The NHL is an unforgiving, cutthroat enterprise—and Rodrigo Ābols is learning that reality firsthand.
The 29-year-old forward turned heads throughout the preseason, delivering such an impressive performance that a chorus of Philadelphia Flyers supporters clamored for him to secure a roster spot to open the 2025–26 campaign. Yet rather than anointing Ābols with a guaranteed place in the lineup, head coach Rick Tocchet has opted for a different approach: issuing a pointed and unequivocal challenge.
"He's got to pay the mortgage, right? He wants to be an NHL player. It's my job to give feedback to him on how to be an NHL player. For him, he's 6-foot-4, pretty good skater, got a hell of a shot, and there's some things there, but there's more for him to be an NHL player," Tocchet told reporters on Wednesday. "There is something there, and now he's got to find it, right? When you're on the bubble, you've got to do something consistently every day. That's the rules of the NHL. You've got to see it from him every day."
While some might view Tocchet’s stance as unduly severe, recent history offers a sobering reminder of the NHL’s unforgiving nature. Joel Kiviranta and Matt Grzelcyk, for instance, entered the offseason on the heels of career-defining campaigns—Kiviranta with the Colorado Avalanche and Grzelcyk with the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Finnish winger recorded a personal-best 16 goals in 79 games, while the veteran defenseman amassed a career-high 40 points over a full 82-game schedule.
Given those performances, many fans assumed both players were poised for substantial pay raises in free agency. Instead, the market offered a harsh reality check. Kiviranta ultimately returned to Colorado on a modest deal, while Grzelcyk held out for better terms—only to settle for a professional tryout with the Chicago Blackhawks. As of now, he remains unsigned.
Teams value consistency more than anything. You may have a great game or a great series of games, but coaches and executives want to see stretches of consistency or dominance before guaranteeing anyone anything. As the saying goes, respect is earned, not given. This approach can be applied in different NHL scenarios as well.
It’s Complicated
Ābols finds himself confronting a pair of formidable challenges. First, the Flyers are still deliberating over their roster structure—whether to carry 14 forwards and seven defensemen or adopt a 13–8 configuration on opening night. Second, he must not only sustain but elevate his impressive preseason form to secure a roster spot.
The odds may be stacked against him, but as Tocchet observed, Ābols is trending in the right direction. Now, the responsibility rests squarely on his shoulders to see it through. To do so, he must compel the Flyers’ hand—playing with unmistakable urgency, making impactful contributions at both ends of the ice, and building upon the strides he’s made throughout the offseason.