Jonathan Bailey Tue, October 27, 2026 at 12:31 AM UTC · 4 min read About Our Ads Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In recent weeks, the Philadelphia Flyers have finally found their way into the win column, led by their growing youth movement, though not all contributions have been equal.
By and large, forwards Trevor Zegras, Matvei Michkov, and Porter Martone have led the way offensively, while Oliver Bonk and Hunter McDonald have impressed replacing the likes of Rasmus Ristolainen and Cam York.
But, aside from the top dogs, and Cole Knuble, who scored his first two NHL goals in a 3-1 win over Buffalo last week, the Flyers could find themselves interested in getting more out of their middle six.
Although he made the NHL roster out of training camp, Alex Bump was a healthy scratch by the fourth game of the season, earning himself a demotion to the AHL before exploding for seven goals, an assist, and eight points in just five games with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
Bump, 22, returned to the Flyers in short order amid a rash of injuries, with Tyson Foerster, Owen Tippett, and Travis Konecny all going out of commission.
Despite his individual skill, which is at times electrifying, and accurate shot, Bump has yet to record a goal or assist for the Flyers in six games this season, regressing quite a bit from his nine points in 17 games in the regular season last year.
Without consistency and end product, it's hard to envision Bump's role at the NHL level in the long-term.
And if Bump has found himself in the background of the Flyers' short- and long-term plans, there is another young winger in the Metropolitan Division worth adding for some competition, so long as the price is right.
Elsewhere in the division, the Washington Capitals have given 2022 first-round pick Ivan Miroshnichenko and his camp permission to seek a trade in search of a greater NHL opportunity, though the team won't trade him away for pennies or place him on waivers, either.
Given that the Flyers are on the upswing, even with all their youth, they're a logical landing spot for the talented Russian winger, who doesn't quite fit on a Capitals team that has been trying to compete for a Stanley Cup in the twilight years of Alex Ovechkin's legendary career.
As mentioned above, Bump's game at the NHL level has been a slow burn despite a strong start, and maybe his style of play doesn't quite mesh with the higher difficulty compared to the AHL.
Miroshnichenko, who has played just 55 career NHL games and scored only six goals, eight assists, and 14 points, is in a similar boat, though he brings a package of skills and traits to the table that make him more suited to a middle-six role than Bump.
A buccaneering right-shot left winger, Miroshnichenko is at his best going north and south, attacking downhill with his speed and blistering shot while threatening opponents with heavy hits on the other side of the puck.
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Despite being a somewhat modest 6-foot-1, 200 pounds, Miroshnichenko embraces the physical, more competitive side of the game, and he's got some offensive talent to boot. The 22-year-old has done what he can in a limited role, having played his career-high 21 NHL games way back in 2023-24, when he was a teenager on opening night.
With further development and a bigger opportunity, though, Miroshnichenko can establish himself as a workhorse checking winger with scoring upside, especially as a weak-side trigger man on a power play unit.
Naturally, the Flyers would more than likely have to pay the Capitals a tax for a potential in-division trade, but a pair of early Day 2 draft picks and a similar fringe NHLer could do the trick. Notably, the Flyers have their second-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft , as well as two third-round picks and two fourth-round picks.
Even if and when Tippett and Konecny return, Miroshnichenko would give the Flyers an injection of speed, and perhaps more importantly, physicality in addition to his untapped scoring potential.
And even when the Flyers had Tippett and Konecny, their transition and rush games were lacking, and it's an area the Flyers should consider investing in going forward, with or without Bump, Tippett, or Konecny.
Source: Sports
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