The Philadelphia Flyers have activated Scott Laughton from injured reserve after nearly a month on the sidelines, moving Nolan Patrick to long-term injured reserve in the process. Patrick’s placement there gives the team the cap flexibility to get Laughton back onto the roster, but doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll be out any longer. The young forward could be activated as soon as he is healthy, given he has already missed the necessary amount of games with his migraine issue.
Laughton, 25, played nine games in October and ended up with three points before breaking a finger on his right hand. Though he wasn’t a huge offensive contributor, the Flyers lost one of their most reliable penalty killers and a depth piece that could move around the lineup. His return gives them another option down the middle, something they’ve been missing with Patrick out of the lineup.
The second-overall pick from 2017, Patrick has had two relatively underwhelming seasons so far in his NHL career. Not only did he miss time due to injury both years, but he also recorded just 61 points in 145 games. Though playing in the NHL at that age is an accomplishment for anyone, the Flyers were obviously hoping for a little bit more this year from the top pick. Unfortunately, Patrick has been sidelined indefinitely with a migraine issue and hasn’t played a single game so far.
The latest update from Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer was that Patrick had made some progress but has still not been cleared to return.
What a headache