If the Flyers need help during the season, the first names to watch probably won’t be the flashiest ones in Lehigh Valley. They’ll be the ones who can handle a phone call, get on a bus, and survive NHL minutes without forcing the coaching staff into a panic.
That’s the reality of depth. Injuries happen, and sometimes a roster spot opens because somebody simply isn’t getting it done.
Philadelphia got through last season relatively intact, with Tyson Foerster the big loss and Rasmus Ristolainen and Rodrigo Abols among the other regulars who missed significant time. It could have been much uglier.
If next season turns into something messier, the Flyers will need the Phantoms to supply quick fixes. Based on the current setup, four players stand out as the most likely first call-ups.
Oliver Bonk feels like the most obvious defenseman on that list. He’ll be in a real fight for a spot on the Flyers’ blue line at camp, and he could end up squeezed by circumstance.
David Jiricek is not exempt from waivers, which gives him a big edge, even if Bonk has the better camp. Still, the Flyers clearly value Bonk, and if Ristolainen or Jamie Drysdale were to get hurt - or if Jiricek spends the first 15 or 20 games doing his best 2021-22 Keith Yandle impression - Bonk would likely be the first name on Daniel Briere’s mind.
Cam Dineen, signed this summer, might offer veteran cover, but Bonk looks like the early answer if Philadelphia needs another right-shot defenseman. The question is fit as much as talent.
If the Flyers were dealing with an injury on the Ristolainen side, would they want to throw Bonk into that kind of role right away? He has the size to hold up, but there’s at least a chance they’d look for a more purely physical stopgap like Hunter McDonald instead.
Even then, that path gets messy fast, because it could push Nick Seeler into the top four and leave a McDonald-Jiricek pairing behind him. That’s not exactly comforting.
Bonk still seems like the likeliest first call.
Up front, Jacob Gaucher looks like the cleanest emergency center option. The 25-year-old could be the player the Flyers turn to if they need a replacement down the middle.
Carl Grundstrom might be in the same conversation if he’s with the Phantoms, but that remains uncertain. Briere grouped Gaucher in with the team’s depth signings this summer, which was a pretty clear signal that he isn’t being penciled in as an NHL regular.
If a winger gets hurt, Grundstrom might be the first forward summoned. But if Philadelphia needs a center - and especially if it wants to avoid asking Denver Barkey to take on a full-time center job - Gaucher makes sense as the fourth-line pivot while Sean Couturier moves up the lineup.
That keeps the top six intact and lets the Flyers stay more or less like-for-like in the bottom six. Gaucher doesn’t project as a long-term piece, but as a depth center, he’s right there.
If later in the season Jett Luchanko is outperforming expectations after a few months, or if 22-year-old Cole Knuble is having a strong first pro year, that could change. For now, Gaucher looks like the safest bet.
Ty Murchison is the kind of option that makes sense if Philadelphia wants to be careful with Bonk. If Bonk is only going to be up briefly - a week or so before going back to Allentown - then Murchison could be the more practical choice.
He’s already had a brief taste of NHL action, and a good camp could put him in position to cover for a stretch if the Flyers need a defenseman. At 23, and with less prospect shine than Bonk, he may be viewed as a lower-risk recall.
The Flyers have done it before, so there’s no mystery there. A strong camp could also help him climb past other similarly placed young defensemen in Lehigh Valley.
Then there’s Zach Aston-Reese, the most straightforward utility answer on the board. This is where the Flyers would be looking for function, not upside.
Whether it’s Grundstrom or Aston-Reese, the idea is the same: a forward who has played in the NHL, knows the drill, and can step in without getting overwhelmed. Jack Studnicka could fit too.
Nolan Foote might be another possibility. The point is less about finding a breakout candidate and more about finding someone who can take shifts and not create problems.
It’s not going to be Devin Kaplan if the Flyers are hoping to see a possible future fourth-liner. Noah Powell and Alex Ciernik still have a lot to prove.
Luchanko, as noted, may be better left in place. In this case, the Flyers would simply want someone who can do the job and stay out of the way.
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