Flyers draft Oliver Bonk 22nd overall
The Philadelphia Flyers selected Oliver Bonk with the 22nd overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft.
Oliver Bonk
Position: Defense
Height: 6-foot-1.5
Weight: 180 lbs
Shoots: Right
Age: 18
Club: London (OHL)
Nationality: 🇨🇦
NHL Central Scouting final ranking: 20th among North American skaters
2022-23 stats
| GP | G | A | |
|---|---|---|---|
| London | 67 | 10 | 30 |
| Hlinka Gretzky Cup | 5 | 0 | 0 |
The name Bonk is familiar for a reason: Oliver is the son of former NHLer Radek Bonk.
Born in Ottawa at the end of Radek's tenure with the Senators, Bonk plays for Canada rather than his father's native Czechia.
Bonk has only made one international appearance, which came at the start of the 2022-23 campaign at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup. He failed to record a point in five contests with Canada.
Bonk had a breakout campaign with the OHL's London Knights this season. As a rookie on one of the league's top teams, he became a reliable top-four blue-liner with the Knights. He tallied 40 points in 67 games, which was good enough to land on the CHL All-Rookie team and the OHL All-Rookie second team.
Those totals put Bonk fourth in scoring among OHL draft-eligible defensemen, but none had more than his 11 points in the playoffs.
Bonk will return to the OHL's Knights next season.
What they're saying
"A true two-way defenseman who can produce points and pester opposing forwards in the defensive zone, Bonk's versatility is his best asset," FloHockey's Chris Peters wrote. "His offensive skill set may not portend to a high level of production at the NHL level, but his ability to take care of his own end, engage physically, and break up plays to get pucks up ice is certainly attractive."
"He's a pro-built defenseman who plays a firm game, possesses good overall skill, has solid edgework and directional changes, and escapes pressure well," wrote The Athletic's Scott Wheeler. "He just looks like he's going to be a solid two-way pro defenseman, though I would contend he has a high floor and a relatively low ceiling. He projects as a No. 4/5 defenseman."
"Two-way defender who does not project to run a first-unit NHL power play but can match up against top opponents and provide some pushback physically," wrote Sportsnet's Jason Bukala. "Skating is sound on straight lines, but quicker decisions are required at times with the puck on his stick."
Click here to watch Bonk's highlights.