In the first seven games of the 2023-2024 season, Lehigh Valley Phantoms forward Olle Lycksell has six goals. The 5-foot-11, 176-pound right-winger is tied for third in goals in the American Hockey League (AHL) behind the Springfield Thunderbird’s Adam Gaudette (nine) and the Laval Rocket’s Lias Andersson (seven).
Drafted 168th overall in the sixth round of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft by the Philadelphia Flyers, scouting reports described the Swede as a “creative” player with good hands who likes to make plays. Despite being on the smaller side for an NHL forward, the same reports emphasized his “accurate wrist shot from the slot.”
Sweden to Pennsylvania
Lycksell played professional hockey in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) for parts of five seasons before heading to the United States for the 2022-2023 season. He appeared in 221 games between 2017 and 2022, playing at Sweden’s highest level, skating with the Linköping HC, Färjestad BK, and Växjö Lakers. In that time, he recorded 95 points (42 goals and 53 assists). On May 6, 2021, the Flyers signed Lycksell to a two-year, entry-level contract.
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Last season, Lycksell was considered by Flyers insiders to be one of the team’s “most pleasant surprises out of training camp.” He appeared in eight games, making his NHL debut at age 23 on Oct. 15 against the Vancouver Canucks. However, he spent much of the season with the Phantoms but appeared in two NHL games in December and five in February, scoring one assist and playing mostly on the team’s fourth line.
Despite his slow transition to the NHL, Lycksell showcased his skills with Lehigh Valley. In 53 games with the Phantoms, he recorded 45 points, scoring 14 goals and 31 assists. He also appeared in the club’s three playoff games, adding two goals and two assists before the Phantoms were ultimately ousted from the AHL Calder Cup Playoffs in the first round by the Charlotte Checkers.
Return to Lehigh Valley
Despite a solid training camp, Lycksell was loaned to Lehigh Valley by the Flyers on Oct. 2, after the team reduced their roster to 31 players leading up to their fifth preseason game against the Boston Bruins. However, it did not discourage the 24-year-old who quickly went to work, scoring goals for the Flyers’ AHL affiliate. His first month was highlighted by a hat trick in an Oct. 20 game against the Thunderbirds. Up to this point in the young season, he has spent time playing on lines with Tanner Laczynski and Wade Allison, as well as Elliot Desnoyers and Samu Tuomaala.
Flyers’ Right Wingers
The Flyers currently have Cam Atkinson, Tyson Foerster, Bobby Brink, and Garnet Hathaway playing primarily on the right wing. In the first nine games of the season, Atkinson is second in team scoring behind Travis Konecny. The 34-year-old is the top right winger on the team’s depth chart and has a reputation as a go-to player who can be trusted in any situation, including on the penalty kill. Foerster, Brink, and Hathaway have combined for nine points in nine games. Brink was responsible for most of those points, with two goals and four assists.
To the delight of the Phantoms faithful at the PPL Center, Lycksell’s offensive performance is making a strong case for a call-up to the NHL this season. If the opportunity presents itself, the skilled Swede has the potential to provide depth at right wing and an offensive surge on the Flyers’ third or fourth lines.