Welcome to the big stage, Roman Lyubimov.
Lyubimov, the 24-year-old Russian signed out of the KHL this summer, will make both his Flyers and NHL debut tonight when Philly takes on the Blackhawks in Chicago.
“He’s a big guy, he skates well,” Flyers general manager Ron Hextall upon signing Lyubimov in June, per CSN Philly. “He plays a solid, two-way game. Kind of an up-and-downer.
“We’ve had our eye on him for a couple years, but he kind of really popped at the World Championships this past year.”
Lyubimov, 24, hardly stood out in the KHL -- just 34 points in 185 games over six seasons -- but, as Hextall mentioned, burst onto the scene at the Worlds. He had eight points in 10 games, helping Russia capture bronze, and his size (6-foot-2, 207 pounds) caught the eye of several scouts in attendance.
Lyubimov will draw in for Nick Cousins this evening, who was one of the club’s most productive forwards through the first two games of the year, with two points in just over 13 minutes of action per night.
The Russian will skate on a line with Boyd Gordon and Pierre-Edouard Bellemare.