Philadelphia Flyers Announce Three Injuries
Earlier today, the Philadelphia Flyers announced a plethora of injuries, revealing that Rasmus Ristolainen and Jamie Drysdale would both be out week-to-week with upper-body injuries and that Travis Konecny would be out day-to-day with an upper-body injury. Still holding strong in their attempt to make the playoffs, these injuries could impact the Flyers’ competitiveness moving forward over their next several games.
Not only will Philadelphia be playing without some of their regular players for the next couple of games, but it will take a potential trade chip off the board in Ristolainen. Although he does carry a relatively expensive cap hit of $5.1MM until after the 2026-27 NHL season, Ristolainen has appeared in some trade chatter over the last several weeks. Dealing with some injury concerns earlier in the season, Ristolainen has responded with one goal and four points over 31 games with the Flyers, averaging 16:41 of ice time per game.
Flyers Place Rasmus Ristolainen On IR, Recall Bobby Brink
The Philadelphia Flyers have placed defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen on injured reserve with an upper-body injury. The team recently shared that Ristolainen will miss at least two or three weeks, and will undergo a procedure to determine the full extent of his injury. There is no clarity on when he may return, though The Fourth Period’s Anthony Di Marco shared that Ristolainen will miss significant time.
This news comes at a terrible time for the Flyers, who recently learned that Jamie Drysdale will miss extended time after taking a heavy hit on Sunday. He’s now facing an injury to the same shoulder that he injured last season when a torn labrum limited him to just eight games all season. The Flyers are once again in injury turmoil, carrying just enough defensemen to ice a full lineup.
Philadelphia has also recalled forward Bobby Brink. Brink has played out his rookie NHL season this year, recording 18 points, six penalty minutes, and a +7 in 38 games with Philadelphia. He has dominated the AHL since being assigned in late January, scoring six goals and 11 points in 11 games. He’s the only player on the Lehigh Valley Phantoms scoring at a point-per-game pace this season.
The AHL isn’t unfamiliar to Brink, who scored 28 points in 41 games with the Phantoms last season. It was his first full year as a professional hockey player, though he did play in 10 NHL games after the end of the University of Denver’s 2021-22 season. Still, last year marked an important year of growth for the young forward. He’ll now eye yet another opportunity in the NHL, looking to improve on his modest first half of the season.
Jamie Drysdale Out Week To Week
When Flyers defenseman Jamie Drysdale suffered an injury to his left shoulder on Sunday (the same one he injured last season), there were concerns that another long-term absence was on the horizon. However, it appears that won’t quite be the case as Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (Twitter link) that the blueliner is listed as week to week with some hope that he’ll be able to return before the end of the season.
Drysdale played in just eight games last season because of his shoulder injury and injuries have limited him to just 27 appearances so far this year between Anaheim and Philadelphia. When healthy, the 2020 sixth-overall pick has been quite an effective player and when the Flyers picked him up as part of the Cutter Gauthier trade, they felt they were getting a cornerstone piece of their future.
With another absence for Drysdale, it would be fair to wonder if Philadelphia’s plans for next week’s trade deadline would be affected, particularly with the decisions they have to make on pending unrestricted blueliners Sean Walker and Nick Seeler. However, Friedman indicated in the most recent 32 Thoughts podcast (audio link) that this isn’t likely to be the case since GM Daniel Briere continues to take the big-picture view and that Drysdale’s injury, the severity of which wasn’t known at the time of the comments, wasn’t going to impact their plans. At this point, the asking price of the two veterans will be the difference-maker in whether they stay or go.
In the case of Drysdale, the fact he’s not a lock to be out for the season is certainly a positive sign. However, the news certainly could have been better as the 21-year-old now faces another absence of some length, further delaying his development and adaptation to his new team.
Philadelphia Flyers Recall Olle Lycksell
The Philadelphia Flyers have recalled forward Olle Lycksell from their AHL affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, for the third time this season, per a team announcement. In his most recent call-up to Philadelphia, Lycksell skated in four games for the Flyers, tallying two assists.
Although he has been more of a depth forward for Philadelphia this season, Lycksell has been a premier player for the Phantoms in the AHL. Over 38 games in Lehigh Valley this year, Lycksell has been one of the best players on the roster, scoring 18 goals and 32 points, including a two-goal, four-point performance last evening. Currently sitting second on the team in points, Lycksell is still leading the way with the most goals on the team and the highest point-per-game average.
It’s been more of the same for Lycksell at the AHL level, who had a highly productive rookie season in the AHL as recently as last year. In 53 games during his first year in North America, Lycksell put together a 14-goal, 45-point performance. Being a former-sixth-round selection of the Flyers back in the 2017 NHL Draft, they could have found a potential diamond in the rough if Lycksell can keep up this offensive production at the NHL level.
Even though Lehigh Valley is not competing for the Calder Cup this season, it may still be advantageous for the Flyers to keep Lycksell down in the minor leagues for more exposure. Competing for their own hardware this year, Lycksell may not have much opportunity at the NHL level with Philadelphia opting to put forward a more rugged bottom-six.
Trade Deadline Primer: Philadelphia Flyers
With the All-Star break in the rearview, the trade deadline looms large and is now just two weeks away. Where does each team stand, and what moves should they be looking to make? We continue our look around the league with the Philadelphia Flyers.
With an eye on rebuilding, the Flyers have had a surprisingly productive season. Currently sitting in third-place in the Metropolitan Division, Philadelphia has a solid five-point lead for their position, and are headed for the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs. However, General Manager Daniel Briere has been adamant that the Flyers are not looking to mortgage their future, and may even end up selling a few pieces off by the deadline.
Record
30-21-7, 3rd in the Metropolitan
Deadline Status
Standing Pat/Conservative Seller
Deadline Cap Space
$8.99MM on deadline day, 1/3 retention slots used, 48/50 contracts used, per CapFriendly.
Upcoming Draft Picks
2024: PHI 1st, FLA 1st*, PHI 2nd, CBJ 2nd**, PHI 3rd, PHI 4th, LA 5th, PHI 6th, STL, 6th, PHI 7th
2025: PHI 1st, PHI 2nd, ANA 2nd, PHI 3rd, PHI 4th, PHI 5th, CAR 5th, PHI 6th, PHI 7th
*-If Florida’s first-round pick falls within the top 10 of the 2024 NHL Draft, Philadelphia will receive Florida’s first-round pick in 2025 as apart of the Claude Giroux trade.
**-Columbus will have until the end of the first-round of the 2024 NHL Draft to decide if they will send Philadelphia their 2024 second-round pick or their 2025 second-round pick as apart of the Ivan Provorov trade.
Trade Chips
As highlighted today, Philadelphia’s most likely trade chips will be coming out of their defensive core. Defensemen Sean Walker and Nick Seeler are generating the most attention on the market, with the team reportedly listening to offers on veteran center Scott Laughton as well. 
Having already engaged with Seeler’s camp about a potential contract extension, it certainly appears that Walker will end up being the odd-man out for the Flyers. Acquired this past offseason in the deal that sent Provorov to the Columbus Blue Jackets, Walker has handled over 19 minutes a night on average over 57 games, scoring three goals and 20 points in the process. Given that they could retain 50% of Walker’s salary in any deal, Philadelphia could look to add even more draft capital for the next two seasons.
The market for Laughton will be a little bit more difficult to ascertain, as he is still signed for two years and $6MM beyond this season. Any team acquiring Laughton will certainly be looking to get more physical ahead of the playoffs with that being the part of his game. Producing a relatively average faceoff rate and defensive metrics, Laughton is good to score between 30-40 points a year, depending on how he would be utilized by the acquiring team.
Team Needs
1) Acquire More Lottery Tickets – Unlike many teams across the league, the Flyers have the opportunity to take their roster in a lot of different directions. Already having a cemented core of Sean Couturier, Travis Konecny, Owen Tippett, Joel Farabee, and Travis Sanheim, the team has the opportunity to add supplementary players in a lot of different ways. Already making a major move along these lines with the acquisition of Jamie Drysdale earlier in the season; a deal such as this should be the strategy for Philadelphia move forward as their deadline approach. While desiring to hold on to their draft capital, the Flyers could look to grab Philip Broberg from the Edmonton Oilers or Arthur Kaliyev from the Los Angeles Kings in return for Walker or Laughton by March 8th.
2) Map-Out Goaltending – Since Carter Hart was granted an indefinite leave of absence on January 23rd due to his inclusion in the 2018 Team Canada sexual assault investigation, the Flyers goaltending has taken a different trajectory alltogether. In the first 47 games of the year, Philadelphia managed a 2.83 GAA and a .901 SV% as a team, helping them stockpile points and make their rise in the standings. Since Hart’s leave, the team has struggled considerably, producing a 3.30 GAA and a .866 SV%. Felix Sandstrom has not inspired much hope this season in Lehigh Valley as he’s only managed an .882 SV% through 20 games, and Ivan Fedotov‘s age will likely cut him out as the future of the franchise in net. While many contending teams are looking to improve their situations in the crease, Philadelphia may have to wait until the summer to figure out their plan in goal. Nevertheless, with Hart’s status up in the air moving forward, their long-term vision in net should certainly be on their radar.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Metropolitan Notes: Seeler, Walker, Konecny, Mayfield
The Flyers have a pair of fairly valuable defenders on expiring deals in Nick Seeler and Sean Walker. Despite being in a playoff position and ahead of schedule in their rebuild, the Flyers will likely ship at least one of them out to capitalize on their trade value ahead of the March 8 trade deadline. It’s trending toward Walker being the odd man out, as they’ve yet to formally engage in extension discussions with Walker’s agents, David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reports Saturday.
Pagnotta notes that the Flyers have talked to Seeler’s representation about an extension. The two defenders have formed one of the unlikeliest value pairings in the league this year, logging over 500 minutes together with a sparkling 56.5 expected goals percentage, per MoneyPuck. The 30-year-old, who’s found his way back into a full-time NHL role after going without a contract for the entire 2020-21 campaign, carries a $775K cap hit and will earn a multi-million dollar raise on his next deal, whether it’s with Philly or somewhere else.
Walker being the likelier one to move makes sense with the state of the trade market, however. He’s considerably more expensive with a $2.65MM cap hit, but he’s also a coveted right-shot defender with significantly more offensive upside than the shutdown-only Seeler. As such, he’ll fetch more value in return. Pagnotta says the Bruins may have interest if it becomes clear he’ll hit the trade market, where he would serve as a third-pairing anchor behind Charlie McAvoy and Brandon Carlo.
Other notes from the Metropolitan Division:
- Flyers winger Travis Konecny is absent from Saturday’s game against the Rangers, and he’ll miss Sunday’s tilt against the Penguins as well, per Anthony Di Marco of The Fourth Period. Konecny is listed as day-to-day with a minor upper-body injury sustained during practice this week. The 26-year-old is not expected to miss significant time. In his eighth NHL season, Konecny leads Philadelphia in scoring with 27 goals and 54 points in 57 games.
- Islanders defenseman Scott Mayfield is listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury and is not in the lineup against the Lightning today, per the team. Mayfield did not appear to miss a shift in the Isles’ last game, a 4-0 loss to the Blues on Thursday. In the first season of a seven-year, $24.5MM contract, Mayfield has missed 16 total games to leg and upper-body injuries. He’s also struggled to produce, going without a goal in 41 games while recording five assists and a -7 rating. Reserve defender Sebastian Aho re-entered the Isles’ lineup in a third-pairing role today after serving as a healthy scratch for six of their past seven games.
Matej Tomek Signs Extension In Czechia
- Flyers goalie prospect Matej Tomek has signed a one-year extension with Litvinov of the Czech Extraliga, per a team release. The 26-year-old was a third-round pick (90th overall) back in 2015 but struggled in limited college action, resulting in him heading back overseas in 2019. Since then, Tomek has spent time in both Slovakia and Czechia. This season, he has a 3.00 GAA and a .911 SV% in 31 games with Litvinov. The Flyers hold his rights indefinitely so this extension won’t have any impact on that front.
Olle Lycksell Reassigned To AHL, Tyson Foerster Nearing Return
The Philadelphia Flyers announced this morning that they’ve reassigned forward Olle Lycksell to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the AHL. The 24-year-old has been a healthy scratch for the Flyers in six of their seven games since the All-Star break as he has been primarily serving as a depth forward. He has dressed in five games this season at the NHL level and has a single assist while averaging a tick under 10 minutes of ice time per game.
At the AHL level, Lycksell has registered 16 goals and 12 assists in 33 games with Lehigh Valley and has been nearly a point-a-game player the last few seasons. His demotion could signal that Tyson Foerster is healthy and nearing a return to the lineup.
Foerster is practicing in a regular jersey today and reportedly could play tomorrow for Philadelphia against the New York Rangers. He was hurt blocking a shot in a game against the Seattle Kraken back on February 10th and has missed the last four games. The former first-round pick is having a decent offensive season with 10 goals and 11 assists in 52 games but came into the season with lofty expectations after posting seven points in eight NHL games last year.
Based on the line rushes in Flyers practice, it seems likely that Foerster will play alongside Ryan Poehling and Noah Cates on the Flyers’ third line.
Cam York Cleared To Play In Stadium Series
Flyers defenseman Cam York is in the lineup for tonight’s Stadium Series game against the Devils, head coach John Tortorella confirms (via PHLY Sports’ Charlie O’Connor). The 23-year-old sustained an upper-body injury Thursday against the Maple Leafs and told The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz yesterday that he was “not sure yet” about his status for tonight.
More advanced metrics are less kind to his performance this year, however. His pairing with Travis Sanheim is the Flyers’ most used, logging 645 minutes together but controlling a mediocre 48.9% of expected goals in the process, per MoneyPuck. York’s 47.6 Corsi-for percentage at even strength is also the worst among Philadelphia’s full-time defensemen, but some growing pains are to be expected for an under-25 defenseman shouldering over 20 minutes per game for the first time.
Philadelphia Flyers Name Sean Couturier Captain
7:30 PM: The Flyers have also named Travis Konecny as an alternate captain, and reaffirmed Sean Laughton as the other alternate captain. The trio will serve as Philadelphia’s leadership group moving forward.
6:30 PM: The Philadelphia Flyers have announced that Sean Couturier will become the 20th captain in the team’s history. Couturier has spent the previous four seasons as an alternate captain. He will serve as Philadelphia’s first captain since Claude Giroux, who held the title for 10 seasons. Couturier has played in 50 games this season, scoring 11 goals and 33 points. It’s his first appearance in the regular season since the 2021-22 campaign when he played in just 29 games before injuries forced a 22-month absence. The 30-year-old centerman received Selke votes in every season from 2013-14 to 2020-21, winning the award in 2020.
Couturier has spent all 12 seasons of his career with the Flyers. He was drafted eighth overall in the 2011 NHL Draft, joining a strong top 10 that’s seen all of its players play in at least 700 NHL games. Couturier jumped into the NHL immediately after, scoring 27 points in 77 games as a rookie in 2011-12. His scoring totals never jumped much higher than that, with Couturier’s positives coming more on the defensive side of the puck, until the 2017-18 season when he exploded for 31 goals and 76 points in his first season as Philadelphia’s top centerman. As the role maintained, so did his scoring, with Couturier netting 33 goals and 76 points and then 22 goals and 59 points in the next two seasons. He was on pace for strong scoring again in the shortened 2020-21 season, with 41 points in 45 games.
That scoring prowess hasn’t stuck around as much this season, with Couturier on pace for just 54 points, but his presence has been a major contributor to the successes of linemates like Owen Tippett, Travis Konecny, and Joel Farabee.
Couturier is in the second year of an eight-year, $62MM contract extension signed in 2021. The deal will take him to the 2029-30 season, when Couturier will be 37, and carries a $7.75MM cap hit every season. New Flyers general manager Daniel Briere has put energy towards building out the team’s future framework and, after extending top forward Owen Tippett and bottom-six fixture Ryan Poehling, he now finds his captain for the decade.