Philadelphia Flyers Sign Nicolas Aube-Kubel
The Philadelphia Flyers have finished some offseason business early, reaching a contract with Nicolas Aube-Kubel before he hits restricted free agency. The new two-year deal will carry an average annual value of $1.075MM and run through the 2021-22 season.
Aube-Kubel, 24, made his presence felt in the NHL for the first time this season, scoring 15 points in 36 games with the Flyers. The 48th overall selection from 2014, he had played three full seasons in the minor leagues and had just nine NHL games and no NHL points to show for it before 2019-20 started. When he agreed to a one-year, two-way $700K contract last summer he seemed like he may be destined to be organizational filler instead of a real option for the Flyers lineup.
Now, after finding himself on the ice for 13 of the team’s 16 postseason games, it’s hard to imagine he won’t get a real shot at a full-time roster spot in 2020-21. With Nate Thompson, Derek Grant and Tyler Pitlick all scheduled for unrestricted free agency, there may be some more minutes to go around for players like Aube-Kubel.
With a $1.075MM contract, he becomes an inexpensive option that could technically still be completely buried in the minor leagues if the team needed. That cap number is precisely the amount that comes off the books when someone is stashed in the AHL, though Aube-Kubel would need to clear waivers in order to go to the minors in the first place. One other thing to worry about is Group VI UFA status after the deal expires, though he’ll need just 22 games over the length of the contract to avoid that designation.
The Flyers still have some work to do with their restricted free agents, including Nolan Patrick, Philippe Myers, and Robert Hagg.
Prospect Notes: Askarov, Hogberg, McPhee
If anyone needed a reminder of just how good Yaroslav Askarov is, he provided it today. The top 2020 draft-eligible goaltender posted his first KHL shutout when he blanked Spartak by stopping all 33 shots he faced (including a penalty shot). Askarov only turned 18 a few months ago but is already turning heads at the highest level in Russia, raising expectations even further as he heads into the draft next month.
A consensus first-round pick, the young goaltender is signed through the 2021-22 season with SKA St. Petersburg but is a potential franchise starter for a team willing to take the chance on him in a few weeks. How high he climbs that board is unclear, though Spencer Knight‘s selection at #13 last year may show that teams are now a little less hesitant to spend big on goaltending at the draft.
- The Philadelphia Flyers have loaned Linus Hogberg to HC Vita Hasten of the Swedish second league, keeping him overseas once again. Drafted in 2016, Hogberg’s rights would have expired had he not signed an entry-level contract with the Flyers before June 1 of this year. He ended up inking his two-year deal on May 30, but will be staying in Sweden for the time being. The 22-year-old defenseman has played four full seasons in the SHL, scoring 14 points in 50 games in 2019-20.
- Just a few days ago Graham McPhee signed a one-year AHL contract with the Bakersfield Condors, but now he’s suiting up for Vienna in the Austrian pro league. The son of Vegas Golden Knights executive George McPhee, the 22-year-old forward actually became an unrestricted free agent when the Edmonton Oilers decided not to sign him to an entry-level deal last month. After four years at Boston College, the fifth-round pick will have to work his way up the professional hockey ladder, starting in Europe for now.
Contract Notes: Miller, Thompson, Gallagher
Ryan Miller may have turned 40 this summer but that doesn’t necessarily mean he’s done with a playing career that has him climbing the all-time lists. The Anaheim Ducks backup goaltender is without a contract for next season and will wait to see what the 2020-21 season looks like before making a decision on his future, according to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic. Quite succinctly, Miller explained that if the NHL moves to full-season bubbles it wouldn’t be fair to his family for him to sign up and leave for nine months, a notion that is likely shared by many around the league.
Miller is currently 15th on the all-time wins list for NHL goaltenders, just two behind another former Buffalo Sabres legend, Dominik Hasek. That was a player Miller was hoping to catch as recently as May, though it’s still unclear if he’ll get that chance. Even at his age, the veteran of 17 NHL seasons recorded a .907 save percentage in 2019-20, better than many backups around the league.
- Nate Thompson isn’t put off by the Philadelphia Flyers disappointing playoff loss, in fact, he’s “very interested” in returning to the team next season if possible. Thompson told reporters today that he wants to be a part a “window of winning” that he sees in Philadelphia. The 35-year-old forward was outstanding in the faceoff dot for Philadelphia this postseason, winning more than 60% of his 168 draws. He’s coming off a one-year contract worth $1MM and recorded 15 points in the regular season.
- Though his contract doesn’t end until 2021, Brendan Gallagher was asked today about his future with the Montreal Canadiens. As he spoke to reporters including Arpon Basu of The Athletic, Gallagher (who is still recovering from a broken jaw), explained that his agent has had preliminary discussions with the team about his next deal. Gallagher, 28, has turned into one of the biggest bargains in the entire league at his current cap hit of $3.75MM, given he has scored 86 goals over his past 223 regular season games (an 82-game pace of nearly 32 goals). Add in all the intangibles he brings to the team, including leadership and his innate ability to get under the opponent’s skin and Gallagher is one of the Canadiens’ most important players.
Flyers Expect Brian Elliott To Return Next Season
The Flyers expect backup goaltender Brian Elliott to return next season, notes Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer. The veteran has spent three years in Philadelphia with the last two serving as the understudy to Carter Hart. Elliott saw his save percentage dip for the fourth straight season as it went from .907 to .899 although his goals against average actually improved slightly, from 2.96 to 2.87.
Those numbers shouldn’t have him in line for a big raise on the $2MM he received this season which would fit in well to the Flyers’ salary structure which has them with nearly $72MM in commitments already for 2020-21 and several roster spots to fill with that remaining cap room. One thing that Philadelphia could do is make Elliott’s deal incentive-laden which he’s now eligible for having turned 35 back in April as long as he signs for one year. That would allow them some extra flexibility with bonus overages being able to be charged on the cap in 2021-22 if needed and ensure that a working tandem remains intact.
Sean Couturier Named 2020 Selke Trophy Winner
Another day, another NHL award announced. This evening it was the honor of best defensive forward, which went to Philadelphia Flyers center Sean Couturier. The league named Couturier the recipient of the Frank J. Selke Trophy for the 2019-20 season, his first time winning the award. The Selke Trophy is voted on by the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association and is awarded to the forward deemed to “best excel in the defensive aspects of the game.”
Couturier faced stiff competition for the honor this season, as 2018-19 winner Ryan O’Reilly of the St. Louis Blues and four-time winner and nine-time finalist Patrice Bergeron of the Boston Bruins were also named finalists. Yet, the race was not particularly close. Couturier finished with 117 of a possible 170 first-place votes, 96 more than Bergeron in second. His 1424 total voting points were also 540 more than Bergeron. O’Reilly finished close behind in third, with Tampa Bay’s Anthony Cirelli in fourth and Vegas’ Mark Stone and Montreal’s Phillip Danault finishing in a distant fifth and sixth respectively.
Couturier has grown into one of if not the best face-off man in the NHL, a main reason he ran away with the Selke this season. He won 59.7% of his draws, more than any other player in the league (with a minimum 50 face-offs). He also ranked second in defensive zone face-off percentage. On the club level, he led all Flyers forwards in average time on ice and short-handed ice time per game and led all Philadelphia skaters in plus/minus and Corsi. Additionally, Couturier finished second in scoring for Philly, just two points behind Travis Konecny for the team lead.
East Notes: Steen, Fenton, Patrick
Another young player will suit up overseas to begin the season as Boston Bruins minor league forward Oskar Steen has been loaned to IF Bjorkloven in the Swedish second league. Steen has one year left on his entry-level contract and has still yet to make his NHL debut, but did have a decent debut in the AHL. In 2019-20 the 22-year-old forward recorded 23 points in 60 games.
Steen will return to North America for training camp, though it’s still not exactly clear when that will be. Given he dominated the SHL the last time he played in Sweden, the sixth-round pick should find the Allsvenskan easy enough as long as he is given quality minutes.
- Bill Zito is in charge of the Florida Panthers now and he may be bringing in a former NHL GM to help. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that Paul Fenton is “on the radar” to join Florida, and Chris Johnston points out that the former Minnesota Wild executive worked with Zito in Columbus this season as a scout. The first thing anyone thinks about when Fenton’s name is brought up is that infamous (and incredible) feature by Michael Russo of The Athletic, which detailed the 14-month period when he was in charge of the Wild. It’s easy to forget that before he was hired by Minnesota, Fenton was one of the most well-respected assistant GMs in the NHL, spending close to two decades beside David Poile with the Nashville Predators. Though his time in Minnesota will certainly color many expectations, it shouldn’t surprise many that he is in the mix for another NHL job.
- The Philadelphia Flyers season didn’t come to the end many were hoping for, but there are reasons for optimism moving forward. Namely, the health of Nolan Patrick, which continues to improve according to GM Cliff Fletcher. Patrick missed the entire season due to a migraine issue, but has been skating for the past few months and is apparently on the road to recovery. Still, Fletcher admitted that his future is still unclear until he starts practicing with contact. Patrick is a restricted free agent and will need a contract this offseason, but has just 61 points in 145 career games to this point.
Bobby Ryan Wins Bill Masterton Trophy
This week, the NHL will be revealing some award winners in the pregame show of a Conference Final game. Today’s award announcement was for the Bill Masterton Trophy which was won by Senators winger Bobby Ryan. The other two finalists were Flyers winger Oskar Lindblom and Stars defenseman Stephen Johns. The award is given to “to the National Hockey League player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey”.
Ryan took a leave of absence from the Senators in November to enter into the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance program and was in there for close to three months. He had quite the memorable return as in his second game back, he had a hat-trick against Vancouver. Before the pandemic hit, Ryan had played in eight games, collecting four goals while playing over 16 minutes a night, well above his season average. While his season ended on a high note, he’ll remember it best for overcoming the alcohol abuse issues that saw him enter the assistance program and for sharing his story publicly.
Lindblom was diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma back in December, ending his regular season. At the time of his cancer diagnosis, he was leading the Flyers in goals with 11 and had 18 points in 30 games. He was well on his way to recovery at the time of voting and signed a three-year, $9MM contract back in July. While it was initially believed that he wouldn’t play in Philadelphia’s playoff run, Lindblom recovered quick enough to get into their last two games against the Islanders, playing more than 16 minutes in both contests. He looks well-positioned to once again be an important winger for the Flyers next season and could be a contender for this trophy next season as well.
Johns returned to the ice after missing 22 games due to lingering concussion trouble that first came about in Dallas’ training camp in 2018. He made an immediate impact upon his return, picking up an assist in his third game back and a goal in his fourth contest. Overall, he played in 17 games and logged an impressive 17:40 per game while adding some stability to the back half of their defense corps in the process. Johns suited up for their first four playoff games (all three Round Robin matches plus the first Qualifying Round game versus Calgary) before being injured. He remains unfit to play and there is no word on how long he’ll be out.
Golden Knights goaltender Robin Lehner was the recipient of the award last season. The Willie O’Ree Community Hero Award is next up and will be revealed on Tuesday.
Sean Couturier Played Through A Sprained MCL At The End Of The Playoffs
- Flyers center Sean Couturier played through an MCL sprain in their final playoff game, relays Jordan Hall of NBC Sports Philadelphia. It’s not the first time that he has had an MCL injury in the past as he played through his final few 2018 postseason contests with an MCL tear. The injury should be fully recovered in time for training camp.
Philadelphia Flyers To Loan German Rubtsov To Sochi Of KHL
The Philadelphia Flyers announced they have loaned forward German Rubtsov to Sochi of the KHL as teams try to send some of their younger plays overseas to get them some playing time before the expected late start of the NHL’s 2020-21 season.
Rubtsov showed significant promise in 2018-19 when he started his rookie campaign with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, scoring six goals and 10 points in 14 games. However, a shoulder injury ended his season early. He came back this year, but struggled in his second year in Lehigh Valley. He tallied just two goals and 13 points in 42 games, although he was recalled once by the Flyers, appearing in four games, although he failed to register a point.
An early start to the 2020-21 season makes quite a bit of sense for Rubtsov, who is still looking to find his game after suffering a significant injury not that long ago. The team was hoping that Rubtsov, the team’s 2016 first-round pick, would be able to provide a depth option for the Flyers at this point, but he wasn’t included on the team’s postseason roster. It’s believed that he will return to the Flyers team for training camp, whenever that will be.
Matt Niskanen Receives One-Game Suspension
The Flyers will be without one of their veteran defensemen on Friday night as they look to close out their series against Montreal as the Department of Player Safety announced (video link) that Matt Niskanen has received a one-game suspension for his cross-check on Brendan Gallagher late in Wednesday’s contest.
The incident occurred with just over five minutes remaining in the third period. In their video describing the reason for the suspension, the league noted that they accepted Niskanen’s statement that he wasn’t trying to hit Gallagher in the head and that Gallagher’s sudden movement just before the cross-check occurred was a contributory factor to the hit landing on his head and not lower. Gallagher suffered a broken jaw on the play and will be out for the rest of this series at the very least.
With Niskanen out of the lineup, it may pave the way for Shayne Gostisbehere to return. He suited up in the first two games of the series before being scratched to make room for Robert Hagg. Gostisbehere has a history of success against Montreal; they are the only opponent that he has averaged more than a point per game against with 14 points (2-12-14) in 13 games.