The Philadelphia Flyers are heading into their last stretch of the preseason. Just two exhibition games remain and then we can start talking about and watching games that actually matter beyond watching a couple young guys really try to make good impressions.
For their penultimate preseason production, the Flyers are visiting the Bruins at the wretched TD Garden and the lineup is largely made up of what we should expect from Philadelphia as they open their season on October 11 in Vancouver. A whole lot of talent at the top, but in the mix still are a couple players who are just getting their licks in at the quasi NHL level before going to play hockey elsewhere. One of those guys is 19-year-old defenseman Oliver Bonk, who is certainly heading back to the OHL’s London Knights to go and challenge for another Memorial Cup and be crowned the CHL’s top team.
Bonk came into training camp with a little bit of hype around him from the fan base. He played a very good season with the Knights last year and had the smallest of miniscule chances to make his NHL debut — would require multiple injuries and for him to have an outstanding training camp — but now it is certain that he is not ready.
The teenaged blueliner plays a steady, safe game already so it makes sense that he didn’t jump off the screen and cause us all to be hammering any surface demanding that he is wearing Orange and Black later this month. And head coach John Tortorella has a specific ask for Bonk before he makes what could be his final preseason appearance.
“Bright, bright future. Smart player. Plays too slow,” Tortorella said Tuesday, pointedly. “You have to play quick. It’s what we’re trying to do. I think there’s a little bit of habit with his game.
“We’re trying to work with him — to play faster. I think when you become a really good junior, and you’re in the juniors, the game is easy for you. And he plays a ton of minutes there, so you almost pace yourself a little bit. My biggest thing with him is I want to see him close people out quicker — I just want to see the overall intensity and speed of his game grow. But I think he has a tremendous future, but there is some work to be done there. And with a 19-year-old defenseman, it’s expected.”
Tortorella isn’t talking about speed in the way that we usually think. It’s not physical quickness in terms of skating and mobility — skating up the ice north-south like an Owen Tippett — but Tortorella wants to see a higher level of pace of play when it comes to Bonk. Quicker in reaction times, distribution, reading plays — just an overall increase of urgency to his game but not looking panicked.
And what the Flyers bench boss mentioned about junior hockey really hits home. Bonk plays, as any top defenseman prospect in the OHL does, roughly half the game throughout the season. And it would make sense if the blueliner wants to save some energy and not rush around during every shift — he just needs to change that whenever he turns pro.
And one professional-level defenseman is even still working on that, according to Tortorella, as he speaks about projected third-pairing blueliner for the Flyers, Egor Zamula.
“Zamula has grown. Still the same thing as I just answered on Bonk — I want him to play faster,” Tortorella said. “Tends to slow it down to try to beat people. There’s some encouraging things there, but we have to keep on growing.”
It’s all about development this year. Whether it is a player playing actual games for the Flyers trying to strive for more of what the coach wants and to eventually take that next step to play beyond the third pair; or a first-round pick that is going to be playing his final season of junior hockey and should get an opportunity to play for the Flyers in a year’s time.
The NHL is fast. Some guys just need to get thinking faster.
