The Philadelphia Flyers have announced that they have assigned forward Bobby Brink to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the AHL on a conditioning stint. The move comes after the Flyers activate their winger off of injured reserve. Last season, the 21-year-old youngster was injured and underwent offseason hip surgery, which caused him to miss the first half of the season.
With his elusiveness and offensive instincts, Brink is one of the top prospects in the entire Flyers organization. The Minnesota native would have been a surefire first-round pick during the 2019 Draft if not for his compact size. Brink stands at 5-foot-8 inches and weighs 166 pounds. Brink fell to the Flyers when the City of Brotherly Love drafted him with the 34th overall selection in the second-round.
Throughout his junior career, Brink has shown that size hasn't been an issue with his development. Brink has spent the past three seasons playing in the NCAA with the University of Denver. The Flyers draft pick appeared in 84 games during his junior year and finished with 27 goals and 65 assists.
In his final college season, the right winger led his team with 14 goals and 43 assists in 57 games and was named a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award. Brink also suited up for Team USA at the annual World Juniors Tournament. Brink and Team USA captured the gold medal, as the Flyers' prospect put up an impressive six points, playing a reduced role behind Trevor Zegras, Cole Caufield, and Arthur Kaliyev.
Brink got into his first bit of professional action last year at the conclusion of his NCAA season. The Flyers opted to start Brink at the NHL level after his tremendous junior season and his impressive showing during practices. Brink is still searching for his first NHL goal, but notched five assists in a ten-game stint for the struggling Flyers.
The American forward will likely spend the next couple of weeks in the American Hockey League before being reassessed. Brink looks to continue his development and improve on his strong stint in the NHL last season. The Flyers are currently in the midst of a three-game winning streak but sit second-to-last in the Metropolitan Division.
