1) Flyers prospects have gathered in Voorhees, NJ for the organization's annual Development Camp. Nolan Patrick, the second overall pick of the 2017 NHL Draft, is among the attendees but will not be able to participate in any of the on-ice work at camp after undergoing sports hernia surgery on June 13. Last night, Nolan said that he is
now healing quickly and is eager to get on with his preparations for the 2017-18 season. He admitted that he never felt 100 percent at any point this past season, while he playing through a dual sports hernia that had been initially identified only as a single hernia.
Playing through an uncorrected hernia explains why there were some negative reports on Patrick's skating this past season, as he previously was noted as having above-average mobility for a big-framed center of his age. It also makes the fact that he "only" averaged 1.39 points per game while playing for a Brandon Wheat Kings team that was not as deep or dominant as the previous season (when Patrick averaged 1.41 points per game as a 17-year-old) a rather impressive feat rather than cause for disappointment.
Right now, even though Patrick reports feeling much better, it is important for the player not to rush through his four to six week recovery timetable. The player said last night that he will not be able to set a specific date to return to the ice but that everything has been progressing well so far.
I'm no doctor but especially given the expedited surgery date ahead of the NHL Draft, Patrick should err on the side of caution. A six-week timeframe still gives him sufficient time to get ready for September camp.
Whenever I think of rushed sports hernia recoveries in the interest of not missing playing time, I recall the travails of Mikael Renberg some 22 years ago. The worst thing the "Legion of Doom" right winger ever did in his career was rush back to play on opening night of the 1995-96 season, roughly two-and-a-half weeks after undergoing hernia mesh surgery (nowadays an obsolete procedure but then the routine surgical treatment) during the preseason. He ended up with much worse physical problems by midseason.
Times have changed since then for the better, thankfully. The recognition, surgical repair and rehab procedures have improved by leaps and bounds in the last two decades. In fact, the now-commonly used term "sports hernia" wasn't even in vogue yet back when players such as Renberg and Shawn Antoski experienced the injury. Renberg was said to have an "abdominal muscle pull" and then, simply, a hernia without it being identified as a particular type of core muscle injury common to athletes. After the surgery, the rehab process wasn't as sophisticated and systematic as it now is for that particular injury.
Rehabbed fully and properly over the next few weeks, Nolan Patrick should be fine even if his skating will take awhile to get back to 100 percent. If the second hernia had been diagnosed and treated last summer, his 2016-17 season would likely not have been hampered.
2) With all of the attention being paid to Patrick, 2016 first-round pick German Rubtsov is flying under the radar. This year is his first Flyers' development camp, as he was unable to attend last year due to obligations to his KHL team,Vityaz Chekov. Now that Rubtsov is entering his first full season in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League after being able to secure a mid-season release from Vityaz last season, he is on hand in Voorhees.
Rubtsov had a tough season last year in terms of injury, including a broken nose and concussion suffered at the World Junior Championships and season-ending hand surgery. He received very little ice time with Vityaz but was clearly too advanced for the MHL (Russian junior league) level during a short return stint to that level last fall. Going to the Quebec League to play for Chicoutimi in the second half was a good step for him, as he got plenty of ice time and dominated (22 points, plus-11) in 16 games.
Because he was drafted out of Europe, the 19-year-old Rubtsov is not subject to the American Hockey League's age restriction for players under the age of 20. However, given how little he actually played last season between the injuries, the lack of KHL usage and being assigned to fourth line defensive-oriented duties at the World Junior Championship, Rubtsov likely needs a full campaign in the Q before being in the mix to play pro hockey.
Despite the injuries, it would be unfair to call Rubtsov's 2016-17 campaign a lost season. The way he instantly adapted to the smaller ice and dominated in the Quebec League, albeit over a small sampling of games, presented some hints as what the Flyers saw when they bypassed the likes of Kieffer Bellows, Julien Gauthier and Max Jones to select Rubtsov. Keep in mind that Rubtsov's entire junior Russian national team was banned by the IIHF from competing in the 2016 Under-18 World Championships due to doping violations.
In the immediate future, the youngster simply needs to play more hockey. His overall development will require the type of ice time he'd get in the Quebec League even if his pure skill level is pro caliber. The Flyers' drafting of the more NHL-ready Patrick (who is less than three months younger than Rubtsov but missed the birth date cutoff for 2016 Draft eligibility) may eventually prompt a switch to wing for Rubtsov, or else he and Patrick could someday become the Flyers' top two centers as Claude Giroux's role is gradually reduced in his 30s.
3) Believe it or not, this year marks Philippe Myers' first Development Camp with the Flyers.
In 2015, the undrafted Myers attended Development Camp with the Calgary Flames, who did not offer him an invitation to rookie camp in September. The Flyers did, and ended up signing him to an entry level contract. Myers was unable to participate in the Flyers' Development Camp last July while undergoing surgery on June 16, 2016 to repair a torn labrum in his left hip and a detached pubic plate on both sides.
Myers navigated the 10-to-12-week timetable for his offseason surgery last year and enjoyed a strong NHL camp with the Flyers before returning to his Quebec League team, the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies. He enjoyed a strong all-around season, which included a stint on the top pairing of Team Canada's blueline at the World Junior Championships, but was twice set back by concussions. He returned late in the season and finished well.
Unless he has a stellar preseason that sees him significantly outplay the likes of Samuel Morin, Robert Hägg and Travis Sanheim, it is likely that Myers will spend the 2017-18 season in the AHL before the Flyers feel he is ready to push for an NHL job.
In the case of 2014 first-round pick Sanheim, who is attending his fourth and final Development Camp, the player took big steps with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms in 2016-17 in starting to evolve from an offensive defenseman in junior hockey to a more well-rounded player. However, he likely needs to put all of the elements together simultaneously for a larger sample size than roughly half a season before the Flyers feel comfortable moving him up to the NHL.
4) Hextall has said that he may invite an unrestricted free agent veteran to try out for a contract during the preseason as a fall-back in case the young defensemen struggle in camp. Yesterday, he denied having any interest in -- or contact with -- unrestricted free agent Andrei Markov, so as not to block the young defensemen vying for as many as two roster spots.
My view has not changed. Even at 38 years old, Markov would be a significant upgrade on veterans Andrew MacDonald and Brandon Manning irrespective of what the youngsters do in camp. To not even explore the idea of adding Markov and then paring down some veteran salaries has nothing to do with boxing out young players.
Rather, it has the optics of being a tacit unwillingness to consider either a) eating a portion of MacDonald's salary for the next three seasons in order to make him more tradeable or b) an unwillingess or inability at present to trade a combination of Brandon Manning and a high-salaried vet on an expiring contract, either in the same deal or separate transactions, in order to offset the cap dollars it would take to add Markov on a one-year or two-year contract.
From a sheer hockey standpoint, I'd favor option B. Markov could have been paired with second-season NHLer Ivan Provorov atop the blueline, with Radko Gudas a fixture on the second pair, MacDonald in his more appropriate 5th defenseman role, one rookie in the lineup as well as third-year NHLer Shayne Gostisbehere. If a second rookie rose up in camp to push MacDonald for his lineup spot this season or next, so much the better. This wouldn't a Cup-caliber blueline yet but it would be better than last season's group. Right now, there are too many unknown quantities being heavily relied upon heading into camp, and whatever vet tryout candidates there may still be lingering on the market late in the summer likely won't be as good as Markov.
That's just how I see it. Of course, my opinion isn't the one that counts and I also don't have the benefit of knowing what moves were discussed with other teams and what may or may not be out there to make by opening night.
For now, it seems that Hextall is content with sticking to a plan of having MacDonald remain in the top-four mix with Gudas as the other heavy ice-time vet, and Manning competing with two rookies (or one rookie and a depth vet signed off a tryout) for the fifth and sixth starting spots.
5) Yet another player attending his first Flyers Development Camp is Russian center Mikhail Vorobyev. The 20-year-old will join the Phantoms this coming season for his first year of North American hockey. A fourth-round Flyers pick in 2015, Vorobyev was unable to attend Development Camp the past two seasons due to his obligations to KHL team Salavat Yulaev Ufa. Now that his KHL deal expired and he signed an entry-level contract with the Flyers, Vorobyev is in Voorhees with the other Flyers' prospects.
Vorobyev quietly pieced together a nice season in 2016-17. Most notably, he led all players at the World Junior Championships in assists while playing a solid tournament on both sides of the puck. He also scored a nifty shootout goal in the medal round against Team USA. While his KHL numbers (three goals, 11 points in 44 games last season) may not look like much, he did it on limited ice time and he actually had some games where head coach Igor Zakharkin temporarily moved him up in the lineup when he was outperforming some of the veterans.
Note: The English spelling of the 20-year-old Russian's surname has been changed, as is fairly common with Russian players within a few years of being drafted. His last name had been spelled Vorobyov since he was drafted but he is listed as -yev on the Development Camp roster after requesting the Flyers change it.
6) Happy 74th birthday wishes go out to Flyers Hall of Fame defenseman Joe Watson. Below is an item I wrote about Joe in my May 25 blog.
During yesterday's meeting, Joe Watson popped in for awhile, holding an ice pack to his ailing shoulder. The previous day, he'd participated in a golfing event and was proud to announce that his group won.
One day this summer, I will devote a blog to tell some of my favorite stories from the Alumni trip to Russia earlier this year. For now, I will say that one of my favorite parts of the trip was talking with Joe Watson each morning after breakfast time about the current Flyers' games the night before. To say that he still passionately roots for the team and has opinions on who is and isn't properly honoring the crest's identity is to put it mildly.
No one, not even the late Ed Snider until the day of his passing, cares more deeply about not just the win-loss success but the identity of the Flyers than Joe. He vehemently believes in things being done a certain way, on and off the ice. Be on time, give it your 100 percent focus and devotion and you are fine in his book. Otherwise, stay the hell away from the team.
Here are two personal stories about Joe, not related to the Russia Trip, about Joe. I think they illustrate his undying passion for the team and for the "once a Flyer, always a Flyer" identity that he so fiercely upholds.
Last season, per usual, the Flyers Alumni hosted their Alumni Golf Invitational sponsors in a game-night suite as a thank you event. I was asked to come take some photos to post on the Alumni social media pages on Facebook and Twitter (@FlyersAlumni).
The Alumni mixed and mingled with the guests. Light conversation and smiles abounded. Everyone was having a good time. Joe, however, kept peering down intently at the game unfolding on the ice. As the Flyers fell behind the Buffalo Sabres, 3-0, in the second period, Joe grew agitated, muttering in disgust at the home team's performance. Then he composed himself and rejoined the guests around him during the next stoppage. Eventually, the Flyers came back to win the game. Joe was ebullient.
During the final weekend of the season, the Flyers hosted the Columbus Blue Jackets in the penultimate game. The Flyers (courtesy of Brad Marsh) provided club box tickets for Cory Mickey and his family. Cory is the son of the late Larry Mickey, who played briefly for the Flyers in the early 1970s. On my way to stop over to say hello to Cory during the first intermission, I saw Joe and mentioned that I was on my way over to greet his old Flyers teammate Larry Mickey's son.
"Well, for Chrissakes, bring him over here," Joe said.
So I did. Retrieving Cory, our path back to where Joe Watson was standing was blocked by security and a slew of people gathering around now-former vice president Joe Biden. Finally, I told a security guard we were trying to see another Joe -- Watson, not Biden. The security guard nodded and directed us through the jam-up but, by now, intermission was almost over.
Joe Watson was still there, though. He vigorously shook Cory's hand (Joe can just about crush your hand with his handshake grip) and regaled him with stories about playing against his dad and their short time together playing for the Flyers. Specifically, he told a story about how Larry Mickey was great at lightening up the boredom of waiting to board airplanes by successfully pulling off the "dollar bill on a string" prank on unsuspecting travelers in the terminal and on the plane (this was before the days of chartered flights when teams traveled commercial flights).
By the time we said our goodbyes and I got back up to the press box, it was about six minutes into the second period. There had been a goal (by Columbus) scored, so I had to ask NHL.com's Adam Kimelman to get me caught up on what I'd missed. I didn't mind, though. It was cool to see Joe so happy to make acquaintances with the son of someone who was his teammate 46 years ago for all of 14 games, and to have a related story on instant recall.
That's Joe Watson. He's one of a kind.
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • 
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