Linus Sandin won’t be starting his North American career as soon as he expected. The Swedish forward has been loaned back to the SHL’s HV71 today by the Philadelphia Flyers, just a few months after signing his entry-level contract.
Sandin, 24, inked that one-year entry-level deal in April following an excellent season with HV71, where he scored 36 points in 51 games. The undrafted forward was set to compete for a role in the NHL for the 2020-21 season, but will have to wait a little longer for that opportunity. As with any of these loans, the Flyers retain the right to recall Sandin at any point and will likely do so in time for NHL training camps in November.
The older brother of top Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Rasmus Sandin, Linus has played three full seasons in the SHL and has seen his point totals jump in each one. The 6’1″ forward easily led HV71 in goals with 19, good enough for third in the entire league. With a flat cap next season he could be a valuable depth piece for the Flyers, who still have some important free agents to sign and not a ton of space to do it.