The Flyers will be without their top center for a little while as the Flyers announced (Twitter link) that Sean Couturier will miss at least the next two weeks with a Costochondral separation. That injury is more commonly known as a rib separation. The injury was sustained on Friday night against Pittsburgh in just his second shift.
Couturier’s absence is a big loss for Philadelphia as he has been one of their top offensive performers in recent years. On top of that, the reigning Selke Trophy winner for the NHL’s top defensive forward is a key part of their penalty kill and has become one of the top players at the faceoff dot in recent years.
With the schedule being more compact than normal, Couturier will likely miss at least the next six or seven games, roughly one-eighth of the entire regular season. His absence could open up an opportunity for Morgan Frost to join the lineup after serving as a healthy scratch in their first two games. Frost had seven points in 20 games while Philadelphia last season and as an offensive-minded forward, a spot in their top six may be an ideal spot to slot him in but even so, filling Couturier’s shoes considering all of the ways he makes an impact for Philadelphia will be tough for him or anyone to accomplish.
darn. Frost time.