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Flyers Recall Felix Sandstrom, Place Him On IR

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Less than a week ago, the Philadelphia Flyers had sent goaltender Felix Sandstrom to their AHL affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms for a conditioning stint. Normally, a team must recall a player on a conditioning loan within the next 14 days, but due to an upper-body injury suffered in last night’s game against the Hartford Wolf Pack, the Flyers have chosen to call up Sandstrom a bit earlier than expected.

This will now be the second goaltender in the last week who is set to miss some time within the Philadelphia organization, as it was reported that Carter Hart would miss a few days due to a mid-body injury. In the meantime, the Flyers are set to roll with a combination of Calvin Petersen and Samuel Ersson as their goaltending tandem.

Unfortunately for the team, at all levels of the organization, aside from Hart, the Flyers have been unable to get adequate goaltending across the board. In only two games played for the Phantoms over the conditioning stint, Sandstrom had a 0-0-1 record, with a .857 SV% and a 3.68 GAA. Primarily serving as a backup for Philadelphia last season, Sandstrom had a 3-12-3 record in 20 games played, posting a .880 SV% and a 3.72 GAA.

Out of training camp, the team opted to carry three goaltenders into the regular season, giving the primary backup position to Ersson. Much like Sandstrom’s subpar season last year, Ersson has gotten off to a similar start, holding a 1-2-1 record in four games, garnering a .815 SV% and a 3.90 GAA.

Rasmus Ristolainen Moved To LTIR

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The Flyers have placed defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen on LTIR, CapFriendly reports (Twitter link).  The move was necessary to afford yesterday’s recall of goaltender Cal Petersen.  Ristolainen has yet to play this season due to an undisclosed injury, one that he had a setback in recovering from last month.  The LTIR placement can be made retroactively; assuming that was done here, he will have already missed the required 10 games and 24 days which means he will be eligible to be activated as soon as he’s cleared to return.  The 29-year-old had 20 points, 142 blocks, and 162 hits in 70 games with Philadelphia last season.

Flyers List Sean Couturier, Carter Hart As Day-To-Day

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Flyers forward Sean Couturier is out day-to-day with a lower-body injury, while netminder Carter Hart is out day-to-day with a mid-body injury, per an announcement from the team Friday morning.

Hart’s injury, aggravated in Wednesday night’s loss to the Sabres, was previously reported but was expected to be longer-term. An official injury designation of day-to-day from the team suggests it may not be as severe as Crossing Broad’s Anthony SanFilippo reported yesterday.

That’s good news for the Flyers, who have cooled off after a hot start and now sit seventh in the Metropolitan Division with a 4-5-1 record. Hart’s play this season has been strong, recording a .913 SV%, 2.52 GAA, and one shutout. He’s on track to have his second straight season above league average after back-to-back disappointing campaigns in 2020-21 and 2021-22.

The Flyers’ goaltending options behind Hart leave much to be desired. Hopes were high for 24-year-old Samuel Ersson entering the season after a strong campaign in the starter’s net for AHL Lehigh Valley, but he hasn’t been up to the task thus far. In two starts, the Swedish netminder has allowed 14 goals on just 59 shots, resulting in a ghastly .763 SV% and 4.91 GAA. Third-string netminder Felix Sandström, who made the Flyers out of camp, had a 3-12-3 record and .880 SV% in 18 starts last season and is currently on a conditioning loan to Lehigh Valley. 29-year-old veteran Calvin Petersen, recalled yesterday to serve as Ersson’s backup while Hart is injured, has just a .884 save percentage in four games with Lehigh Valley to kick off 2023-24.

Meanwhile, more injury trouble is not a positive for Couturier, who’s missed practices this season with a lower-body ailment. It’s unclear whether this is a different injury or a reaggravation of the one that’s been bothering him, but it is a sigh of relief that it’s not related to the back issues that kept him out for the better part of two seasons between 2021 and 2023.

Couturier has been among the Flyers’ best players so far, and the 31-year-old looks like he’s barely missed a step despite playing in just 39 of 174 games since the 2021-22 season began. He hasn’t missed any action this year and ranks fourth on the team in scoring, with two goals, six assists and eight points. Averaging 19:32 per game (which leads all Flyers forwards), he’s sporting a 51% win rate on draws and boasts a Corsi share of 54.7% at even strength.

Notably, Couturier’s injury leaves the Flyers without any healthy scratches on the active roster for tonight’s rematch against the Sabres. It’s unclear who will replace Couturier’s spot on the top line between Owen Tippett and Cam Atkinson. Shutdown center Noah Cates, who has a goal and three assists in ten contests this year, ranks second among Flyers centers in average ice time with 16:02 and seems like the closest chemistry fit for Couturier’s role. That means Scott Laughton could slide back into a third-line position centering Joel Farabee and Bobby Brink, while Ryan Poehling will re-enter the lineup and center the fourth line after serving as a healthy scratch for the last two games.

Flyers Loan Victor Mete To Minors, Recall Cal Petersen

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November 5th: Without playing in either of the two games for the Phantoms over the weekend, the Flyers have announced they have recalled Mete from his loan.

November 2nd: The Flyers have loaned defenseman Victor Mete to the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms, per a team announcement Thursday. In a corresponding transaction, they’ve recalled goaltender Calvin Petersen from the Phantoms, who will be the backup to Samuel Ersson for the time being while starter Carter Hart is out longer-term with what the team calls a “mid-body injury.”

Mete, 25, did not make the Flyers’ opening-night roster after signing a one-year, two-way deal with a minimum guaranteed salary of $500K during the offseason, clearing waivers in early October. With injuries to both Rasmus Ristolainen and Marc Staal causing strain on the Flyers’ defensive depth last month, though, the team recalled Mete from Lehigh Valley last week to offer some additional veteran insurance on the roster. He did not appear in a game during this call-up, however, serving as a healthy scratch for four contests dating back to last Thursday against the Wild. He returns to the Phantoms, where he has just one assist and a -3 rating through five games.

A two-way defender by trade, Mete’s offensive game has never translated to the pros after notching 44 points in 50 games with the OHL’s London Knights in 2016-17. He largely managed to stick in the NHL full-time after turning pro in 2017, even spending a handful of seasons in a top-four role for the Montreal Canadiens, but found himself relegated to the minors for a good portion of last season with the Maple Leafs. He missed most of 2022-23 with injury, however, suiting up in just six games for the AHL’s Toronto Marlies and 11 games for the NHL club.

Petersen, who looked like the Los Angeles Kings’ goalie of the future just two seasons ago, isn’t doing much to rebuild his value in the minors after an offseason cap-dump move that saw the Flyers take on his $5MM cap hit in the three-way Ivan Provorov trade that also included the Columbus Blue Jackets. He’s won one out of four appearances for Lehigh Valley so far, posting an unimpressive 3.76 GAA and .884 SV%. It’s likely that Felix Sandström will replace him on the NHL roster once he completes his current conditioning stint in the minors. Sandström made the NHL roster to start the season as the Flyers opted to carry three goalies, but he’d yet to appear in a game, causing the Flyers to assign him to Lehigh Valley last Tuesday.

Carter Hart To Miss Weeks With Mid-Body Injury

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The Philadelphia Flyers are going to be without their top goaltender Carter Hart for an extended period of time, as Crossing Broad’s Anthony SanFilippo shared that Hart could miss anywhere from two to six weeks. Hart left the team’s Wednesday night game with the injury that will now hold him out. The exact moment that the injury occurred is unclear, although there was a moment when Kyle Okposo awkwardly fell on Hart that could have been the inciting incident.

Sam Ersson took over for the Flyers after Hart’s injury. It’s expected that Ersson will hang onto the role, with many anticipating that the team will call up Cal Petersen to operate as his backup. Philadelphia’s AHL affiliate has also had Felix Sandstrom and Parker Gahagen play games for them this season, with Sandstrom recording an overtime loss in his sole AHL game this year and Gahagen repping a team-best .911 save percentage through three games.

Regardless of who Philadelphia opts to use as a backup, Ersson is undoubtedly the biggest beneficiary of Hart’s absence. Ersson is technically a rookie, despite playing in 12 games last season, and has started the season out a bit uneasily, setting a 0-2-1 record and .763 save percentage through three games. He set a 6-3-0 record and .899 save percentage in his 12 appearances last year. He also played in 42 AHL games last year, recording a .900 save percentage and 24-17-1 record. The Flyers drafted Ersson in the fifth round of the 2018 NHL Draft, taking him 143rd overall. He’ll operate as the team’s top option for the time being, getting his first shot at the starter’s net.

Flyers’ Carter Hart Leaves Game And Will Not Return

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Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Carter Hart left tonight’s game with an apparent mid-body injury and will not return. The Flyers tweeted the news just moments ago after Carter left the game in the first period against the Buffalo Sabres. Hart allowed two goals on five shots to start the game after he appeared to injure himself early in the first period. He stayed in the game and looked as though he would try to gut it out, but ultimately decided better of it and exited around the ten-minute mark.

It’s always hard to pinpoint exactly when an injury occurred but the likeliest event in this case was when Sabres forward Kyle Okposo appeared to fall on Hart. The 25-year-old received a visit from the trainer but remained in net and was slow to get up off the ice on several occasions before he was removed from the game.

Sam Ersson took over duties in the Flyers net and could end up seeing a lot more playing time if Carter is out for any length of time. Ersson has struggled in back-to-back starts after winning the backup job in training camp. The 24-year-old is currently sporting a .760 save percentage and 5.91 goals against average entering action tonight. If the Hart injury is of the serious variety, the Flyers could also call up Felix Sandstrom from his conditioning stint with AHL Lehigh Valley and have Cal Petersen stashed in the AHL as well.

This is an important season for Hart as he looks to bounce back from three consecutive disappointing seasons after starting his career with such promise. The Sherwood Park, Alberta native has been terrific for the Flyers in this young season posting a 4-3 record with 2.30 goals against average and a .921 save percentage. He has been largely responsible for the Flyers surprising, albeit unspectacular start to the season.

Latest On Morgan Frost

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At this early juncture in the 2023-24 NHL season, a look at Philadelphia Flyers center Morgan Frost’s stat line might raise some eyebrows. Despite putting together a breakout season of sorts in 2022-23 and being entirely healthy so far this year, Frost has played in just three total contests, tied for the fewest among Flyers skaters this season.

This has led to speculation in some parts that the Flyers might be looking to trade Frost, 24, as his six consecutive games spent as a healthy scratch would seem to indicate that he no longer held a place in the Flyers’ long-term plans.

That speculation appears to not be grounded in the reality of the situation, though, according to a report from The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz. (subscription link) Kurz reports from a league source that the Flyers ” aren’t looking to move” Frost to another team, and “haven’t engaged in any serious discussions” on a Frost trade. Moreover, Kurz adds that the Flyers still view [Frost] as one of the young players they want to grow with the organization” as the team continues its rebuilding plan.

It appears that Frost’s lengthy stay in the press box was more due to the newfound depth the Flyers have at the center position rather than any mistake Frost had made in the two games he played to start the season.

With Sean Couturier once again healthy, the Flyers boast a deep group of pivots that also includes veteran Scott Laughton and Noah Cates.

Couturier is inarguably the team’s top center, but the issue for Frost has been more about Laughton and Cates. Both players scored at a comparable rate to Frost last season while also providing considerably more on the defensive side of the equation.

Laughton is a widely respected veteran with a well-known commitment to two-way hockey, while Cates was so impressive in his rookie season that he even garnered consideration on the Selke Trophy ballot.

With offseason signing Ryan Poehling offering more speed and grit than Frost could provide centering Garnet Hathaway and Nicolas Deslauriers on the Flyers’ fourth line, it becomes easier to see why Frost hasn’t been able to crack head coach John Tortorella’s nightly lineup.

Tortorella did get Frost back into the mix for their last game, placing him in the second-line center role between Travis Konecny and Tyson Foerster. That shifted Laughton down to the fourth line and Poehling to the press box, and it’ll be interesting to see whether the Flyers stick with that arrangement or choose to return Frost to healthy scratch status.

In any case, the Flyers’ decent 4-4-1 start has been partly off the back of their increased depth at the center position. It’s that depth — rather than any desire to make a change-of-scenery trade, according to Kurz’s reporting — that has caused Frost’s frequent healthy scratches so far this season.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Flyers Assign Felix Sandstrom To AHL On Conditioning Loan

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There are a handful of teams around the NHL who are carrying three netminders on their active roster, making it hard for that third-stringer to see much action.  The Flyers are one of those and have made a move to get that extra goalie some playing time, announcing (Twitter link) that they’ve assigned Felix Sandstrom to AHL Lehigh Valley on a conditioning loan.

The 26-year-old was the backup in Philadelphia for the majority of last season, getting into 20 games.  However, Sandstrom struggled in those appearances, posting a 3.72 GAA with a .880 SV%.  When Samuel Ersson came up and made a push for playing time, the Flyers actually sent Sandstrom down on a conditioning loan last season, allowing him to get into seven games with the Phantoms.

This season, Ersson – who is still waiver-exempt – has taken over as the full-time backup behind Carter Hart, leaving Sandstrom as the odd one out.  As a result, he has yet to see the ice during the regular season and only played two periods in the preseason.  That’s hardly ideal for any goalie.

A conditioning loan can last for a maximum of 14 days and there are no restrictions on how many games he can play in that stretch (unlike a post-LTIR conditioning loan).  While he’s with Lehigh Valley, Sandstrom will count in full against Philadelphia’s salary cap and will technically remain a part of the Flyers’ active roster, meaning they won’t be able to call up a skater to temporarily take Sandstrom’s place.

Flyers Assign Emil Andrae To Minors; Recall Louie Belpedio, Victor Mete

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Oct. 26: The Flyers have confirmed the move this morning, also announcing they’ve recalled defensemen Louis Belpedio and Victor Mete from Lehigh Valley. Recalling the two veterans will give them an extra defenseman on the active roster.

Oct. 25: Earlier this week, Flyers head coach John Tortorella told Jeff Neiburg of the Philadelphia Inquirer that he wasn’t sure if their current approach with defenseman Emil Andrae was the best for his development.  It appears a decision has been made on that front as CapFriendly reports (Twitter link) that Philadelphia has assigned the young rearguard to AHL Lehigh Valley.

The 21-year-old originally started the year rotating games with Yegor Zamula but with Marc Staal now set to miss the next six weeks or so with an upper-body injury and Rasmus Ristolainen having a setback in his recovery from an undisclosed injury, both youngsters have been in the lineup for the last couple of games.  Rather than continue using Andrae in limited action – he’s logging just 13 minutes per game – the decision has been made to get him more playing time with the Phantoms.  He only played in ten games there late last season after spending most of the year in the SHL.

At the moment, Philadelphia has just five defensemen on its active roster but, with an extra forward, they’re still compliant with the minimum roster requirements.  The Flyers are back in action on Thursday, however, so someone will need to be recalled.  Ronnie Attard, Adam Ginning, and Victor Mete were among their final cuts earlier this month which could have one of them poised to get the promotion.

Snapshots: Vlasic, Ristolainen, Buchnevich

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Veteran defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic is slated to be a healthy scratch for San Jose’s game against the Florida Panthers. It’s his first scratching since January 4, 2022 – when Vlasic was held out of a matchup against the Detroit Red Wings. He returned to the lineup in the team’s next game and appeared in 48 more games throughout the 2021-22 season.

San Jose dressed seven defenders in their most recent game and Vlasic proved the odd-man-out, receiving a team-low six minutes of ice time. The matchup was another trip in a tumbling year for the 36-year-old defenseman, who has lost games to injury and now a scratching this season. Vlasic is signed to an annual cap hit of $7MM through the 2025-26 season, with a modified-no trade clause in each of his final three seasons and a signing bonus in the final two. It’s a lofty contract for a player that will now find himself in a press box. Vlasic is a veteran of 1243 NHL games – all of which were spent with the Sharks franchise. He was a pivotal piece of the team’s hefty roster through the 2010s but may be looking back on his glory days at this point in his career. How the veteran responds to the healthy scratching will be worth following for Sharks fans hoping Vlasic can find ways to make an impact.

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