old at some point, but they haven’t yet – in style and in attitude, there’s a lot of Konecny in Barkey. There’s still a lot of developing he needs to do with his game, there’s no question about that, but there’s tons of reason for optimism for what he’ll be able to do in London’s Memorial Cup run, and when he graduates to the AHL next season, and that he’ll soon be a fan favorite once he graduates.

Thomas (Ranked #6): Man, I love Barkey. It’s already been pointed out but he is a fun player to watch. He’ll crash and bang opponents along the boards without hesitation and can produce a heck of a lot of points. Barkey might just be the next pest on this Flyers team. There is still a whole lot of road before he becomes an impact NHL player – he will need to gain at least 20 pounds and play up to the professional pace – but if we see him not look out of place in the AHL next season, the excitement can only go up from there.

8: Oliver Bonk, RD

Primary Team: London Knights, OHL 2024-25 Stats: 9 G, 34 Pts in 42 GP Rank in Summer 25 Under 25: 6 Age: 20 Acquired: 1st round (22nd overall) in 2023 NHL Draft

Jason M (Ranked #8): Bonk might have slipped a wee bit in this ranking from the summer edition. However, he still looks like he’s on the right path to becoming a part of the Flyers’ future. He’s not going to eclipse last year’s point total in London. He might be lucky to come close to that level of production. Bonk has missed some time this season, but he hasn’t fallen off a cliff. My hope is he has a great development camp and comes into Flyers’ training camp in September trying to make things difficult for Briere, Tortorella and company when it comes to making cuts.

Maddie (Ranked #8): In some ways, this season is a bit of a wash for me, as far as Bonk is concerned. He’s already shown at the junior and international level that he’s a high-end player, but also, given the skill and system they’re working with in London, it was going to be next to impossible for him to look bad. But, all the same, impressed with the work he’s done at all levels this season, and have a lot of optimism for how his game will translate when he moves on to Lehigh Valley along with Barkey.

Thomas (Ranked #11): Bonk is a real solid prospect. Just to me, there is not a whole lot to get super excited about him. If he keeps on developing, he will be that solid defenseman who is probably better defensively than offensively and is generally underrated around the league. But Bonk isn’t there right now. He has clearly outgrown the OHL and this would’ve been a great year for him to get to the next level, but he couldn’t and had to stay with the Knights. Like most, next season will be very interesting.

7: Bobby Brink, RW

Primary Team: Philadelphia Flyers, NHL 2024-25 Stats: 7 G, 23 Pts in 55 GP Rank in Summer 25 Under 25: 9 Age: 23 Acquired: 2nd round (34th overall) in 2019 NHL Draft

Jason M (Ranked #7): I have all the time in the world for Bobby Brink this year. He has become the Tyson Foerster of 2024-25, becoming a very tough guy to win a puck battle or one-on-one battle against. His work ethic, to this guy at least, has rarely seen him in the doghouse this year. And certainly not facing a “get off the f–king ice!” in-game screed from Torts like he did last season. Brink has put in the effort, something he didn’t consistently do in his previous year. A little more goal scoring or finesse would certainly help. But it’s been a good step in the right direction for Bobby Orr Brink.

Maddie (Ranked #9): Brink is a tricky one for me. He’s shown some legitimate flashes of high-end skill, of tenacious play, but I’m still waiting to see it with a little more consistency. Now, things do seem to be trending in the right direction for him, and perhaps one of the benefits of these rebuilding years is that Brink doesn’t have to get it all figured out at warp speed. His projection hasn’t changed, he still looks like he can be a top-9 fixture for the team over the long term, but solidifying that is still a bit of a work in progress.

Thomas (Ranked #9): Brink is great to have right now. As a player that needed to show that he belongs in the NHL at the start of this season, he did exactly that. But how much does he really impact the game? It might be too early to demand such a high level from him, but it would be nice to see him be able to take control of a game. Right now, he is just a solid option but might eventually be squeezed out for a more dynamic winger.

6: Emil Andrae, LD

Primary Team: Lehigh Valley Phantoms, AHL 2024-25 Stats: 3 G, 13 Pts in 21 GP Rank in Summer 25 Under 25: 10 Age: 22 Acquired: 2nd round (54th overall) in 2020 NHL Draft

Jason M (Ranked #6): Andrae might have been seen as a disappointment for not making the big club and sticking with them. Following the yo-yo start to his season, Andrae made a good impression in the latest stint he had with the Flyers. But probably still needs a bit more seasoning to hone his game. Particularly avoiding getting crushed by bigger, bruising forwards who are going to finish their checks. If he can protect himself a bit more and know how to not get nailed, he’ll be up with the Flyers for a much longer look.

Maddie (Ranked #6): It’s been a frustrating season for Andrae, but it hasn’t had anything to do with his play. He’s been an unfortunate victim of the logjam of defensemen at the NHL level, meaning he’s spent more time than we might have expected down with the Phantoms, after he’s already made it pretty clear that he’s too good to be playing at that level. But, all the same, he’s made the most of his situation – not getting down and continuing to play well with the AHL minutes he’s getting, and showing up well when called upon by the Flyers. There’s a huge amount of potential for him, and hopefully he’s able to show it with some consistency with the Flyers before long.

Thomas (Ranked #4): Yeah, Andrae rocks. I think once he gets a consistent role in the NHL he will blossom into someone that can be a lock to drive a pairing in the top four. Sure, the size is an issue but if he plays with a high enough pace and gets just a little bit more aggressive defensively, then not being a few inches taller would not matter. The early signs are fantastic when he is able to be with the Flyers and hopefully it isn’t just some rookie magic.

Talking Points