Due to the pandemic-related uncertainty over when National Hockey League training camps will be held and when the 2020-21 American Hockey League season will begin, many clubs have temporarily loaned NHL-contracted prospects to teams in Europe. When NHL camps begin, the players can be recalled from the loan.
Overseas Update: Flyers Prospects in Europe
there are five contracted prospects who have been loaned to European clubs at the start of the overseas 2020-21 seasons
In the case of the Flyers, there are five contracted prospects who have been loaned to European clubs at the start of the overseas 2020-21 seasons.
Forward Linus Sandin and defenseman Linus Högberg, both of whom will play in their first North American pro season in 2020-21, are playing in Sweden. Forward David Kase , awaiting his third North American season, is currently playing in the Czech Republic. Third-year North American pro German Rubtsov and Maksim Sushko, a second-year player, are in the KHL.
Following is a brief update on how each of the players is faring so far. A future update will look at more recently drafted Flyers prospects in Europe who are not yet under NHL entry-level contracts, such as Samuel Ersson, Olle Lycksell and Adam Ginning. The update will come after the 2020 NHL Draft, by which time there is a decent possibility that the ranks of Flyers draftees playing in Europe will increase.
SWEDEN
Linus Sandin (RW): The 24-year-old right winger, who is the older brother of Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Rasmus Sandin, had a breakout SHL season two years ago and carried it over to a very strong campaign in 2019-20 (51 gp, 19g, 17a) for HV71 Jönköping. The Flyers signed Sandin to a one-year NHL contract on April 29, 2020.
The Flyers' post-loan anticipation for Sandin is that he will compete in training camp for an NHL roster spot in a third-line or fourth-line role. He has shown a willingness to battle in the trenches, plays a two-way game and has a deft touch near the net. He has played on both ends of special teams in Sweden.
On August 7, the Flyers loaned Sandin back to HV71. The team's regular season schedule opened on Saturday with a 3-0 shutout loss to Frölunda. Sandin skated 17:21 of ice time. He did not record a shot on goal, but was credited with one hit (his team had just six for the game to 16 for Frölunda). HV71 returns to action on Saturday, hosting Rögle.
Linus Högberg (D): Drafted originally by the Flyers in the 5th round (139th overall) of the 2016 NHL Draft, Högberg played three full and two partial seasons in the SHL with the Växjö Lakers, with whom he won the league championship in 2017-18. The Flyers signed the lanky defenseman to an entry-level contract on May 30, 2020; just before his NHL rights would have expired. Högberg turned 22 years on Sept. 4.
Although he has 181 games worth of SHL regular season experience and 21 games of SHL playoff experience, the Flyers recently loaned Högberg to HC Vita Hästen, a team in Allsvenskan (Sweden's top minor league, one rung below SHL). This will allow him maximum all-situation ice time for the time being. The team's regular season will start on October 3; a road game against Modo Hockey.
The plan for Högberg, pending the confirmation of a 2020-21 American Hockey League schedule, is for him to get some North American seasoning with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. He is a mobile defenseman with good puck moving skills. The biggest issue that he's been working on in recent years is to add strength to his frame. He has some offensive nascent skill but is more of a puck-mover than a point producer.
CZECH REPUBLIC
David Kase (RW): The energetic little Czech winger has spent most of his fwo North American pro seasons in the AHL with the Phantoms, but earned his first NHL recall to the Flyers this past season and scored his first NHL goal -- with his parents in the stands and his brother, Ondrej, playing for the other team -- at the Wells Fargo Center on Dec. 17, 2019. In all, he dressed in six NHL games with the Flyers and 51 for the Phantoms (7g, 12a) in 2019-20.
Because he is regularly at a size disadvantage, Kase has to use his elusiveness and hockey smarts to his advantage to be effective. He has excelled in stretches at the American Hockey League level but is still aiming for greater consistency. He was not part of the Flyers' Phase 3 training camp in July before the NHL team departed for the Bubble in Toronto and the start of postseason play.
On August 11, the Flyers officially loaned Kase to HC Karlovy Vary, a team in the Extraliga (top pro league), in his native Czech Republic. He had a very strong preseason and carried it over with three points (0g, 3a) in the first two games of the regular season.
It is not a surprise that Kase has excelled offensively. The level of competition he's facing in the current-day Extraliga is a notch below what he's faced in the AHL and what he saw in Sweden's SHL in 2017-18; one season before he joined the Phantoms as a rookie. What's more important right now is the opportunity Kase is getting to see extensive ice time.
RUSSIA/KHL
German Rubtsov (C): It's been a roller coaster ride for Rubtsov's developmental opportunities going all the way back to his Draft year. The Flyers' 2016 first-round pick has dealt with a slew of injuries in recent years.
In 2018-19, his North American pro debut season, Rubtsov got off to an outstanding all-around start for the Phantoms but then suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in the first period of his 14th game of the season. Early this past season, Rubtsov sustained another significant injury to the same shoulder on a seemingly harmless play along the boards. He missed more than a month.
Upon his return, Rubtsov regressed. The organization has always liked his defensive awareness and responsibility with the puck but has encouraged him to be more assertive in making plays. After coming back to the Phantoms lineup, he played an ultra-conservative brand of hockey the remainder of the 2019-20 season.
These numbers are telling: Whereas he had 10 points (six goals, four assists) in 14 games (or more accurately, 13 games plus one-half of a period) to start his AHL rookie season,Rubtsov had 13 points (2g,11a) to show for 42 American Hockey League games this past season.
It wasn't all bad for Rubtsov this past year. He earned his first NHL recall early in the 2019-20 season while the Flyers were trying out various centers in the bottom six, and he dressed in his first four NHL games. Rubtsov was also part of the team's Phase 3 training camp in July but was not offered a roster spot among the Black Aces the team took to the Bubble in Toronto. 2017 first-round pick Morgan Frost beat out Rubtsov for the opportunity.
Rubtsov can play either center or wing. On August 23, 2020, the Flyers loaned the 22-year-old to KHL team HK Sochi. He played initially, with significant ice time, but had an injury scare. Thankfully. he's OK. Thus far, he's played seven regular season games and scored one goal, while seeing some multi-situation usage.
Maksim Sushko (RW): The 21-year-old Belarusian forward had a promising rookie AHL season for the Phantoms in 2019-20; showing hints of two-way upside as a potential future bottom-six NHL forward. There is still an ongoing learning curve to negotiate in terms of the consistency of some of the details of his overall game, but Sushko appears to be on the right track. Offensively, he had 11 goals and 21 points this past season for a Phantoms team that scuffled to score.
On July 17, the Flyers loaned Sushko to a team in his native Belarus, KHL club Dinamo Minsk. In six regular season games to date, he's scored one goal.
