Who is Oliver Bonk's father, Radek? Meet the former no.3 draft pick for Ottawa Senators

Oliver Bonk has a bright future ahead of him. For the next NHL draft, Bonk is considered to be London's top prospect, and it isn't exactly uncharted terrain for someone of his lineage. In 1994, the Senators selected his father, Radek, third overall. He gave him some pointers on how to manage the pressure and commotion.

He said:

“I know they think about it or read an article somewhere, but you should tune it out or maybe you play nervous. Just block it out and play your game,” he added. “(Oliver’s) a good player, does a lot of good things, so don’t worry. There will probably be NHL people at every game watching you, but if you concentrate on that, it’s going to be a long season.”

When Radek was 17 years old, he left his native Czechia to join the International Hockey League's Las Vegas Thunder to play under former Islanders legend Butch Goring.

Before his retirement in 2014, he played 969 games for the Sens, Canadiens, and Predators. He subsequently spent a further five years in the Czech league. Oliver Bonk is bound to get influenced by his father and will hope to emulate his career.

Oliver Bonk looks like an interesting prospect

Oliver Bonk

Many NHL teams will be interested in the mobile, defensively strong Ottawa native, who is projected to leave the first round late.

Oliver Bonk is 6-foot-1. His finest plays start in the defensive zone with puck re-coveries during board fights. Once he has the puck in his possession, he moves quickly to execute a precise transition pass or skate the puck out by himself.

Although he didn't set any records for points scored, his 40 points only scratched the surface of his real offensive capabilities. He possesses a good shot from the blue line and makes clever passes, but during the aforementioned transitions, he often sets up plays that don't necessarily appear on the scoreboard. He engages in similar gameplay to Jared Spurgeon, despite the obvious contrast in stature.

Oliver Bonk is projected to go 18th at its highest (Winnipeg Jets) but most place him at an average of 26th-30th.

The San Jose Sharks have the 26th pick (from the New Jersey Devils). Other teams likely in for him are the St. Louis Blues (from the Dallas Stars via the Rangers), Carolina Hurricanes, and the Anaheim Ducks.