Six years later, Olle Lycksell showing some returns on the Flyers’ investment in him

On June 24, 2017, NHL front offices and draft prospects flooded back into the United Center in Chicago for the second day of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft. Meanwhile, seven hours ahead in Oskarshamn, Sweden, Olle Lycksell had other things on his mind.

The 18-year-old had debuted in Sweden’s top pro league, Hockey Allsvenskan, and had some brief conversations with the Flyers, but he still wasn’t even listed among central scouting’s rankings. The NHL was more of a dream than a goal, so instead of tuning in, Lycksell left his phone inside and went outside to play soccer with his younger sister.

Lycksell returned to his phone and to his surprise, among the waiting messages was the news that his name had been called in the draft.

Suddenly, the NHL became a more realistic goal. It didn’t matter that a team had waited until the sixth round to pick him. It didn’t matter that he went 127th overall to the Flyers. The fact that they saw enough in him to use a draft pick made him that much more motivated.

» READ MORE: Dan Hilferty, who ran IBX and helped Philly land the World Cup, is new boss at Comcast Spectacor

Six years later, Lycksell has not yet made a name for himself in the NHL, bouncing back and forth between the Flyers and the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. But in his first year of North American hockey, he’s shown enough that the people who took a chance on him are pleasantly surprised.

Lycksell was very raw the first time Flyers Director of European Scouting Joakim Grundberg saw him. While many hockey prospects have trainers and personal coaches, Lycksell was mostly self-taught. Most of his hockey practice came while playing in the streets. Most of his knowledge came from YouTube.

Maybe that’s why his creativity stuck out so much. As he moved further into ice hockey, Lycksell continued to incorporate the fun of street hockey, and he tried out moves that worked with his friends or for his heroes in their YouTube clips.

Grundberg wasn’t worried about the rawness of Lycksell’s game. You can teach skills, systems and situational play. What worried him was his size. Lycksell wasn’t just short. He was skinny, too.

“He was 17 but he looked like he was 14,” Grundberg said of Lycksell, who was 5-foot-10 and 163 pounds when he was drafted.

As teenagers, fellow Flyers prospect Adam Ginning and Samuel Ersson didn’t notice Lycksell’s size but rather focused on his poise and confidence. And as Lycksell moved into the older half of the age group, his size became less noticeable. Ultimately, Grundberg decided to back him.

And so on a Swedish summer night, Lycksell’s phone rang with the unexpected call.

After getting drafted by the Flyers , Lycksell took his first trip to the United States to participate in a development camp. Watching from the perch in the Flyers Skate Zone, assistant general manager Brent Flahr was hit with the same impression as Grundberg .

“He worked hard, but he was so thin and skinny,” Flahr recalled.

Lycksell still had a ways to go to get from the Flyers draft board to their roster, so he headed back to Sweden to continue playing for his junior team.

In the first year after he was drafted, Lycksell scored just four goals. That season, 60 players his age or younger finished with more points than him. To put it in context, players who have been drafted to the NHL usually score about a point per game, Grundberg said.

There were definitely growing pains, but the important thing is that there was growth.

When Lycksell transitioned into the SHL, he scored five goals. It was just one more than the year before, but the fact that he scored more at the pro level than in juniors showed the Flyers he made a jump.

» READ MORE: Inside the dressing room: From Jamaica to engagements, here’s how the Flyers spent the All-Star break

From there, Lycksell plateaued. But he was still behind his peers in experience. The SHL teams typically emphasize strong defensive structure, something Lycksell hadn’t been exposed much to. He also had to learn when he could take risks and how to crank up the intensity.

And of course, he was still small. Lycksell dedicated himself to eating right and working out.

As Lycksell adapted, his coach started to trust him with more responsibility. He was moved up from the fourth line and played in more situations. The combination of more opportunities, a greater understanding of the game and physical growth led to his best season yet — 14 goals and 20 points in 47 games with the Växjö Lakers.

However, most of the Flyers staff wasn’t there to witness it. When the pandemic hit, the Flyers scouts and front office members based in North America could no longer go watch their European prospects in person.

They barely recognized the 6-foot, 196-pound Lycksell when he showed up at camp ahead of the 2022-2023 season.

“Credit to him, he worked his ass off,” Grundberg said. “You would never call him a small player anymore. He might not be overly tall … but he’s kind of a thick and strong player.”

Upon arriving in America, Lycksell joined his fellow countrymen, Ginning, Ersson, Linus Hogberg and Felix Sandstrom, in exploring what Voorhees, NJ, had to offer — until he discovered Panchero’s, located next to the practice rink. It was love at first taste.

“That guy crushes Pancheros,” Ersson said. “Like, I’m telling you, you wouldn’t even believe how much… Every time we try to go somewhere else, but he’s very stubborn with his Pancheros.”

Lycksell also crushed rookie camp, which wasn’t a surprise to the front office since he was one of the older players and had professional hockey experience. But coach John Tortorella’s notorious training camp was up next.

Lycksell stepped in “with the big guys” and didn’t miss a step, Flahr said.

Tortorella and the rest of the staff started throwing Lycksell around the lineup to see how he responded. It was hard to create any sort of chemistry, but Lycksell didn’t mind as he observed each of his line mates and tried to absorb parts of their game.

Lycksell racked up the Panchero’s points (“probably too much”) as he made it through the first cuts. However, the Flyers sent him to the Phantoms to help him adjust to the smaller ice of North American hockey.

Lycksell returned quickly, making his North American hockey debut with the Flyers. But after one game, he returned to the Phantoms.

Between being called up to the Flyers here and there and missing four games due to injury, Lycksell has played in fewer games than his Phantoms teammates. But that hasn’t hurt his production.

In 34 games, Lycksell has produced at a point-per-game pace. The Phantoms’ next two scoring leaders have at least 10 games on Lycksell but still trail him in points.

Most of Lycksell’s points come from assists, showing off his ability to create offense.

Lycksell impressed management and Phantoms coach Ian Laperrière enough to earn a call-up as the Flyers take off for the four-game Western Canada swing.

So far, Lycksell’s offensive production has not transferred to the NHL level. He’s gone scoreless in four games. But considering how far Lycksell made it relatively self-taught, the Flyers hope that once he’s caught up, he’ll take it to the next level.

Tortorella said he understands this is Lycksell’s first year. He thought Lycksell struggled Sunday against the Seattle Kraken.

But Tortorella said it’s a learning experience and that they’ll continue to show him film and make corrections, and “if something sticks, we’ll see where it goes.”

Either way, the fact that a sixth-round pick has made his NHL debut at all is a win all around.

“It builds your confidence, going forward, if you feel similar about somebody you want to push for,” Grundberg said.