Mikhail Vorobyev’s foray into the KHL with Salavat Yulaev Ufa has come to an indefinite halt. After 33 games into his first of a three-year contract, Vorobyev suffered an ACL injury. The Philadelphia Flyers prospect totaled thirteen points in his return to the KHL.
Drafted in the fourth round of the 2015 NHL Entry Draft by the Flyers, Vorobyev tallied five points in a 35 game career to date. With the state of the NHL during the COVID19 era, his return to the KHL made sense. Still, Philadelphia has an eye on the prospect as he’s a part of the franchise’s system.
On October 6th, 2020, Vorobyev received a qualifying offer from the Flyers, thus retaining his rights while playing in the KHL. If Philadelphia continues to present a qualifying offer to Vorobyev at the end of each season, they’ll maintain his NHL rights. After enduring an ACL injury, could a decision await at the end of his first season in the KHL? Perhaps Chuck Fletcher may waive Vorobyev’s rights by not issuing another qualifying offer.
Youth is still on the side of Vorobyev, who will turn 24 in early January. As the Flyers become deeper at forward, Vorobyev finds himself in quicksand. He’s had playing time under Alain Vigneault in 2019-2020 but was demoted back to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Before being recalled for another stint in Philadelphia, Vorobyev needs to prove he lends a better hand than other prospects on the Phantoms. At the moment, this distance is growing between him and Lehigh Valley.
If he receives another qualifying offer tender at the end of the 2020-2021 season, it’s because he left a lasting impression on Fletcher. Much of that will depend on how other prospects like Tanner Laczynski, Pascal Leberge, and Max Willman perform in Lehigh Valley. This long term ACL injury will test his resiliency to earn a chance at the Flyers lineup in the future.
Photo Credit: Alex Mcintyre
