Philadelphia Flyers Mailbag: Bump’s Future, Prospect Talk, & More – The Hockey Writers – Philadelphia Flyers

For my 1,000^th piece of written content on The Hockey Writers‘ main site, I wanted to answer your questions. In this Philadelphia Flyers mailbag, we’ll explore Alex Bump’s future, a few prospect storylines, and more.

What Future Does Alex Bump Have in the Organization/in Pro Hockey at Large? – @blkstitchhockey

This is one I’ve thought about for a few months. Bump, the most valuable player on Western Michigan University’s title-winning squad last season, is ready for the next step. Putting up three goals in nine American Hockey League (AHL) games after that impressive run, he’s undeniably pro-ready.

Actually, I would go as far as to say that Bump is NHL-ready. The 21-year-old winger will have to earn his spot on the Flyers, but he should have an edge over some of the other competition.

However, we’re discussing his long-term future here. Ultimately, I think he can be a middle-sixer with top-six impacts during his prime, recording between 40 and 55 points per season. Bump was productive in his college career, sitting atop the shots on goal chart in his latest stint, but it wasn’t just counting stats.

Dominant in transition, responsible in his own zone, and a lover of firing shots, Bump is an all-around player. Leading the NCAA in shots on goal by 57 may sound like a double-edged sword, but I see him as a responsible decision-maker. In the NHL, expect the same.

Outside of Martone, Luchanko, and Zavragin, Which Current Prospect Do You See Making the Most Impact on the Team When They’re Set to Contend? – @SaskieFlyBoy

My top-10 preseason prospect rankings, which I published here, went as follows: Porter Martone, Egor Zavragin, Jett Luchanko, Jack Murtagh, and so on. By that logic, Murtagh should be my choice—the team’s 40^th-overall pick at the 2025 NHL Draft.

Related: Flyers Best-Case Development Scenarios: Jack Murtagh

Instead, I’ll take the more objective route. Coming in at fifth was Jack Nesbitt, which is probably the “right” answer. I looked into his game already, but the quick rundown is that he’s a huge, high-IQ center. If he can be a more dominant physical force, he could be a high-end second-liner in the NHL.

The Flyers still lack a clear-cut top-line center, but Nesbitt has the upside to be a vital piece. It’s hard to find both outlier size and hockey sense in a player. While this is more of a hopeful outcome, he was…