Flyers prospect Bobby Brink feeling ‘fast’ a full year removed from hip surgery

Riley Armstrong can’t wait to see Bobby Brink’s “explosive pop” again.

Armstrong, the new Flyers director of player development and formerly an assistant coach for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, saw it from Brink early on as a prospect. Brink still found ways to win as an undersized player at every level, from high school to college.

The Flyers selected the 5-foot-8, 166-pound right wing in the second round of the 2019 draft, and Brink made his NHL debut in 2021. While he wasn’t able to fully find his stride in those 10 games, Brink got enough of a taste to set up a huge summer.

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Then he was derailed by a torn labrum in his hip. The subsequent surgery ended his summer almost before it started and knocked him out for most of his first full professional season. He made his return to the Phantoms in January, but it was when competition for the playoffs was picking up.

“I was probably pretty close, but it’s hard jumping in right away when everyone’s in midseason form, and I’m just getting back to playing,” Brink said. “But I think by the end I was feeling good.”

While he was able to help out with 12 goals and 28 points over the final 41 games, Armstrong and head coach Ian Laperrière could tell that Brink hadn’t quite found his game yet. In the waning games of the season, Brink was not one of the Phantoms the Flyers called up for an NHL cameo.

“When he comes back next year with a summer of training, and the confidence that his hip is feeling great, that’s when I’m very, very excited to see what he’s going to be next year,” Laperrière told The Inquirer in March.

After the Phantoms made a first-round exit in the playoffs, Brink took some time to rest. He returned to Denver to see college friends before making his way back to the Philadelphia area, where he has been working out with his teammates since.

Brink has the advantage of having watched John Tortorella’s camp last season, so he knows what to expect. But he still has the nervous anticipation this year since he hasn’t actually gone through it himself yet.

Brink hopes that development camp in Voorhees will help push him toward the fitness levels needed to survive a Tortorella camp. He is also one of the more veteran players at development camp this week and is getting the chance to be a leader. Brink has the added benefit of continuity in terms of working with Armstrong on individual points of emphasis such as his skating.

“I think he’ll be ready to go this year to show Torts what he has,” Armstrong said.

So far, the rest and the exercise seem to be paying off for Brink, who has stood out in drills.

“I feel fast out there, and I feel quick,” said Brink, who turns 22 on Saturday.

Elliot Desnoyers didn’t really have the chance to play with Brink when he was at full form. But even what he saw at the end of the season impressed him.

“I always knew Bob was a super-skilled player, the way he sees everything on the ice, super skilled and just pretty fast as well,” Desnoyers said. “So trying to learn from him because he’s been one year older, and he’s been around for a longer time and [been] just a great friend for me.”

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At 5-11 and 183 pounds, Desnoyers is slightly bigger than Brink. However, they still have similarities to their games as undersized wingers.

“We’re not the biggest players, but both of us try to be fast, make plays, and try to work hard down low to create some space for ourselves,” Desnoyers said.

While Brink was trying to get back to full health, Desnoyers was quietly racking up points (23 goals, 44 points with the Phantoms) and doing all the little things in his first pro season. According to Laperrière, there was no one thing Desnoyers needed to improve. He was already pretty good at most aspects. Now the challenge will be to try and go from good to great at everything.

His work earned him a brief NHL stint (four games), and it served to push him even more to fight for an NHL spot heading into this season.

“I’m trying to build my game towards what I think I can bring the team up there,” said Desnoyers, 21. “So it was a great experience for me to kind of see where I’m at and what I need to improve and work on.”