Lukas Sedlak placed on unconditional waivers
Most hockey players dream of getting the opportunity to play in the NHL one day, but it may not always be what it’s advertised to be. That is certainly the case for former Philadelphia Flyers’ forward Lukas Sedlak who informed the team of his desire to return home and quit playing in the NHL on Friday.
“I just felt overall that me playing in NHL, it didn’t bring me what I expected it to bring me and I would rather be home with my family,” Sedlak said, via NHL.com.
Sedlak had just joined the Flyers earlier in the campaign after being placed on waivers by the Colorado Avalanche. While Philadelphia was more than satisfied with what the veteran was bringing to the team, it was clear Sedlak wanted to return home to his native Czech Republic.
“I talked to [Fletcher] today again,” Sedlak said on Saturday. “He told me that I kind of have my spot here now and they liked me for what I do. … He kind of wanted to change my mind, but then I kind of told him all my reasons and they were good enough to let me go, not to do anything else with me. So, I’m happy for that as well.”
The Flyers agreed to place the 29-year-old on unconditional waivers which will allow him to sign for any team in the Czech Republic he desires. It does look like he is close to agreeing to terms with Pardubice though, which is a team in the nation’s top professional league.
“Kind of just last few weeks I was trying to figure it out, if I enjoy it, and if the hockey is still giving me kind of what I want from it,” Sedlak said. “Because my family has sacrificed a lot for me being here. I haven’t been home really for the last 12 years. And I think now, just the negatives kind of override the positives.”
This was Sedlak’s second stint in the NHL, after spending three seasons in Columbus with the Blue Jackets before opting to move to Russia to play in the Kontinental Hockey League for another three seasons. He had signed with the defending Stanley Cup champions the Colorado Avalanche in June to return to the NHL, was placed on waivers in October and ended up in Philadelphia shortly after.
“When I came from Russia, I always played there a lot and I enjoyed playing a lot and kind of being the guy and stuff like that,” Sedlak said. “I didn’t expect to have that here. I kind of knew what I’m going to get, how many minutes, stuff like that. But I thought I’m going to feel better about it. When I signed with Colorado I kind of knew that I might have a chance to win, stuff like that. So that’s of course part of the reason too. That’s also why I left before, when I was in Columbus; I wanted to play. I’m getting to a certain age where it’s not just about being in the NHL or playing in the NHL. It’s also about playing, having fun playing, because I don’t know how many good years I have left.”
The Flyers have struggled throughout the season and find themselves near the bottom of the Metropolitan Division. Losing Sedlak certainly won’t help their chances of turning things around, it also doesn’t make sense to keep a player who clearly had no desire of being part of the organization anymore.
