FLYERS PROSPECT AUBE-KUBEL ENJOYED BREAKTHROUGH QMJHL SEASON

One year ago, the Philadelphia Flyers selected Val-d'Or Foreurs (QMJHL) forward Nicolas Aube-Kubel with the 48th overall pick of the 2014 NHL Draft. One year later, according to at least one scout, "if there was a redraft this year, he'd probably go earlier in the second round [and] maybe late in the first."

Flyers scouting director Chris Pryor says the organization is happy with the strides that Aube-Kubel took in his first year after the draft. The righthanded-shooting right winger (who can also play center) signed an entry-level contract with the Flyers on Oct. 2, 2014. He went to reward the organization's faith by having a breakthrough season in the Q.

"Nicolas is progressing well in every aspect of his game," said Pryor. "He took on a much bigger role with his team this year and he was one of their catalysts. He's got good speed, he's good with the puck on his stick, quick shot release, and we think he can become the type of player who can be used in different situations. He did a good job killing penalties this year and played a big role on the power play. There's still room for him for growth in his game, and he's heading in the right direction."

Listed at 179 pounds a season ago, the 5-foot-11 Aube-Kubel is now listed 196 pounds on the QMJHL official site but reportedly entered the Flyers' 2014-15 rookie camp about 190 pounds. He's never going to be a big bruising forward but a well-proportioned 195 to 200 pounds with a high degree of cardiovascular fitness is fine with the type of rigorous conditioning program the Flyers put all of their prospects and NHL players on each summer.

A year ago, Aube-Kubel notched 22 goals and 53 points in 65 regular season games for a powerhouse Val-d'Or team that won the QMJHL championship and went to the Memorial Cup semifinals (single elimination) before losing in triple-overtime to the eventual champion Edmonton Oil Kings.

The Hockey News had Aube-Kubel ranked 60th overall. The general consensus on him was that his draft slot would fall in the second or third round. The scouting community was somewhat divided on him. International Scouting Services had him 88th overall, while Central Scouting had him 40th among North American skaters.

The two scouts quoted in the THN Draft Preview last year gave Aube-Kubel lukewarm reviews. One said he's got "some skill" and above-average offensive instincts but "he's a little inconsistent with his work ethic and his compete level." Another said that he has the tools to make things happen but said he doubted Aube-Kubel's game would translate to tighter-checking and more structured environments.

Other scouts said just the opposite. An Eastern Conference scout based in Ontario who cross-scouted Aube-Kubel in the Quebec League said last year ago he felt the player's 200-foot game was coming along nicely under head coach Mario Durocher's prodding and that playing lower in the lineup enabled the player to focus on developing aspects of his game such as his backchecking.

In the meantime, TSN analyst Craig Button felt last year that Aube-Kubel was one the top sleepers in the draft and a potential high-yield pick in the second round. He noted the selection of Aube-Kubel as one of the reasons why he gave the Flyers an "A" grade in his post-draft take.

Longtime Flyers Quebec-based scout Simon Nolet, fellow Quebec League scout Todd Hearty and the team's cross-over scouts obviously agreed with Button, and the player's rise after the draft started quickly with an outstanding summer's work of off-season preparation for the 2014-15 campaign.

Nolet told Flyers writer Jay Greenberg prior to the start of the season that he felt Aube-Kubel was going to be an upwardly mobile prospect this season. Said Nolet, "He plays a good up-and-down game. Good skater. Good offense. Never played first power play last year, because they had 19-year-old and 20-year-old guys. He's going to get more ice time this year."



Aube-Kubel enjoyed a torrid QMJHL preseason for Val'd-Or (six goals, seven points in four games), scored two goals in the regular season opener and came to the Flyers' rookie camp with a lot of confidence. The 18-year-old put on a very impressive performance in the annual Rookies Game against the Washington Capitals' prospects on a line with 2012 first-round pick Scott Laughton and speedy two-way winger Taylor Leier. He followed it up with a strong NHL prehseason game against the Caps, playing on a line with veteran Blair Jones and Leier.

Aube-Kubel's performance even caught the attention of now-former Flyers head coach Craig Berube, who said he was impressed by the speed and confidence the teenager showed against more experienced and bigger opponents in an NHL game; albeit one played under preseason conditions.

Upon his return to the Quebec League, Aube-Kubel initially continued to produce at a strong clip but then hit a rough spell in the latter part of October. He suffered an injury in a knee-to-knee collision with Quebec Remparts forward Adam Erne in a game on Nov. 9. He missed a couple weeks of action and was noticeably less effective for awhile after his return. Nevertheless, Aube-Kubel participated in the 2014 Subway Series against the Russian national U20 team as a member of Team QMJHL.

In December, Aube-Kubel hit his offensive stride again and never looked back the rest of the regular season. His production was not only impressive but remarkably consistent from game to game.

For the month of December, he had six goals, 15 points and a plus-seven rating at even strength in nine games played. In January, Aube-Kubel rattled off 10 goals, 18 points and a plus-five in 11 games (including a stretch of scoring goals in seven of eight games with nine goals in that span). In February, he produced six goals, 16 points and a plus-eight in 10 games and posted at least one point in every game but the final one of the month. During the final push of the stretch drive, Aube-Kubel had seven goals, 11 points and a minus-one in eight games.

All totaled, Aube-Kubel finished the 2014-15 regular season with 38 goals and 80 points in 61 games. That was good for 20th in the league, but it should be noted that the player was in the top five in the league from Dec. 6th through the end of the regular season. Also of note was the fact that he was actually more productive on the road (24 goals, 47 points in 32 games) than he was at home (14 goals, 33 points in 29 games).



During the playoffs, Aube-Kubel was dominant in Val'd'Or's first-round series against the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies (four goals, 10 points in the six-game series). Thereafter, his offensive production slowed down a bit in the second round against the Baie-Comeau Drakkar, although the Foreurs pulled off a stunning comeback from a three games to zero deficit in the series and a 3-0 scoreboard deficit in Game Four. Aube-Kubel logged a lot of ice time throughout the series.

In the President's Cup semifinals against the Rimouski Oceanic, Aube-Kubel's entire line was utterly shut down by Flyers 2013 first-round pick Samuel Morin and company in a resounding four-game sweep for Rimouski. Aube Kubel's best game was the elimination game, as he at least managed to generate three shots on goal and create a couple of scoring opportunities. He finished his playoff run with five goals and 15 points in 17 games with a minus-seven.

"I think Nicolas hit the wall a little bit at the end there, and the whole team ran out of gas," said Pryor. "But let's not forget that Rimouski is a tremendous team and they were just that good in the series. They can make a team look bad."

Pryor is looking forward to seeing Aube-Kubel put in a similar summer's worth of commitment to the one he spent preparing for the 2014-15 season, challenging himself to set the bar even higher this time around. It is likely he will spend one final season in junior hockey before reaching to professional ranks in 2016-17.

"Don't get me wrong: I never want to rule out the possibility that he or one of our other kids comes to training camp and plays so well that he wins a job with the big club," said Pryor. "But we're going to be as patient with Nicolas and our other young forwards as we are with the defensemen. He could probably benefit from another year at that level, and he might have a chance to get a spot for Canada at the World Juniors. That's a good challenge for him because those spots are very competitive and he'll have to earn it."

Apart from adding more muscle and continuing to refine his 200-foot game at even strength, Aube-Kubel hopes to show that he has the versatility to play different NHL roles as needed. At the QMJHL level, he is a prime shorthanded scoring threat (five shorties between regular season and postseason play) but he still has room to improve without the puck. He can work further on fighting through traffic at even strength and avoiding falling into low-percentage plays as happened at times in the Rimouski series.

Aube-Kubel is not easily intimidated, which is a good trait, but he can get undisciplined at times. He could stand to cut down on some of his offensive zone penalties and do a little less slashing and cross-checking when he gets frustrated. His 81 regular season penalty minutes and 22 playoff penalty minutes were not excessive statistically but he was prone at times to getting penalized at inopportune times. Improvement in this area should come with maturity.



Aube-Kubel, who was born in Alberta but raised in Quebec and speaks French as his first language with a slight but noticeable Quebecois accent when speaking English, will turn 19 years old on May 10. His sister, Alex-Anne, is a professional figure skater.

Another interesting side note on the player: Aube-Kubel's agent is Phil Lecavalier of MFive Sports, the brother of Flyers forward Vincent Lecavalier (who is represented by Kent Hughes of the same agency). Flyers goalie Steve Mason's agent is MFive's Anton Thun.

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2015 IIHF WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP: FLYERS UPDATES

* Team Canada brutalized Germany by a 10-0 score on Sunday in Prague. Claude Giroux had a three-point game (one goal, two assists) in 16:42 of ice time, posting three shots on goal and taking a pair of minor penalties in the first period for slashing and hooking. Sean Couturier continued to be used sparingly in a fourth-line role, skating a team-low 9:32 of ice time. Head coach Todd McLellan once again did not dress Brayden Schenn for the game.

* In Monday action, Team Canada will take on the host Czech Republic, featuring team captain Jakub Voracek and living legend Jaromir Jagr. Game time will be 2:15 p.m. EDT. After today, the Canadians will next oppose Sweden on Wednesday at 2:15 p.m. EDT, while the Czechs play against France at 10:15 a.m. EDT.

* Switzerland defeated France, 3-1, on Sunday. Mark Streit recorded one shot on goal, an even plus-minus and a first-period holding penalty in 20:16 of ice time for the Swiss side. The Swiss team, which is coached by former NHL player and coach Glen Hanlon, will next take on Germany in Prague on Tuesday at 10:15 a.m. EDT.

* Team Austria, featuring Flyers forward Michael Raffl, is idle on Monday. The Austrians play France in Prague on Tuesday at 2:15 p.m. EDT.

* Denmark got blanked by Finland, 3-0, on Sunday. Oliver Lauridsen was minus-one with one shot on goal in 21:55 of ice time for Denmark. The Danes return to action on Tuesday against Belarus at 10:15 a.m. EDT.

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FLYERS JUNIOR PROSPECT PLAYOFF UPDATES

* QMJHL: Game One of the President's Cup Finals start in Rimouski, Quebec, on Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. EDT. The series pits Flyers 2013 first-round pick Samuel Morin and the Rimouski Oceanic against the Quebec Remparts. Although the QMJHL championship is at stake in the series both teams have clinched spots in the Memorial Cup, because the Remparts get an automatic spot as the tournament host team.

* WHL: The WHL Finals will pit the Kelowna Rockets against the Brandon Wheat Kings. The series starts on Friday at 9:30 p.m. EDT. Flyers 2013 third-round pick Tyrell Goulbourne (Kelowna) is out for the rest of the playoffs after undergoing surgery to repair a torn calf muscle.

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TODAY IN FLYERS HISTORY: ROENICK'S OT GOAL CAPS SERIES CLINCHER

On May 4th, 2004, the Flyers earned a 3-2 road overtime win against the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game Six of the Eastern Conference Semifinals to advance to the Conference Finals. Playing through a concussion, Flyers center Jeremy Roenick scored a pair of goals including the series clincher at 7:39 of overtime.

The Flyers held a 2-0 lead going into the third period after first-period tallies by checking winger Radovan Somik and Roenick. Toronto then rallied for third-period goals by Karel Pilar and Mats Sundin to send the game to OT.

The OT session was one of constant action, with Toronto attacking furiously but Robert Esche (34 saves) finding ways to prolong the game. Over the course of roughly three-and-a-half minutes of whistle-free play, two sequences happened that will forever live on Flyers' franchise lore.

First, Sami Kapanen got crushed by a devastating bodycheck by Toronto's Darcy Tucker. Stumbling and staggering, Kapanen still gamely managed to get back to the Flyers' bench through sheer will and a little assistance as he finally got near his teammates.

As soon as Kapanen got to the bench, Roenick replaced him on the ice. Later on the same shift, Roenick received a pass from Joni Pitkänen. Skating into the Toronto zone on a 2-on-1, Roenick cut in from the right wing and fired a shot high into the top corner over longtime former Chicago teammate Ed Belfour.

Belfour expected Roenick to aim to shoot over his right pad -- Roenick's bread-and-butter shot -- or to pass the puck. Even so, the goalie seemingly had the angle covered except for a puck-sized space in the top corner and Roenick happened to make a perfect shot.



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FLYERS ALUMNI FANTASY HOCKEY CAMP

The Flyers Alumni will host a fantasy hockey camp from August 21-24 in Atlantic City, open to anyone age 21 and older. Instructors and Alumni participants will include Bernie Parent, Brian Propp, Ian Laperriere, Todd Fedoruk, Andre "Moose" Dupont, Dave "the Hammer" Schultz, Joe Watson and Bob "the Hound" Kelly.

The registration deadline is June 1. Participation costs $3,000 apiece but it is free to register a spot online. Over on the Flyers' Alumni website, there is more information on camp-related activities and on-ice schedules.

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