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Quick Hits: Rubtsov, Sandin, TIFH |
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Quick Hits: June 15, 2021
1) Yesterday, the Flyers announced that impending restricted free agent forwards German Rubtsov and Linus Sandin have respectively agreed to one-year, two-way contract extensions that carry $750,000 cap hits at the NHL level. Essentially, the deals amount to both players accepting qualifying offers from the Flyers.
Apart from a brief Taxi Squad recall, the 25-year-old Sandin spent the entire 2020-21 season in the American Hockey League with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Sandin dealt with early season injury issues. He saw some power play time during the season on the way to posting six goals (3 PPG) and 10 points in 26 games played.
Rubtsov, who will turn 23 on June 27, spent this past season on loan from the Flyers to HK Sochi of the KHL. He has been plagued with injuries throughout his junior and professional career to date and his early offensive progress at the pro level -- 10 points in his first 13 games as an AHL rookie in 2018-19 -- has regressed after two shoulder injuries (one of which required season-ending surgery). The center/winger is responsible defensively but the knock on him is that, especially since his serious injury during the 2018-19 season, he's been too content to play a passive brand of hockey.
In the KHL this season, he posted three goals and 11 points in 46 games. His team had an early-season COVID outbreak and he also dealt with injuries. Rubtsov was also briefly a reported health scratch. Overall, he missed 14 games in 2020-21.
While in junior hockey, Rubtsov dealt with a broken nose and concussion at the 2016-17 World Junior Championships. With the Phantoms, after suffering a shoulder injury in the first period of his 14th game during his rookie season and undergoing season-ending surgery, he suffered another shoulder injury on an innocent-looking play along the boards about a month in his second campaign. He missed five weeks and did not play particularly well after his return.
It was not considered a slam-dunk that Rubtsov would accept a likely return to the American Hockey League level for 2021-22. However, he didn't exactly set the KHL on fire, either, and if he's going to get his NHL career ambitions back on track -- he dressed in four games for the Flyers early in the 2018-19 season, playing exclusively on the fourth line -- he has a better chance of earning renewed interest with a solid training camp and AHL showing.
2) Today in Flyers History: On June 15, 1994, the Flyers sent a 1994 second-round draft pick (Ryan Johnson) to the Florida Panthers as compensation for hiring Florida's inaugural general manager, Bob Clarke. to return to Philadelphia for a second stint as the Flyers' GM.
3) June 15 Flyers Alumni birthdays: Dean McAmmond (1973), Sandy McCarthy (1972), Zac Rinaldo (1990), Petr Straka (1992).
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • 
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