The Ottawa Senators have signed forward Olle Lycksell to a one-year, two-way contract worth $775,000 in the NHL and $450,000 if playing in the American Hockey League (AHL).
Lycksell, a Swedish forward, was drafted in the sixth round of the 2017 NHL Draft. After being drafted, he played a few more seasons professionally in Sweden before transitioning to North America and making his NHL debut in the 2022-23 season with the Philadelphia Flyers.
Lycksell Has Struggled at the NHL Level
Despite consistently lighting it up in the AHL for years, Lycksell has struggled to make the jump to the next level, only having one goal and 11 points in his first 45 NHL games. He has spent parts of three seasons with the Flyers, but has yet to play more than 20 games in a season.
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Part of Lycksell’s issue is that he is undersized, standing at 5-foot-10 and weighing 163 pounds. He does not fit the mould of a depth winger, a role he will have to play before being able to get a shot with more talented players higher in the lineup, which has limited his effectiveness as he is more of an offensive-minded player.
At this size, it is challenging for Lycksell to have a significant impact on the game defensively, as evidenced by his goal share percentage, which was 12.97% worse than the Flyers’ team share.
Lycksell Brings Offensive Upside to Senators
At just 25 years old, Lycksell still has plenty of room for growth. He may be a liability on the defensive end at times, but for the cheap cost, the Senators are making an excellent bet on Lycksell’s offensive upside.
Last season in the AHL, Lycksell produced at a career-high 1.02 points-per-game pace, scoring 19 goals and totalling 44 points in 43 games with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Now, for his AHL career, he has 52 goals and 128 points in 134 games. Currently, he is at a stage of his career where he is dominating the AHL, but not yet good enough for the NHL. If he continues to work on his defensive play and can find a way to start showing his offensive upside when he gets another chance in the NHL, he has the opportunity to carve out a nice role as a scoring depth forward.
Last season, the Senators were one of the most physical and best forechecking teams in the NHL. Their physicality likely signals an excellent fit for Lycksell, who could thrive playing with other guys who can battle along the boards and do the dirty work on the ice, which would allow him to look for opportunities to push the offence.
