Before this week begins, it's time for our weekly check-in on the Flyers’ prospects playing in the AHL, overseas and at the junior and college levels.
In this edition, we highlight two first-year pros who snapped long goalless droughts and check in on the latest developments with the Flyers’ 2016 first-round pick.
Nicolas Aube-Kubel, RW, 5-11/200, Lehigh Valley (AHL)
Aube-Kubel’s transition to the professional ranks has not translated into much scoring, but the 20-year-old saw a 13-game goalless drought come to an end last Saturday night.
Seeing an increased role against Rochester, Aube-Kubel recorded his first multi-point game of his professional career in the Phantoms’ 4-2 win. On the game’s first shot, Aube-Kubel sent home a Danick Martel pass past Rochester goalie John Muse on a 2-on-1 just 59 seconds into the game on “Teddy Toss Night.”
“I’ve been playing better lately,” Aube-Kubel, who also added an assist Saturday, told Highland Park Hockey. “Couldn’t find the back of the net, but a lot of pressure off the shoulder. Our line was very good (Friday). We didn’t score, but tonight, we buried our opportunities.”
Phantoms head coach Scott Gordon promoted Aube-Kubel from the fourth line to the second line Friday night, placing him with Martel and Jordan Weal. The trio didn’t score in Lehigh Valley’s win 4-3 Friday, but did combine for six points against Rochester Saturday.
A 2014 second-round draft pick, Aube-Kubel said last summer he’s “always been an offensive player,” and “it comes natural to me to score goals.” The scoring hasn’t come as easy for him yet, but the Phantoms hope Saturday was enough to get him going.
NHL
Radel Fazleev, LW, 6-0/194, Lehigh Valley (AHL)
Another winger in his first professional season, Fazleev has been content with his role with the Phantoms, despite that role being more of a checking-line fashion than in the top-six.
Fazleev also snapped a 13-game goalless drought and seven-game pointless skid Saturday against Rochester, with his second professional marker during a 4-2 win.
At 17-7-1, Lehigh Valley has a ton of depth up front, so it’s difficult for AHL rookies such as Aube-Kubel and Fazleev to grab prominent scoring roles with the Phantoms. For Fazleev, his solid two-way game gives Gordon someone to lean on defensively.
Never a big scorer in junior, Fazleev fits the mold of a PK specialist who can chip in with some offense and make a name for playing a sound 200-foot game.
German Rubtsov, C, 6-0/190, HC Vityaz (KHL)
We know Rubtsov has gone back to Russia, despite speculation that said otherwise. The positive takeaway, at least in terms of competition, is that he’s been in the KHL.
Rubtsov began the season in the KHL with HC Vityaz, but suffered an injury. Once he returned, he struggled to get back to the league, staying in the MHL and VHL. But now it appears he’s staying up with HC Vityaz, in the highest league in the country.
It’s a mix bag with Rubtsov. He has yet to register a point this season in the KHL, but he has been getting more ice time since coming back from the CIBC Canada-Russia Series. In one game last week, Rubtsov played 9:38 with 14 shifts against CSKA.
The bad news is, in the KHL, unless a young player makes an immediate impact, it’s difficult to get ice time. The 18-year-old has yet to make a huge impact in the league.
For the Flyers going forward, the ideal situation would be for Rubtsov to find a way out of his two-year contract and come to North America to play with Chicoutimi of the QMJHL.
Wade Allison, RW, 6-2/205, Western Michigan (NCAA)
It was a pretty productive end to his first semester as a college hockey player. Allison picked up two goals and two assists in a Friday-Saturday split with North Dakota.
On Friday night, the freshman registered an assist in the Broncos’ 5-1 loss to North Dakota, but recorded two goals and an assist in WMU’s 3-1 win over UND Saturday.
Allison has nine goals and five assists in 16 games during his first semester. Western Michigan resumes play Dec. 29 against Michigan State in the Great Lakes Invitational.
Quick hits
• Travis Sanheim picked up his first pro goal Friday in Lehigh Valley’s 4-3 win over Rochester. Sanheim converted on a breakaway after coming out of the penalty box.
• No points for Sam Morin last week — although he did fire 11 shots on goal in three games — but the 6-foot-7 defenseman did throw around a Rochester player in a fight.
• The Phantoms continued to lean on Alex Lyon, who started all three games last week. Since Anthony Stolarz’s call-up to the Flyers on Nov. 14, Lyon has played in 12 of 13 games.
Lyon won all three games, as the Phantoms are on an eight-game win streak. He let in three goals on 33 shots Wednesday, three on 24 Friday and two on 27 Saturday.
• Remember Cooper Marody, who was ruled academically ineligible through Michigan’s first semester? Well the Wolverines’ first semester wrapped up last week.
No official word yet as to if Marody will return for the second semester, but something to keep tabs on during the next 19 days, before Michigan’s schedule picks up again.
• Terrance Amorosa had one shot on goal and two penalty minutes in Clarkson’s 3-1 loss to St. Lawrence Friday. Amorosa had four points in 10 games in the first semester.
• Quiet week for Brynäs’ Oskar Lindblom, who had just one assist. Lindblom’s teammate, goalie Felix Sandstrom, stopped 26 of 28 shots in his only game last week.
• It’s been a rough season for Pascal Laberge, who sat out a lengthy period of time because of a concussion. Last Wednesday, Laberge was run again, fought and then left Victoriaville’s game against Moncton. The good news? He returned Sunday, scoring a goal in the Tigres’ 3-2 loss to the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles.
• A big week for Saint John’s Samuel Dove-McFalls, who racked up four assists in three games last week for the Sea Dogs.
• Sarnia’s Anthony Salinitri had a huge week for the Sting, with two goals and two assists.