The Flyers have signed 24-year-old Austrian forward Michael Raffl to a 3 year contract. Really happy for him, he has worked very hard and it seems his play at the WC has attracted a few NHL teams. He had a great season at Leksands (46 points in 49 games, top scorer of the team and outscoring teammate Filip Forsberg, who had 33 points in 38 games). Raffl will probably need a year or two in the AHL, but standing at 6'2 and 195 lbs and playing a physical game, I think he can compete for a bottom 6 spot pretty soon.
So we'll have at least 4 Austrians in the NHL/AHL next year ... obviously Vanek and Grabner, plus Nödl, who is an RFA though. There's also a big possibility that 27-year-old goaltender Bernhard Starkbaum could get signed soon. He had a stellar year for MODO in the SEL (2.06 GAA and .933% svs) and I'm sure he would already have an NHL contract if he hadn't had a pretty average WC tournament. Austrian sources say the Sabres, Flyers, Predators, Oilers and Canadiens are interested in his services nevertheless.
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