With Ryan Poehling out with an injury he suffered during last Thursday’s game against the New York Islanders, the Philadelphia Flyers have recalled forward Rodrigo Abols to replace his spot in the lineup.
Transaction: We have placed forward Ryan Poehling (upper body) on the injured reserve. Additionally, we have recalled forward Rodrigo Abols from the @LVPhantoms (AHL). pic.twitter.com/MsTRPadic0
— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) January 20, 2025
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Abols, 29, was one of two European free agents that the Flyers signed last summer to fill out the organizational depth at the forward position — the other being Swedish center Oscar Eklind. The Latvian forward has been a solid addition to the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms in his first season over here in North America since the 2019-20 season, where he laced up for the Springfield Thunderbirds.
This season, through 34 games played for the Phantoms, Abols has scored nine goals and 19 points which is good for fourth on the team in scoring. Not too shabby for someone who has stepped away from this style of game for so long and has been plopped down on a team without any high-end prospect or all-star talent.
Abols should bring a bit of size and tenacity to the Flyers lineup — if he is even playing this week. The 6-foot-4, 205-pound center as someone who has the size but also at least some offensive chops, is something that this NHL lineup has been without all season long.
He will be replacing Ryan Poehling, who unfortunately was the victim of a vicious headshot from Islanders rookie Maxim Tsyplakov (who was promptly suspended for three games for the hit). There has been no update on how long Poehling could potentially be out after the direct hit to his head, just that he is now on the Injured Reserve list.
Even without Poehling, the Flyers do have 12 healthy forwards with the recent addition of Olle Lycksell up from the Phantoms earlier. But, the Flyers front office and coaching staff must want something else, possibly Abol’s physical attributes, on the roster instead of someone like Lycksell.
We will see where exactly Abols lands in the lineup but the Flyers are not going on any lengthy road trip where they will need a necessary extra forward on the roster in case of injury. The Flyers are hosting the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday, and then take a visit to New York to face the Rangers on Thursday and a rematch with the Islanders on Friday. This recall feels strictly because they actually want Abols to play and not just for insurance.