According to a
report in Swedish newspaper agency Dalarnas Tidningar (DT), Leksands IF winger
Michael Raffl is in negotiation with the Philadelphia Flyers and Nashville Predators and is "near a changeover" from LIF to one of the two NHL organizations.
The 24-year-old Raffl is coming off an encouraging World Championship tournament performance for Austria, where he played on the top line with Buffalo Sabres star Thomas Vanek and center Thomas Hundertpfund (recently signed by Swedish team Timrå IK). Most notably, Raffl had a goal and an assist in Austria's 8-4 loss to Russia.
Raffl, a 6-foot-1, 192 pound winger posted 24 goals and 46 points in 49 regular season games last year for Leksand at the Allsvenskan level (one league beneath Elitserien) and then added three goals and six points in the postseason as Leksand earned a promotion to the Elite League for the 2013-14 season. He is considered a smooth skater and responsible two-way player. Raffl has never played at an elite league level outside of the Austrian-based EBEL but he did not look out of place playing with Vanek at the Worlds.
Leksand general manager Tommy Salo told DT that he is aware of the reports that Raffl is about to sign either with Philadelphia or Nashville. However, Salo pointed out that not only is Raffl signed for an additional season with Leksand, he does not have an NHL out-clause in his contract. Salo, a former NHL goaltender, said that the team expects Raffl to honor his contract and will not simply let him out of the deal (i.e., the club would expect to be compensated financially).
Speaking to Flyers beat writer Randy Miller of the Camden Courier Post,Flyers director of hockey operations Chris Pryor confirmed the team's interest in Raffl.
"Both (Flyers director of player personnel) Dave Brown and I saw Raffl at the World Championships and he's a good player," said Pryor. "He did well for the Austrian team and he did well in the Swedish league."
In a separate
story, which appeared in national Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet, it was said that the Flyers and Edmonton Oilers have pursued Austrian goaltender
Bernhard Starkbaum of Modo Hockey.
Starkbaum, 27, had an outstanding Elitserien regular season for Modo, posting a 2.06 GAA, .933 save percentage and 8 shutouts in 46 games. He struggled in the postseason, however, as Modo got ousted in five first-round games by Färjestad. Starkbaum was the starting goalie for Austria at the World Championships, posting a 3.74 GAA and .890 save percentage for an overmatched squad that finished last in its bracket and was relegated to Division I for next season.
The Flyers have dabbled before in pursuing late-blooming European goalies, but have not had the same success that Anaheim had this year with Viktor Fasth. For the Flyers, neither Johan Backlund nor recent bust Niko Hovinen panned out as NHL goalies. Backlund played well for the Phantoms but hip issues set back his career and he only had a cup of coffee with the big club (getting injured in his NHL debut). Hovinen failed to earn a spot on the Phantoms this year and was inconsistent with the ECHL's Trenton Titans before being released from his contract.
Unlike Raffl, Starkbaum has an NHL out-clause in his contract with Modo. The news item quotes Starkbaum's agent, Patrick Pilloni, who confirms that he has been in talks with "several" NHL teams about his client.
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