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Flyers Still Looking For A Top-Six Center

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The Montreal Canadiens announced a last-minute scratch tonight as defenseman Mike Matheson was held out of the lineup with a lower-body injury. The news came out just before the puck drop against Utah, Jayden Struble suited up in his place. Matheson skated with the Canadiens earlier in the day during the team’s morning skate but did miss practice yesterday.

Matheson’s absence will leave a hole in Montreal’s defense, particularly their power play where Matheson is typically the only defenseman on their top unit. The 30-year-old is currently averaging over 24 minutes a night in ice time and is third in team scoring with a goal and 12 assists in 20 games this season. Matheson had a career year last season, tallying 11 goals and 51 assists while dressing in all 82 games for Montreal.

In other Eastern Conference notes:

  • Florida Panthers forward Jonah Gadjovich was dressed in a regular practice jersey today as he skated with his teammates (as per Colby Guy of The Palm Beach Post). The 26-year-old did not play last night against the Washington Capitals due to an upper-body injury and is considered day-to-day. Gadjovich has just a single goal this season and has only played 11 games due to a back injury that kept him sidelined for eight games in late October and early November. When the Whitby, Ontario native has dressed he’s played sparingly, averaging just 7:13 of ice time per game.
  • The Philadelphia Flyers remain on the hunt for a top-six center (as per Anthony Di Marco of Daily Faceoff). Philadelphia reportedly spoke with the Minnesota Wild earlier in the season about a potential swap, but nothing came from the talks, likely due to the Wild’s tough salary cap situation. The Flyers aren’t in a rush to make a move, which makes sense given the team’s timeline, however, they do have assets to make a move including draft capital as well as potentially using 2018 first-round pick Joel Farabee or Morgan Frost as potential trade pieces in a package.

Flyers Officially Activate Cam York, Assign Anthony Richard To AHL

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The Flyers have made a pair of roster moves heading into today’s afternoon game against Chicago.  The team announced (Twitter link) that blueliner Cam York has been activated off injured reserve as expected.  To make room for him on the active roster, forward Anthony Richard has been re-assigned to AHL Lehigh Valley.

York has been out for nearly a month, missing 13 games in the process.  Before suffering an upper-body injury in October, the 23-year-old was off to a good start to his season, picking up two goals and an assist in seven games while logging nearly 23 minutes a game of playing time.  That workload was similar to 2023-24 when he averaged 22:37 per game while adding 30 points in 82 appearances in a breakout effort for the 2019 first-round pick.

His return will certainly be a welcome one for a Philadelphia back end that has had its ups and downs this season.  He’ll be taking the place of Yegor Zamula against the Blackhawks.

As for Richard, it’s fair to say his demotion wasn’t performance-related.  The 27-year-old was recalled a little over two weeks ago and was quite productive in his limited action, notching two goals and four assists in seven games despite seeing less than 12 minutes a night of playing time.  That’s easily the most productive stretch he has had at the NHL level as he came into the year with just eight points in 24 games with three teams.

Richard is in the first season of a two-year, two-way deal he inked with Philadelphia in free agency.  A top scorer at the AHL level, he’s off to a fine start with the Phantoms as well, recording four goals and five assists in his first seven games with them.  He’ll now go back to Lehigh Valley and resume a top-line role while awaiting his next recall.  Morgan Frost will take his place in the lineup against Chicago after being a healthy scratch in recent games.

Makiniemi To Undergo Surgery And Miss Three To Four Months

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  • Flyers goaltender Eetu Makiniemi is set to undergo sports hernia surgery next week, relays team reporter Bill Meltzer (Twitter link). The procedure will keep him out for three to four months.  The 25-year-old had a successful tryout in training camp, earning a one-year, two-way deal to play with AHL Lehigh Valley where he had a 3.03 GAA and a .899 SV% in five appearances.  With the injury, the only recallable goaltender Philadelphia has left is veteran Cal Petersen.

Flyers Expected To Activate Cam York From Injured Reserve

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Flyers defenseman Cameron York will likely make his return to the lineup on Saturday against the Blackhawks, indicating he’ll be activated from injured reserve, Kevin Kurz of The Athletic reports.

York, 23, has been on IR with an upper-body injury for nearly a month. He’s been a full participant in practice for more than a few days now, though, and is well past the initial two-week timeline for his return that was assessed on Oct. 26.

The Flyers were evidently cautious with rushing the young defender back, but “all signs point to” him playing this weekend after sitting out the last 13 games, Kurz said. The lefty, who the Flyers selected 14th overall in the 2019 draft, had skated at least 20 minutes in each of his first seven appearances of the season and had scored twice with one assist and a -2 rating.

Philadelphia head coach John Tortorella didn’t use consistent pairings at Friday’s practice, so it’s unclear where York might slot back into the lineup if he’s ready to go. He spent nearly all of his time stapled to Travis Sanheim on the team’s top pairing while playing his off-side though, and that would be his likely spot.

He might not be the only Flyers blue-liner returning, either, with Emil Andrae also taking line rushes and power-play drills today, per Charlie O’Connor of PHLY Sports. The 22-year-old had three assists in 10 games this season after a call-up from AHL Lehigh Valley before sustaining a mid-body injury against the Sabres last week. He’s missed the last two games but never landed on IR.

The Flyers have a full active roster and will need to open a spot to activate York. That could be accomplished by retroactively moving Andrae to IR if he’s not ready to play, or they could opt to return rookie defender Helge Grans to the minors after the 22-year-old recorded an assist and averaged 16:02 of ice time across a pair of appearances this week. Placing Andrae on IR would not impact his ability to return for Monday’s game against the Golden Knights, but they would need to make another corresponding transaction to activate him at that time.

York is in the second season of a two-year, $3.2MM contract and will be a restricted free agent with arbitration rights next summer. He’s coming off a career-best 10-goal, 30-point campaign in 2023-24.

No Returning Players For The Flyers Tonight

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Morgan Frost has had a tumultuous position in the Philadelphia Flyers’ lineup since John Tortorella took over as the team’s head coach in the 2022-23 season. He’s been a healthy scratch in three of the last four games, and this is coming one year after being a healthy scratch in half of the team’s first 20 contests last year. In an article (Subscription Article) in The Athletic, Kevin Kurz opines the Flyers could be headed for a breakup of sorts with Frost before his current contract ends.

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Jamie Drysdale, Cam York Still Recovering From Upper-Body Injuries

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  • Jordan Hall of NBC Sports Philadelphia shared a few updates on injured defensemen for the Philadelphia Flyers Jamie Drysdale and Cameron York. Both defensemen are recovering from upper-body injuries suffered a few weeks apart with York expected to be the first to return. Drysdale will miss his fourth straight game for the Flyers tonight and hasn’t graduated out of a non-contact jersey up to this point in his recovery process.

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Flyers Recall Helge Grans Under Emergency Conditions

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The Flyers announced Monday that they’ve recalled defenseman Helge Grans from AHL Lehigh Valley under emergency conditions. The 22-year-old will make his NHL debut tonight against the Avalanche, Jordan Hall of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports.

Grans will enter the lineup for Emil Andrae, who the team said won’t play after sustaining a mid-body injury against the Sabres on Saturday. Philadelphia moved goaltender Samuel Ersson to injured reserve to open a spot on the active roster.

Grans arrived in the Flyers organization last year as part of the three-team trade with the Kings and Blue Jackets that sent Ivan Provorov to Columbus. Drafted 35th overall by Los Angeles in 2020, the 6’3″, 205-lb righty already has loads of professional experience. He logged 69 games of Swedish Hockey League experience with Örebro HK before coming to North America in 2021, and he’s since recorded 11 goals, 33 assists, 44 points, 58 PIMs, and a -4 rating in 185 games for the Kings’ and Flyers’ affiliates in Ontario and Lehigh Valley.

While Grans once projected as a solid puck-moving defender with good size, his point totals in the minors suggest he’ll be more of a stay-at-home option if he manages to lock down an everyday NHL role. He’s struggled to make a significant impact on the scoresheet after a 24-point rookie season in 56 games with Ontario in 2021-22, posting just eight points (1 G, 7 A) in 56 games with Lehigh Valley last season.

Grans will debut on the right side of a pairing with Yegor Zamula, head coach John Tortorella said. Don’t expect them to log a ton of minutes, though, with Tortorella adding he plans to “play the s*** out of [Travis Sanheim] and [Rasmus Ristolainen]” as the Flyers look to win their fourth game in a row and push their record above .500 for the first time since their first game of the season (via Kevin Kurz of The Athletic).

For Andrae, it’s a tough break for the 22-year-old. He’s played well in fringe top-four minutes with Jamie Drysdale and Cameron York hitting injured reserve in recent weeks, posting three assists with a +1 rating in 10 appearances while averaging 18:27 per game. The undersized 5’9″ blue-liner has gotten involved physically with 13 blocks and 15 hits, and his possession play has been quite good. The Flyers have controlled 51.2% of shot attempts with Andrae on the ice at even strength compared to 42.2% without him.

Ersson, meanwhile, hits IR after re-aggravating a lower-body injury last week. He’s not expected back until Saturday’s game against the Blackhawks at the earliest, so today’s move is purely for roster flexibility purposes and doesn’t impact his timeline for a return.

Flyers Notes: Ristolainen, York, Drysdale

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After a rough showing last season, Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen has been a much more impactful player in the early going this year, logging more than 20 minutes a night while chipping in with plenty of blocks and hits as usual.  Accordingly, some have wondered if he could become a trade candidate at some point.  Kevin Kurz of The Athletic relays (subscription link) that Philadelphia is fielding calls on the 30-year-old but they aren’t interested in just clearing out the remainder of his contract, one that carries a $5.1MM AAV through the 2026-27 campaign but haven’t formally set an asking price either.  Philadelphia has only used one of its three retention slots and could up the return by paying down part of the contract but it wouldn’t be surprising if a Ristolainen move happens closer to the trade deadline, if one happens at all this season.

More from Philadelphia:

  • Blueliner Cam York had a breakout season last year with 10 goals and 30 points and was off to a solid start this year before being sidelined with an upper-body injury. He’s in the final year of his bridge deal, one that carries a $1.6MM AAV.  However, Daily Faceoff’s Anthony DiMarco suggests the next contract will cost considerably more, noting that Devon Toews’ contract in Colorado could be a comparable for negotiations.  Toews is on a seven-year deal with a $7.25MM AAV though it should be noted that each season is a UFA-eligible one, something that won’t be the case for York who isn’t UFA-eligible until 2028.  Regardless, York is well on his way to a sizable raise next summer.
  • Defenseman Jamie Drysdale took part in today’s morning skate with a non-contact jersey, notes Jordan Hall of NBC Sports Philadelphia (Twitter link). The 22-year-old is currently on injured reserve with an upper-body injury but the placement was made retroactive to November 9th so he’ll be eligible to return once fully cleared.  Drysdale was off to a quiet start to his first full season with the Flyers as he had just three points in his first 15 games although his 20:35 ATOI is the highest of his career.

Metro Notes: Capitals, Couturier, Johnson, Letang

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Washington Capitals general manager Chris Patrick spoke openly about the team’s direction with Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic after reacquiring veteran forward Lars Eller from the Pittsburgh Penguins. Patrick told LeBrun that he got the sense that Eller would be traded somewhere else before the Trade Deadline, or even the New Year, prompting the Capitals to act sooner rather than later. Despite the early buy, Patrick said he still sees the move as a Deadline deal. He told LeBrun, “We said, ‘Maybe at the deadline, we should be looking at center depth. We were looking at (pending) UFAs and players who might be available, and Lars is obviously top of that list.”

Eller may be a defense-first depth forward in his old age, but reacquiring him is a strong statement of confidence from the Capitals after a 10-4-1 start to the season. They find themselves tied with the New York Rangers – who swept Washington in the first round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs – and Patrick emphasized that the on-ice product feels much improved. That’s in part a result of strong performances from Washington’s young talents – like Aliaksei Protas, Connor McMichael, and Rasmus Sandin. Those players give Washington a foundation to build on, and Patrick closed by pointing towards the retooling of teams like Dallas and Florida – who each managed to build lineups with strength top-to-bottom without sacrificing their future. That will be the long-term path that Washington tries to mimic, though they’ll first try to match the playoff success of the top-end teams they now find themselves among.

Other notes from the Metropolitan Division:

  • Philadelphia Flyers captain Sean Couturier is questionable for the team’s Saturday matchup against the Buffalo Sabres shares Kevin Kurz of The Athletic. Couturier missed Philadelphia’s Thursday game against Ottawa with a lower-body injury. He’s managed eight points in 16 games so far this season, while also filling a routine role on the team’s power-play. Morgan Frost will likely slot in for Couturier in the event of another absence, after playing 13:44 in the team’s Thursday win. He contributed one hit and five faceoff wins to the game.
  • Despite the lineup facing injury concerns, Saturday’s game will be celebratory for 2006 first-overall pick Erik Johnson, who sits one game shy of 1,000. He spoke openly about the achievement with Jackie Spiegel of The Philadelphia Inquirer, sharing how “mind-blowing” it is to near 1,000 games after nearly retiring a few years ago. Johnson spoke about the list of injuries he endured between 2019 and 2021, capped off by a concussion in January of 2021. Johnson cites that injury as giving him the mental reset he needed to reprioritize his health. He’s now set to become the 12th player from the 2006 NHL Draft – and the 133rd defender – to pass the 1,000-game mark.
  • Star Pittsburgh Penguins defender Kris Letang is sick and didn’t travel with the team to their Friday game in Columbus, shares Josh Getzoff of Sportsnet Pittsburgh. Letang has one point in Pittsburgh’s last five games and six points in 18 games on the full season. He remains a clear top-pair defender despite the lagging scoring, averaging 23 minutes of ice time and remaining a focal point of the power-play. He could be replaced by rookie Owen Pickering, who Pittsburgh recalled earlier today. Pickering is the Penguins’ top defense prospect and hasn’t yet made his NHL debut.

Flyers’ Samuel Ersson Out 1-2 Weeks, Re-Aggravated Lower-Body Injury

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Flyers starting netminder Samuel Ersson reinjured his previous lower-body issue and will miss the next one to two weeks, Kevin Kurz of The Athletic reports Friday.

Ersson, 25, sustained the initial injury in the first period of Philadelphia’s game against the Bruins on Nov. 2 while stretching to stop a shot from Nikita Zadorov. He missed a few contests but returned to action last Saturday, stopping 58 of 62 shots in a pair of games before missing out on Thursday’s overtime win over the Senators.

It’s not clear when exactly he re-aggravated the ailment. However, Kurz reports Ersson had imaging done in the past few days that revealed a minor tweak to the previous injury, which appeared to be groin-related.

In his first full season as the Flyers’ No. 1 option between the pipes, Ersson has responded to the challenge. He’s greatly improved on last season’s numbers, posting a 5-2-2 record, .902 SV%, 2.70 GAA, one shutout, and 0.4 GSAA in 10 starts and one relief appearance.

Those numbers become quite valuable when compared to his backups’ performance. Ivan Fedotov and Aleksei Kolosov have combined for a 2-6-0 record and ghastly .862 SV% while conceding 8.3 goals above average.

It will now be down to those two to improve their numbers, as Ersson could remain sidelined for anywhere from the Flyers’ next three to seven games. Since they were both on the active roster, and injuries have forced the Flyers to carry three goalies for quite a few days now, no corresponding transaction is needed.

Given Ersson’s return timeline, Philadelphia could place him on injured reserve to open up a roster spot if necessary.

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