Almost immediately following their win over the Penguins on Saturday night, the Philadelphia Flyers announced they loaned forwards Rodrigo Abols and Jacob Gaucher as well as defenseman Emil Andrae back to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the American Hockey League. The moves will give all three players ice time as in the minors as the Flyers won’t play again until Feb. 22 when they host the Oilers in a Saturday matinee.
All three players appeared in the Penguins game but none of the three had points. In nine games with the Flyers Abols has one goal and one assist and was -3 in that time. He did manage to have some decent games on a line with Sean Couturier and Matvei Michkov and was a serviceable bottom-six forward given the Flyers injuries to Owen Tippett and Ryan Poehling as well as seeing Joel Farabee and Morgan Frost traded to Calgary.
Meanwhile Gaucher is still waiting to get his first NHL point after playing four games with Philadelphia. In 45 games with Lehigh Valley, Gaucher has 14 goals and 14 assists. Depending on injuries and or barring any trades it’s probably a safe bet Gaucher will not see much more action with the Flyers this season as one or two of the injured forwards should be back after the 4 Nations Face-Off break concludes.
As for Andrae, he’s been literally and figuratively up and down this year, sent back and forth between Philadelphia and Lehigh Valley while having highs and lows along the way. The blueliner, who was paired with Erik Johnson of late with Egor Zamula hurt, has a goal and five assists for six points in 24 games. In 15 games with the Phantoms Andrae has two goals and seven assists for nine points.
The trio of players will get some game time over the next two weeks as the Phantoms play five games between now and a Feb. 22 contest agains the Rockford Icedogs. The Phantoms play Wilkes-Barre twice next weekend with a game against the Syracuse Crunch slated between the two Wilkes-Barre contests. Lehigh Valley will then play two games away against the Grand Rapids Griffins on Feb. 19 and Feb. 21.