Flyers place Rodrigo Ābols on injured reserve
The fourth-line center was hurt Saturday in the loss to the New York Rangers. He was unable to skate off the ice without help.
LAS VEGAS — As the Flyers try to work their way out of a six-game losing streak, they’ll have to do it without Rodrigo Ābols.
The fourth-line center and penalty killer was injured Saturday, 6 minutes, 10 seconds into a 6-3 loss to the New York Rangers at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Ābols appeared to get his right toe stuck in the ice along the boards in the offensive zone, and his ankle buckled.
Ābols, who was one of the first players named to Latvia’s team for the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics, was unable to skate off the ice without help. Flyers coach Rick Tocchet said postgame, “It’s not good. I’m not going to get into it, but it’s not good.”
On Sunday, the 30-year-old was placed on injured reserve. He had three goals and 10 points in 42 games this season, doubling his point total from last year in 22 games, one of which was his NHL debut.
» READ MORE: Flyers lose their sixth straight to the lowly Rangers amid boos
In a corresponding move, Lane Pederson was called up from Lehigh Valley of the American Hockey League.
Centering the top line for the Phantoms, Pederson has 13 goals and 28 points in 37 games. He was signed by the Flyers to a one-year, two-way deal worth $775,000 in the NHL on July 1.
A career minor leaguer, the 28-year-old has played 71 NHL games across four teams: the Arizona Coyotes, San Jose Sharks, Vancouver Canucks, and Columbus Blue Jackets.
His tenure in Arizona crossed paths with Tocchet, the team with whom he made his NHL debut on April 2, 2021, during the COVID-19-shortened season. An undrafted forward, Pederson scored his first NHL goal in his debut.
They also worked together briefly in Vancouver. Tocchet was hired on Jan. 22, 2023, and Pederson was picked up on waivers by Columbus a few days later.
» READ MORE: From sixth-round pick to the NHL? Danny Brière likes Hunter McDonald’s chances.
Breakaways
The Flyers will not face former teammate Carter Hart. The goalie was injured Jan. 8 and was placed on injured reserve Jan. 15 with a lower-body injury.