The Philadelphia Flyers are hoping second-year forward Bobby Brink, one of many promising young players, can take the next step in his NHL development during the 2024-25 season.

Brink, 23, had an inconsistent rookie season in the NHL last year with the Flyers, recording 11 goals, 12 assists and 23 points in 57 regular-season games. However, Brink’s play with the puck was inconsistent and at times lacking, leading head coach John Tortorella to occasionally cut or bench him, even resulting in Brink’s demotion to the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms.

Now that he’s had a full year of experience, mostly in the NHL, Brink has an idea of ​​where he needs to improve to become a better player. And based on what the Flyers told him, it’s not just on the ice.

“I know where I need to get better, and we’ve had a conversation about it,” Brink said on the Nasty Knuckles podcast. “A lot of that came back to the gym, and just getting more explosive and getting stronger, maybe, with pucks and stuff like that. A lot of it was focused on the offseason. I knew it was an important offseason, but as a younger player, I still have a lot of room to improve, and we talked about that.”

The 5-foot-10 forward already possesses great hockey sense and playmaking ability on the ice, but given his size, Brink will have to work smarter and harder than most to build a successful career at the NHL level.

The 2023-24 season has already been a good start for Brink, despite the bumps and bruises that inevitably cropped up. Danny Briere and the Flyers recognized Brink’s potential and growth afterward, rewarding him with a two-year, $3 million bridge contract as an investment of that potential.

Briere expects Brink to once again earn a regular spot on the NHL roster this season. It is now up to the player to build on a productive start to his NHL career with the Flyers.