The Philadelphia Flyers are trying to stave off playoff elimination on Saturday night as they face the treacherous and embarrassing 3-0 series deficit to the Carolina Hurricanes. In an effort to not hand the Hurricanes the series and keep their postseason undefeated streak alive, Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet could be making some lineup changes — and it could include putting in a very young defenseman on the blue line.

After Saturday morning’s optional skate, head coach Rick Tocchet hinted that Oliver Bonk could be in the lineup to make his playoff debut for Game 4. They still have to make some decisions, but it’s not out of the realm of possibility that the 21-year-old will be in the lineup.

“We’re still discussing that now. We’re just trying to think of what is the best lineup” Tocchet said when asked if there will be any lineup changes solely for performance purposes.

Oliver Bonk could get involved for Game 4

The Flyers head coach was then asked specifically if young defenseman Oliver Bonk could be an option because he does hold a reputation as being a positive on the power play. And, well, the Flyers’ power play could have used any help possible in Game 3 and in this series overall.

“He’s in the mix to look at. We’ve been talking yesterday and today and we probably don’t have a final decision here for who is going to be in the lineup tonight. But yeah, there’s a possibility.”

Being in the mix is more than anyone thought Bonk could be at the start of these playoffs.

Bonk made his NHL debut in the regular-season finale for the Flyers last month, and while he certainly impressed with a goal and an assist in a 4-2 over the Montreal Canadiens, he was generally more thought of a prospect being along for the ride of the playoffs and seeing what a postseason environment is really like. But instead of just practicing with the NHLers as they go through the playoffs, he might actually get into the lineup.

But what the youngster brings, the Flyers could certainly use. Bonk has held a reputation going back to his days in the OHL with the London Knights as a guy who can amp up a team’s power play. In both London and with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms in the AHL, he wouldn’t just be a typical defenseman playing the point on the man advantage, but he was playing in the bumper in the middle of the zone to be that central nucleus in passing plays and making a deflection or two.

Add that desperate need to then bringing more youthful energy to a bottom pairing that could certainly use it next to Nick Seeler, and the possibility that we see Bonk becomes more real.

It’s not a perfect option — to throw in someone who is just playing his first year of professional hockey into a must-win playoff game — but it a card that Tocchet can play. The only other options he truly has is to switch up the forward lines again, just trying anything to get some sort of chemistry and a line working together to not get caved in by the Hurricanes, or the Andrae-for-Juulsen rotation he has been doing on the blue line.

That’s really it. But seeing that neither Andrae or Juulsen are really affecting the game all that much, putting in someone who is going to be a long-term piece for the Flyers (hopefully) and get a taste of the playoffs in a do-or-die game, could be fairly useful.

Bonk could be overwhelmed by the Hurricanes’ pace and ends up as a reason why the Flyers lost Game 4, but it could also be an incredibly lesson heading into the summer and show exactly what the best teams in the NHL look like at the biggest time of the year.

We probably won’t get a finalized lineup until warmups before puckdrop, though.

Game starts at 6:00 p.m. as the Flyers are going to be fighting for their lives.