Alex Bump was not always seen as one of the Flyers’ top prospects. However, after an incredible season with Western Michigan, contributing to their national championship year, Bump turned professional after just two collegiate seasons.

For the Broncos last season, the young winger tallied 23 goals and 24 assists for 47 points in 42 games. That followed a freshman campaign where the Flyers’ 5th-round pick had 14 goals and 22 assists for 36 points in 38 games.

A fantastic NCAA career for Bump skyrocketed him up the Flyers prospect rankings, and now, he has joined the organization.

Following the NCAA Men’s Ice Hockey Championship in St. Louis, where Western Michigan had won, Bump decided it was time to join the Flyers. However, instead of reporting to the NHL, Bump went to the AHL, where he was trying to get his second championship of the year.

The Phantoms may have fallen short, but Bump impressed.

In his two regular-season games for LHV, Bump tallied three points with a goal and two assists. He also had two goals in seven games during the Phantoms’ playoff run.

Now, it feels as if there is a better chance than not that Bump makes the NHL roster out of camp and begins his NHL career. What are the expectations for him this season?

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Lehigh or Philly? Where Will Bump Start the Year?

The Flyers could have a few roster spots open this year, and the reasonable expectation is that Alex Bump will claim one. Rightfully so, too.

Bump has shown he is ready for the NHL level.

Throughout his collegiate career, Bump touted a high-level shot that featured both power and accuracy. While he is not exactly a physical player, he displayed his strength in being able to play through the physicality of the opponents.

The beginning of Bump’s AHL career showed a player who was poised for NHL success. However, once the playoffs rolled around, it seemed as if the hot streak was over. It was on the heels of a long season, so it’s hard to fully fault him.

Now, training camp is about to roll around, and Bump will be competing for what already feels like his spot on the NHL roster.

With Porter Martone off to Michigan State, Tyson Foerster possibly missing early time due to injury, and there already being an opening left by Jakob Pelletier’s departure, the writing is on the wall. This feels like Bump’s spot to lose.

So, that said, I do expect him to start the year in Philly with the Flyers.

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What Are The Expectations for Bump?

With all of that said, it seems more likely than not that we will see Alex Bump’s rookie season next year. So, what are the expectations?

I will start by saying this: don’t expect him to be in the Calder Trophy race like Matvei Michkov was. With a talented rookie class, including guys like Ivan Demidov, Alexander Nikishin, Michael Misa, Zeev Buium, and more, it feels like it will be hard for Bump to really stand out.

However, that is not to say that he will not impress in his own audience.

Barring anything crazy happening, I would expect Bump to play on the Flyers’ third line. I don’t think they would want him in the NHL if they envisioned fourth-line minutes for him. However, with the top-six forward core of Michkov, Konecny, Foerster, and Tippett, it does not seem like a top-six role is imminent either.

That said, playing on a third line will make keeping his name in Calder talks quite difficult.

Floors are hard to predict, let alone set expectations for, especially for rookies. For all we know, he could prove he is not ready and struggle right away. But ceilings are a little bit easier.

To me, a good comp for Bump could be Tyson Foerster’s rookie season. Foerster notched 20 goals and 13 assists for 33 points in 72 games that year. That feels like a reasonable expectation for Bump.

Both players have a similar offensive style with strong shots. I do think Bump will be a bit more of a playmaker than Foerster was, which is how I think he’ll reach his point totals.

Now, I am not suggesting 20 goals is a reasonable expectation for Bump. However, I think somewhere in the 30-40 point range with a mix of 10+ goals seems like a realistic, great season for Bump.

What are your expectations for Alex Bump?

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