The Ottawa Senators reportedly made a roster move on Friday. According to Postmedia's Bruce Garrioch, the Senators have placed 26-year-old Swedish winger Olle Lycksell on waivers for the purpose of reassignment. Lycksell was recently placed on injured reserve with a concussion, but now he's apparently ready to return, and if he clears, he's likely headed back to Belleville for the second time this season.
Lycksell cleared waivers coming out of training camp but made Ottawa's roster to open the season. The Sens sent him to Belleville 12 days later (Oct. 17), but brought him back on Oct 21. He's played just six games in Ottawa this season, scoring one goal, and two games in Belleville, where he's been held pointless.
In 51 career NHL games with the Senators and Philadelphia Flyers, Lycksell has tallied two goals and 10 assists. But he's been an elite AHL player the past three seasons, putting up 128 points in 136 games with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. That intrigued the Senators enough to sign him to a one-year two-way contract on July 1.
With Lycksell ready to play, the Senators had the option on Friday of sending Stephan Halliday back down, a forward who's waivers-exempt. But after his nice NHL debut on Thursday night in Anaheim, including a fine setup on Shane Pinto's tying goal, it appears the Sens are keen to book a little more Halliday time until either Ridly Greig or Brady Tkachuk is ready to return.
On that note, Tkachuk hopes to return (and come off IR) within the week. Greig is said to be day-to-day with an undisclosed injury, but with Senators' head coach Travis Green being so consistently cloak-and-dagger with his roster and/or injury information, who knows?
If he clears waivers, Lycksell is expected to immediately join the AHL's Belleville Senators. The B-Sens are in Laval this weekend, where they play on Friday night and Saturday afternoon.
By Steve Warne
The Hockey News/Ottawa
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