The Philadelphia Flyers are undefeated and you cannot stop them. After tumbling over the Tampa Bay Lightning in a 3-2 victory on Tuesday night, the team decided to add some more forward depth by claiming Lukas Sedlak off the waiver wire from the Colorado Avalanche.
TRANSACTION: We have claimed forward Lukas Sedlak on waivers from the Colorado Avalanche. https://t.co/F07W3sjgKd
— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) October 19, 2022
Sedlak, 29, was signed by the Avalanche as an unrestricted free agent after playing his last three seasons in the KHL. He appeared in three games so far, but wasn’t deemed good enough for the reigning Stanley Cup champions, was placed on waivers, and here we are now. Before his time overseas — where he managed to score 43 points in 48 games last season — he was drafted by and played for the Columbus Blue Jackets, appearing in a total of 162 games for the top club and was seen primarily as a depth player, averaging just 9:24 TOI during his time in the NHL.
The Czech forward has been given a new opportunity in Philadelphia and he is mainly here after a little bit of turnover in the bottom-six forward group for the Flyers. Olle Lycksell hasn’t made the best impression (and being sent back down to the Phantoms) and after Zack MacEwen got recalled after going on waivers himself, took two penalties in Tampa. Not the best outcome for those right wingers, and now Sedlak is here to give another option for John Tortorella and his staff.
In addition to just being another dude who could do something, Sedlak is at least a known commodity for Tortorella, since he was behind the bench during all three seasons of the winger’s time in Columbus. What a coincidence!
The impression that Sedlak gives, from his time in the NHL and what some former coaches have to say about him, is that he is a stereotypical fourth-line winger. Not flashy, plays a heavy game, can be on the penalty kill, just a guy. So maybe as Lycksell finds some offensive footing in the AHL, Sedlak can hang around and just be that role-filler every team needs.
