The Philadelphia Flyers rounded out their 2024 development camp with a scrimmage between the players, split up into Team Jones and Team Briere. The event enjoyed a high turnout of fans, who watched this year's crop of prospects show their skills in a 7-3 victory to Team Jones.
There's a lot to be learned from this overall week, but here were the biggest standouts from the cumulative scrimmage.
Don't Sleep On Noah Powell
Noah Powell really couldn't have asked for a better first experience at development camp this week. He's been one to watch since the first day, and really showcased what he's capable of during this scrimmage.
He wasn't afraid to get forward, aggressively move for the puck, and tried all sorts of creative maneuvers to get the puck in the net. While he didn't record a point tonight, he was a player that many eyes were drawn to. He read the game well, used his size to his advantage, and was a huge factor in Team Jones' dominant win.
Seeing as it's his first camp, there's still plenty for him to improve on, but he reflected on the experience positively, saying that he learned a lot about how to carry himself like a professional player that he'll take into his first year playing for Ohio State University. (He also added that he didn't want the camp to be over because he had grown close to so many of the guys during the week.)
What You See Is What You Jett
The big story to come at the end of camp was how Jett Luchanko, the Flyers' 13th overall pick in this year's draft, signed his entry-level contract quite literally as soon as he got off the ice after the scrimmage.
For all intents and purposes, Luchanko had a good camp—especially considering the whirlwind he's experienced since first getting drafted a little over a week ago. Most notably, of course, his skating abilities were the highlight of his performance throughout the week, and it's clear the Flyers were raring to get him signed.
He's expected to return to the Guelph Storm for the upcoming season, but will likely participate in rookie camp and the Flyers' main camp that will be held later in the offseason.
The B Team
Throughout this entire camp session, there was no denying that the London Knights' Denver Barkey and Oliver Bonk had plenty of people keeping an eye on them—and they delivered. Coaches and teammates alike have sung their praises, and it's well-deserved. They were standout players during practice sessions, and they continued to be standouts in the scrimmage.
It's an incredibly promising sign for their developments that they're consistently performing on all stages, and with both players now signed to their ELCs, it would be fair to start wondering when they'll start getting opportunities within the Flyers organization. Flyers GM Danny Briere stated that both of them are expected to play another season with the London Knights, but you'd be naive to think that the wheels aren't seriously turning within the front office on when Bonk and Barkey should start to integrate into Philadelphia.
