The Flyers’ 2016 first-round decision looks worse every year.
With the 22nd overall pick, Philadelphia passed on defensemen Charlie McAvoy and Jakob Chychrun, then used the selection on German Rubtsov out of Russia. At the time, the pick fit the usual draft-day logic: trust the board, bet on the upside, hope the kid grows into the role. That never happened.
Rubtsov’s NHL footprint with the Flyers was tiny. He appeared in just four games for Philadelphia during the 2019-20 season and did not record a point.
Most of his development time came with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms in the AHL, where his production was uneven. In 2018-19, he posted six goals and four assists in 14 games.
The next season brought two goals and 11 assists in 42 games, and in 37 games during 2021-22 he finished with two goals and four assists.
His time in Philadelphia ended in 2021-22, when he was traded to the Florida Panthers along with Claude Giroux in exchange for Owen Tippett.
What makes the pick sting even more is who was still available when the Flyers went on the clock. Tage Thompson, Jordan Kyrou, and Alex DeBrincat were all there, and all three have gone on to become far more impactful NHL players.
Thompson has become the biggest name of the group, especially with the Buffalo Sabres. Over the past five seasons, he has produced at least 56 points each year.
Last season, he helped Buffalo end a 14-year playoff drought with 40 goals and 41 assists in 81 games, then added 15 points - five goals and 10 assists - in 13 playoff games. He also won a gold medal with Team USA in the 2026 Winter Olympics, scoring three goals and adding an assist in six games.
Kyrou has been a steady offensive force for the St. Louis Blues.
He earned an All-Star nod in 2022 after putting up 75 points, with 27 goals and 48 assists, in 74 games. Across eight seasons with St.
Louis, he totaled 168 goals and 210 assists in 488 games.
DeBrincat has built his own strong resume with the Chicago Blackhawks, Ottawa Senators, and Detroit Red Wings. He has made two All-Star Games and keeps getting better.
This past season, he matched his career high with 41 goals and set a personal best with 44 assists in 82 games for Detroit. He has also played every game since the 2021-22 season.
In nine years and 696 games, he has 294 goals and 301 assists.
So yes, the Flyers missed. Badly.
Rubtsov never became the player Philadelphia hoped for, and the three names left on the board all turned into the kind of difference-makers that make draft-night regrets linger. Unless, of course, DeBrincat ends up hitting free agency in the summer of 2027.
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Flyers Fans Just Got A Glimpse Of Sokolovskiis Long-Term Upside
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Sokolovskiis upside has always been tied more to projection than polish, and this summer clip fits that narrative neatly. He remains a long-term project, with physical tools that stand out and offensive production that still lags behind, but the work he is doing away from the rink suggests why the Flyers are willing to wait. For a team looking to build out its blue line, that kind of frame and commitment is at least a reason to keep watching. [Read more 🡒]