The Philadelphia Flyers announced on Tuesday afternoon that they loaned forward Olle Lycksell to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, presumably for the remainder of the season. Lycksell was placed on waivers on Monday in order to facilitate the move back down to the AHL and successfully cleared them Tuesday afternoon.
Transaction: Forward Olle Lycksell has cleared waivers and has been loaned to the @LVPhantoms (AHL).
— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) April 8, 2025
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
Lycksell has been fine in his time with the Flyers. He’s shown flashes here and there when given chances, but ultimately put up just five assists in his 19 games. The winger has one NHL goal to his name along with 10 assists in 45 career games.
But Lycksell has been impressive with the Phantoms in his three seasons in North America. He’s put up 125 points (50 goals, 75 assists) in 131 games and has been a point-per-game player over the last two seasons. He was named to the AHL All-Star Classic as the Phantoms representative this season.
The Phantoms are getting their All-Star back for their playoff run, along with a few prospects that have already made their professional debuts.
All eyes have been on Jett Luchanko, and the 2024 first-round pick has put up two assists in his five games with the Phantoms. Alex Ciernik has also gotten into one game after signing an amateur try-out contract last month.
Of course, there is also Nikita Grebenkin. The Russian winger acquired in the Scott Laughton trade has five points (three goals, two assists) in eight games with the Phantoms.
All of this is to say that the Phantoms may be a fun team to watch in this year’s Calder Cup playoffs. They would face off against the Providence Bruins in a best-of-three series if the season ended today, but the Phantoms are tied with the Springfield Thunderbirds for fifth in the Atlantic Division.
The injection of youth will continue next season with some of the Flyers’ other top prospects like Denver Barkey, Oliver Bonk, and Carson Bjarnason slated to turn pro.
But back to Lycksell.
The 25-year-old winger is a pending Group 6 UFA this summer, and unless he wants to stick around to help the youth movement in Lehigh Valley, he will probably end up leaving the organization for a chance at an NHL job somewhere else. The Flyers have great depth at the wing position at the NHL level and Lycksell hasn’t done enough to prove that he should crack that.