Confirmed with Link: Flyers sign Latvian UFA forward Rodrigo Abols to one-year ELC, ex of Rogle BK (SHL)

[Kermit the Prog]

Rodrigo from Latvia. Gone are the days when you could tell someone's nationality by their first name.

Reminds me of the story of Mickey Rivers saying this to Reggie Jackson on the team bus:

"You've got a white man's first name (Reginald), a Spanish man's second name (Martinez) and a black man's last name (Jackson). You all f*cked up!"

 

[pit]

Center is pretty solidified unless Laughton gets moved and Cates is permanently a LW?

You can replace a lot of the words in this sentence with turd and the meaning remains the same.

Observe.

"Turds are pretty solidified unless turds get moved and Cates is permanently a turd?"

 

[Appleyard]

Scouting Rodrigo Abols, the Flyers' most recent signing - PHLY Sports

Interested in learning more about Rodrigo Abols, the Flyers' recent signing out of the SHL? We've got you covered.

allphly.com

I wrote around 1500 words on Abols... quite in depth in terms of who is is, his history, how he plays and where he fits in the Flyers organisation.

Yep, behind a paywall unfortunately. But sadly just the way these days!

 

[Beef Invictus]

Scouting Rodrigo Abols, the Flyers' most recent signing - PHLY Sports

Interested in learning more about Rodrigo Abols, the Flyers' recent signing out of the SHL? We've got you covered.

allphly.com

I wrote around 1500 words on Abols... quite in depth in terms of who is is, his history, how he plays and where he fits in the Flyers organisation.

Yep, behind a paywall unfortunately. But sadly just the way these days!

Could you loan me 79.99 dollars? No reason.

 

[ellja3]

I couldn't NOT post it here, my dudes

https://x.com/i/web/status/1818939143080038815

 

[deadhead]

He would make way more going back than going to the AHL. Just depends how patient he is. They had to have told him he has a reasonable chance to make it.

Not necessarily, depends on the two way clause, veterans get up to $400K on these kinds of deals.

 

[deadhead]

If Abols doesn’t make the Flyers out of TC, the Phantoms could use a center as they only have Avon, Gardner, Desnoyers, Rizzo and AHL contract Bouquot* signed for next season that can play down the middle.

Laczynski and Brooks are UFA’s.

Avon has been playing LW.

Richard, Rizzo, Desnoyers, Garnder are your centers, Marody resigned but will probably play RW.

Abols was probably promised a shot at TC, and first call-up if he goes to AHL.
He has to beat out Laughton (trade or move to LW) at center to make the team.
Laughton would then be 4LW with Poehling and Hathaway, PK, PP2.

Eklind is also in the TC mix at wing.

Reminds me of the story of Mickey Rivers saying this to Reggie Jackson on the team bus:

"You've got a white man's first name (Reginald), a Spanish man's second name (Martinez) and a black man's last name (Jackson). You all f*cked up!"

Worse. He went to Cheltenham, so he grew up with a bunch of Jewish and Irish kids.

 

[deadhead]

You can replace a lot of the words in this sentence with turd and the meaning remains the same.

Observe.

"Turds are pretty solidified unless turds get moved and Cates is permanently a turd?"

Cates after he returned healthy (38g)
CF 56.33%, xGF 63.56%, HDCF 64.49%, pp/60: 1.68
He's a better LW than center due to lack of speed.
But showed the season before he can be elite defensively at center, just not going to give you a lot of offense there.

 

[GKJ]

Not necessarily, depends on the two way clause, veterans get up to $400K on these kinds of deals.

He’s getting $450k, which a top European team or most KHL teams can match, along with not having to ride buses in America.

 

[deadhead]

You can replace a lot of the words in this sentence with turd and the meaning remains the same.

Observe.

"Turds are pretty solidified unless turds get moved and Cates is permanently a turd?"

Cates after he returned healthy (38g)
CF 56.33%, xGF 63.56%, HDCF 64.49%, pp/60: 1.68
He's a better LW than center due to lack of speed.
But showed the season before he can be elite defensively at center, just not going to give you a lot of offense there.

 

[Curufinwe]

Laughton... trade..... hahahahahahahaha

 

[deadhead]

He’s getting $450k, which a top European team or most KHL teams can match, along with not having to ride buses in America.

He's also getting a shot at the NHL.
A year in the AHL at $450K ain't the worst thing in the world,

I think tops in the SHL is about $300K, KHL will pay up to $1M or so, but Abols wouldn't be considered a top KHL player. His best season was 41 points in 51 games, last year Eklind was 49th and Abols 62nd in SHL scoring.

 

[ellja3]

I am not getting my hopes up re: Ābols and Flyers, but I DID make a commitment of tattooing his face if he wins Stanley Cup with Flyers... Which means I am very safe

 

[GKJ]

He's also getting a shot at the NHL.
A year in the AHL at $450K ain't the worst thing in the world,

I think tops in the SHL is about $300K, KHL will pay up to $1M or so, but Abols wouldn't be considered a top KHL player. His best season was 41 points in 51 games, last year Eklind was 49th and Abols 62nd in SHL scoring.

The point was that he would leave if it was made known he wasn’t in the plan.

 

[BernieParent]

I am not getting my hopes up re: Ābols and Flyers, but I DID make a commitment of tattooing his face if he wins Stanley Cup with Flyers... Which means I am very safe

Why would he let you tattoo a Stanley Cup on his face?

 

[deadhead]

The point was that he would leave if it was made known he wasn’t in the plan.

Not so sure, my point was it's better money than the SHL and probably as good as any offer he'd get from the KHL (and Allentown is still better than most Russian cities).

Plus, if you want to play in the NHL, spending a year in the AHL trying to make your case isn't an unreasonable strategy, if it doesn't work out there's always a job waiting in the SHL.

 

[Appleyard]

He's also getting a shot at the NHL.
A year in the AHL at $450K ain't the worst thing in the world,

I think tops in the SHL is about $300K, KHL will pay up to $1M or so, but Abols wouldn't be considered a top KHL player. His best season was 41 points in 51 games, last year Eklind was 49th and Abols 62nd in SHL scoring.

SHL top paid guys get around $400k right now.

KHL is actually not as much because of the currency crash. Only around 5 players are on over $1m. But there are probably ~50 players on over 600k.

NLA actually has some guys on over $800k right now though to my knowledge! And basically without tax. That is the sweet spot right now if you can get a team there. Not as many spots for guys as the KHL but if you get one you are probably better off financially and get to live in Switzerland.

There are also a lot of Euros who just wont go to the KHL right now even if will earn more. I think most Euros are far more "ethically" opposed to playing there than North Americans. Heck, there were only 23 EU citizens playing there last year compared to 151 in 2020-21... and if they "want" to go the offers are still there.

Him being Latvian? I doubt he would play in the KHL right now. Since the invasion of Ukraine only 2 Latvians have played KHL.

Whereas in 2020-21? 70 North American players... now? 83.

 

[ellja3]

Why would he let you tattoo a Stanley Cup on his face?

Hey, don't attack non-native speaker, dude

 

[deadhead]

SHL top paid guys get around $400k right now.

KHL is actually not as much because of the currency crash. Only around 5 players are on over $1m. But there are probably ~50 players on over 600k.

NLA actually has some guys on over $800k right now though to my knowledge! And basically without tax. That is the sweet spot right now if you can get a team there. Not as many spots for guys as the KHL but if you get one you are probably better off financially and get to live in Switzerland.

There are also a lot of Euros who just wont go to the KHL right now even if will earn more. I think most Euros are far more "ethically" opposed to playing there than North Americans. Heck, there were only 23 EU citizens playing there last year compared to 151 in 2020-21... and if they "want" to go the offers are still there.

Him being Latvian? I doubt he would play in the KHL right now. Since the invasion of Ukraine only 2 Latvians have played KHL.

Whereas in 2020-21? 70 North American players... now? 83.

If I'm from a Baltic state, I stay far away from Russia, b/c you never know when Putin will declare that you're really "Russian," take away your passport, and draft you into the army to defend the "motherland."

Putin would like to bring back the USSR, but failing that, he wants to bring back the Empire of Peter and Catherine (good German girl) the Great.

 

[ellja3]

If I'm from a Baltic state, I stay far away from Russia, b/c you never know when Putin will declare that you're really "Russian," take away your passport, and draft you into the army to defend the "motherland."

Putin would like to bring back the USSR, but failing that, he wants to bring back the Empire of Peter and Catherine (good German girl) the Great.

No one with IQ above a potato would go to Russia now, but unfortunately we have (a now) former national team goalie (and not a bad one) Kalniņš playing there... Simply saying he does not care about what others say and he's doing it to earn money for his family.

Rodrigo Ābols, tho, no f-ing way. Everything I've heard about him shows he's really mature and intelligent person, including becoming captain of his Swedish club at relatively young age.

His father Artis is former long-time national team assistant coach, current U-20 coach; huge patriot of our country.

If I read headline of Rodrigo ever going to KHL I'd assume bulls*** or Fedorov-esque levels of kidnapping.

 

[ellja3]

Ābols, alongside Šilovs and Balinskis in Latvia in preparation for Olympic qualifiers (our group also has France, Slovenia and Ukraine; August 29 - September 1).

https://x.com/i/web/status/1822962153009082666

 

[FLYguy3911]

Kinda dumb they have the qualifiers over a year in advance. Basketball does it a couple weeks before the Olympics.

 

[ellja3]

Kinda dumb they have the qualifiers over a year in advance. Basketball does it a couple weeks before the Olympics.

You know what would be real dumb? If we fail to qualify again -_-

 

[IronMarshal]

Not so sure, my point was it's better money than the SHL and probably as good as any offer he'd get from the KHL (and Allentown is still better than most Russian cities).

Plus, if you want to play in the NHL, spending a year in the AHL trying to make your case isn't an unreasonable strategy, if it doesn't work out there's always a job waiting in the SHL.

Plus riding a bus in the AHL is better than flying in Russia, (Brad McCrimmon comes to mind).

 

[deadhead]

A couple decades when I was a consultant for USAID, some of my fellow travelers who had been in Russia told me stories of watching as they duct taped the cargo door shut on their plane before takeoff. Things probably improved for a while, but with the sanctions and diversion of people and supplies to the military, wonder if they're regressing back to those days?

Alex, I think I'll take bus rides.