Rodrigo Abols' NHL career was almost over before it had begun. He was a 7th-round pick by the Vancouver Canucks, selected 184th overall out of a draft class of 211; the only pick from Latvia, by the way.
After playing well for the Portland Winterhawks of the WHL and the Acadie-Bathurst Titan of the QMJHL, he went to Sweden. He struggled, got dropped by the Canucks, signed by the Florida Panthers, and was dropped again. Yet, somehow, his perseverance led him to the Flyers as a 29-year-old rookie.
Despite his age, he doesn't lack professional hockey experience.