The Philadelphia Flyers announced this morning that Alex Bump has been loaned to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, one day before Tuesday's game against the Wild.
The team made it official on its account at 10:03 am ET Monday, and NHL Rosters and Pro Hockey Rumors confirmed it. The move comes right after Travis Konecny and Owen Tippett were activated off injured reserve Sunday, which put the forward group back at full strength.
The Flyers' official account put it plainly:
Bump, a fifth-round pick in 2022 (133rd overall), played 8 games this season and did not register a point. He went without a goal or an assist and carried a -1 rating.
The desk has no reason for the move and no word on a recall, so nothing beyond the transaction itself is known. Nobody has said who takes his spot in the lineup either.
What is clear is the traffic. Konecny was back on the ice in the Konecny and Tippett activation on Sunday and scored in the 6-3 win over Utah, adding an assist for two points.
Michael Bunting was a healthy scratch in that game, according to Robert Tiffin. That tells you the lineup was already tight before anyone came off injured reserve.
Where Bump's numbers leave him in Philadelphia
Over his NHL career, Bump has 25 games, 5 goals and 4 assists for 9 points, with a +2 rating. He also played 6 playoff games and scored 2 goals.
That is a modest résumé, and this season gave him little room to add to it. Eight games with no points will not make anyone rush to bring a young winger back.
Meanwhile Bunting has 8 games and one assist, with a -5 rating. Sitting a veteran while sending the younger player down is a defensible choice, though the question of who gets the next scratch is still open.
The Flyers sit 27th in the NHL at 4-8-4, and they just beat Utah to end a rough stretch at home. A team in that position does not have the luxury of carrying extra forwards who are not producing.
Rick Tocchet's group faces a Minnesota team that is 10-3-3 and third in the league on Tuesday, and the lineup that takes the ice will be the first real answer on how this crowded forward group shakes out.
