The Flyers' decision to sign 2011 ourth-round draft pick Marcel Noebels to an entry-level contract caught me a little off-guard. In and of itself, the timing of the signing was a mild surprise.

The 19-year-old is likely not ready for NHL yet, nor is he eligible for the AHL this season because he was drafted from the WHL. If he had played in Germany's DEL in his draft year, the AHL could have been an option for next season if the Flyers felt he was ready for it.

Noebels received an offer from the DEL's Krefeld Penguins (his hometown team) to return to the club for the 2011-12 season. During the Flyers' prospect camp, he indicated that he would base his decision to go back to Germany or continue playing for the Seattle Thunderbirds next season on whatever the Flyers recommended. He also said that he was hoping to sign an entry-level contract with the Flyers "soon."

By "soon," I thought it meant within the next year, not within one month of being drafted.
Unless the Flyers wanted to exercise more control over where Noebels played next season, I'm not sure why there was such a rush to sign him. I would assume that he will now go back to Seattle next season (if he doesn't shock everyone at camp).

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