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Joel Farabee

Joel Farabee Undergoes Surgery

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The Philadelphia Flyers could be without Joel Farabee for the first part of the 2022-23 season after the young forward underwent successful disc replacement surgery in his cervical region this morning. The procedure was completed at Penn Medicine, and Farabee is expected to make a full recovery in three to four months.

Neck or spinal surgery is certainly not what Flyers fans want to hear about their young star, who struggled along with the rest of the roster this season. The 22-year-old forward had just 17 goals and 34 points in 63 games, numbers that didn’t even match his shortened 2020-21 sophomore campaign. Signed long-term to a contract that carries a $5MM cap hit, Farabee is meant to be one of the pillars that the Flyers build around moving forward.

A three-month timeline would allow him to be ready for the start of the regular season but obviously, that is still in jeopardy at this point. An injury like this is not something a player would want to rush back from, even if the team expects to try and contend for the Metropolitan Division playoff spots after a poor year.

With the team also looking to clear salary this summer by moving James van Riemsdyk, according to The Fourth Period, there could be quite a different look upfront to start the year. Those two finished fourth and fifth in team scoring during the 2021-22 campaign, just behind Claude Giroux, who is an unrestricted free agent after a deadline trade.

Metropolitan Notes: Texier, Flyers, Capitals

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While Blue Jackets forward Alexandre Texier was originally expected to miss four weeks with a finger injury (a time period that has come and gone), Brian Hedger of the Columbus Dispatch reports (Twitter link) that the 22-year-old is still a few weeks away from returning.  Texier is having the best season of his career so far with 11 goals and nine assists in 36 games but this injury will have taken away that momentum.

Texier has found his name in recent trade speculation with teams calling about him but the injury won’t help things on that front either.  On that front, Hedger adds in a follow-up tweet that the team has no interest in moving him.  He has long been viewed as a future building block for the Blue Jackets and since he has shown some promising signs in his development this season, it’s understandable that they’d want to keep him around.

More from the Metropolitan:

  • Prior to their game this afternoon against Washington, the Flyers announced (Twitter link) that they’ve activated winger Joel Farabee and center Derick Brassard off injured reserve. Farabee has missed a little more than a month due to an upper-body injury but is still tied for third on Philadelphia in goals with 11 in 33 games.  Brassard, meanwhile, has been battling hip issues all season long but has managed to pick up 11 points in 20 games.  If Brassard can stay healthy, he could be a trade candidate for a team looking to add some depth before the trade deadline.  Meanwhile, Sam Carchidi of Philly Hockey Now adds that center Kevin Hayes could return late next week after being out for more than a month with an adductor injury.
  • While Washington has very limited cap space that’s entirely based on Anthony Mantha’s LTIR placement, both J.J. Regan and Andrew Gillis of NBC Sports Washington believe that the Capitals need to find a way to add an impact goaltender by next month’s trade deadline. Vitek Vanecek is currently injured and while Ilya Samsonov was able to play this afternoon despite appearing to suffer an injury in the warmup, he has struggled with inconsistency this season.  They’ve been previously linked to Chicago’s Marc-Andre Fleury but would likely need to get Chicago to retain half of his $7MM contract plus a third-party facilitator to take on another 25% of the contract to have a chance at fitting him into their cap structure.

Joel Farabee Out Four Weeks With Upper-Body Injury

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The Philadelphia Flyers’ nightmare season continues, this time with an injury to Joel Farabee. The young forward had been placed on injured reserve and is expected to miss up to four weeks with an upper-body injury. Kevin Hayes has also been placed on injured reserve following his adductor procedure earlier this week. As replacements, the Flyers have recalled Wade Allison and Jackson Cates to the taxi squad.

Interim head coach Mike Yeo told reporters including Giana Han of the Philadelphia Inquirer that something happened to Farabee last night, but didn’t get into the specifics of whether or not it is related to his previous injury. At any rate, he’ll be out for the next few weeks as the Flyers continue to spiral down the standings. The team has now lost ten straight and barely sit ahead of the New Jersey Devils and New York Islanders, who have each played fewer games.

Farabee, 21, is one of the few bright spots in Philadelphia, even though his overall production still hasn’t been outstanding this season. The 2018 first-round pick has 11 goals and 18 points in 33 games, enough to put him fourth on the team in scoring so far. While there are many players on the roster who might not be with the team after this dreadful season, it seems unlikely that Farabee would lose his spot as a building block. The young forward signed a six-year, $30MM extension in September that will keep him under contract at a reasonable $5MM cap hit through the 2027-28 season.

In terms of replacements, Cates has played just seven games at the NHL level this season and 11 since signing out of the University of Minnesota-Duluth as an undrafted free agent last spring. Allison, a second-round pick from 2016, scored seven points in 14 games last season for the Flyers but has missed a huge chunk of this year with an ankle sprain. In seven games with Lehigh Valley, Allison had four points.

Metropolitan Notes: Flyers, Shesterkin, Nemeth, Hurricanes

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The Flyers announced that they’ve placed Max Willman and a staff member in COVID protocol.  The 26-year-old has been a feel-good story for Philadelphia this season as he made his NHL debut this season and has chipped in with two goals and an assist in a dozen games.  Willman was originally drafted by Buffalo back in 2014 but didn’t sign.  He becomes the second Flyer currently in COVID protocol joining center Morgan Frost.

Meanwhile, goaltender Carter Hart will be unavailable for tonight’s game against Ottawa due to an undetermined illness.  The team announced (Twitter link) that Felix Sandstrom has been recalled from AHL Lehigh Valley to serve as Martin Jones’ backup.  They will get some help on the injury front, however, as winger Joel Farabee will return to the lineup after missing the last seven games due to a shoulder injury.  The 21-year-old has seven goals in 21 games so far this season.

More from the Metropolitan:

  • Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin is ready to return from his lower-body injury as the team announced (Twitter link) that he has been activated off injured reserve with Keith Kinkaid being returned to AHL Hartford in a corresponding move.  The 25-year-old missed just over two weeks with the injury and had been off to a strong start to his season with a 2.05 GAA and a .937 SV% in 18 games.  Kinkaid, meanwhile, picked up the victory on Wednesday against Arizona.
  • From that same announcement, Rangers blueliner Patrik Nemeth has been placed in COVID protocol.  The 30-year-old had played in all 30 of New York’s games to this point, recording two assists along with 57 blocked shots while logging just over 17 minutes per game.  He’ll miss the next ten days.
  • Carolina won’t be getting any help on the injury front for a little while as Walt Ruff of the Hurricanes’ team site relays (Twitter link) that winger Jordan Martinook and defenseman Jalen Chatfield aren’t close to returning from their respective lower-body injuries. Martinook has been out for a little more than two weeks and head coach Rod Brind’Amour acknowledged that the 29-year-old could start skating soon but still will need a fair bit of time before he’s able to come back.  Meanwhile, Chatfield’s injury was more recent, sustained back on Sunday against his former team in Vancouver.

Joel Farabee Out Week-To-Week With Upper-Body Injury

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Dec 4: Farabee has been moved to injured reserve, giving the team room to recall Jackson Cates from the AHL. Cates, 24, made his NHL debut last season after signing out of the University of Minnesota-Duluth and has been playing for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms this year.

Dec 3: The Philadelphia Flyers’ nightmare season rolls on, this time with another injury to a key player. Joel Farabee suffered an upper-body injury against the New York Rangers on Wednesday night and will be out on a week-to-week basis. Farabee was not at practice today and the team has recalled Max Willman and Connor Bunnaman under emergency conditions.

Farabee left in the first period of the game after falling awkwardly into the boards, holding his left arm gingerly at his side. To that point, he was tied for the team lead in goals with seven, though his overall impact has been stifled like many of the Flyers forwards this season. With 10 points in 21 games, he was on pace to just barely crack his previous career-high, set at 38 points last season in just 55 games. That doesn’t mean the team won’t miss him though, as he’s still one of the few bright spots in the lineup as they navigate a brutal seven-game losing streak.

The Flyers will likely be going through drastic changes to the core if this season continues the way it has gone so far, but Farabee isn’t going anywhere. The 21-year-old signed a six-year extension in September that will carry a cap hit of $5MM through the 2027-28 season. His continued development is key for the organization and long-term injury would only hinder that. Hopefully, he can get back on the ice in the coming weeks without needing surgery or missing a huge chunk of the season.

Injury Notes: Kucherov, Zboril, Farabee

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When Nikita Kucherov was last sidelined due to injury, it took him the entire 2020-21 regular season to recover. This time around, the absence won’t be nearly as long for the 2018-19 Hart Trophy winner. Kucherov is right on track to return from the lower body injury he suffered back in October, for which he was given an eight-to-ten week recovery period after undergoing surgery. NHL.com reports that Kucherov was back at practice for the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday, his first time skating with the team since he was injured on October 16 – exactly seven weeks to the day. Lightning head coach Jon Cooper was quick to qualify the appearance, stating that “this does not trigger anything new on his timeline; he’s still quite a ways off.” However, getting Kucherov back on the ice is the first major step toward getting the two-time defending Stanley Cup champs back to full strength. The Lightning are enjoying another solid season, even with Kuckerov and Brayden Point on the shelf, but are well behind the rival Florida Panthers for the lead in the Atlantic Division and could use the boost that a Kucherov return will bring to get back into the mix for the Eastern Conference crown.

  • The Boston Bruins are still waiting on clarification on the injury to defenseman Jakub Zboril in their last game on Thursday night. Zboril took an awkward check from Nashville’s Tanner Jeannot and appeared to injure his knee. He was helped off the ice and did not return in what seemed to be a serious incident. However, the team has made no definitive statement as to Zboril’s status just yet. Boston only announced that Zboril will not play on Saturday night and will be re-evaluated in the coming days, which could mean that the injury was not as severe as it seems or it could simply be that they have not yet determined the severity. The hope is that Zboril can return as soon as possible, as the blue liner is playing the best hockey of his NHL career providing consistent and dependable play on the back end. With Zboril finally flashing the ability that made him a first-round pick in 2015, the Bruins want to keep that momentum going if at all possible.
  • On the other end of the spectrum, the specifics have been revealed on the injury to Philadelphia Flyers forward Joel Farabee. The Athletic’s Charlie O’Connor reports that Farabee has suffered a Grade II AC sprain in his shoulder. The typical recovery from the injury is up to six weeks, which O’Connor notes lines up with what Flyers head coach Alain Vigneault had initially suggested, even though Farabee was considered “week-to-week”. Philly will have to make do through at least the rest of the calendar year without the young scorer, who is tied for the team lead in goals.

Philadelphia Flyers Extend Joel Farabee

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The Philadelphia Flyers have inked a long-term deal with one of their young breakout stars, signing Joel Farabee to a six-year extension. The contract will come into effect for the 2022-23 season and keep Farabee signed through 2027-28. Currently on the last season of his entry-level contract, the extension will carry a $5.0MM average annual value. PuckPedia reports that the deal does not include any trade protection and provide the full breakdown:

  • 2022-23: $1.0MM salary + $2.0MM signing bonus
  • 2023-24: $2.25MM salary + $2.0MM signing bonus
  • 2024-25: $3.0MM salary + $2.0MM signing bonus
  • 2025-26: $4.25MM salary + $1.5MM signing bonus
  • 2026-27: $6.0MM salary
  • 2027-28: $6.0MM salary

Farabee, 21, experienced a true breakout this season, scoring 20 goals and 38 points in 55 games for the Flyers. That perhaps should have been the expectation though after his strong rookie campaign, which saw him post 21 points in 52 games before playing well in the postseason bubble. The 14th overall pick from 2018, Farabee is quickly making teams regret not selecting him higher. He now sits third in goals from that draft class behind only Brady Tkachuk and Andrei Svechnikov despite having played just 107 NHL games to this point.

An extension this early and for this much is a bet that the 2020-21 Farabee wasn’t an illusion and that he will only continue to get better in the years to come. The deal buys out two years of unrestricted free agency and means the Flyers never have to deal with another RFA negotiation or arbitration with the young forward. It also means that there is a real opportunity for excess value in those years if Farabee continues on his strong development path.

Signing a deal of this length now could very well be leaving money on the table, but it obviously gives Farabee security and peace of mind. He gets a good salary for the prime years of his career and will hit the open market with plenty of time to sign another multi-year deal. Any savings he provides can also be used to make the Flyers better over his contracted period, giving him a supporting cast that can help contend.

The Flyers will need those savings too, as they move forward with long-term deals for aging veterans. Sean Couturier recently signed an eight-year extension that will pay him $7.75MM through 2029-30, while Ryan Ellis is entering just the third season of his own eight-year deal that carries a cap hit of $6.25MM. If the Flyers re-sign captain Claude Giroux before he hits unrestricted free agency next summer he too will be an expensive ticket, meaning every dollar they can save on a deal like Farabee’s is important.

Of course, there is always risk when signing a deal of this length as well. There’s no guarantee that his performance this year is indicative of what he’ll provide over the entire deal, and he could always regress or suffer injuries. Still, betting on a 21-year-old who has shown he can be a 20-goal scorer in a shortened season is a pretty worthwhile gamble.

COVID Protocol Related Absences: 03/06/21

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Each day, the NHL will publicly release the list of players that are unavailable to their respective teams due to being in COVID-19 Protocol. Though the league is still waiting on a report from the Blue Jackets and Blues but here is the rest of the list:

Colorado – Dennis Gilbert
Columbus – TBA
Pittsburgh – Colton Sceviour*
San Jose – Tomas Hertl, Marcus Sorensen
St. Louis – TBA

As a reminder, inclusion on this list does not mean that a player has tested positive for Coronavirus or even that they have been confirmed as a close contact to another positive person. Included in the NHL’s list of possible reasons for someone being on the list is are the following:

(1) an initial positive test which remains unconfirmed until confirmatory testing is completed pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (2) mandated isolation for symptomatic individuals pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (3) required quarantine as a high-risk close contact in accordance with the Positive Test Protocol; (4) isolation based on a confirmed positive test result and/or; (5) quarantine for travel or other reasons as outlined in the COVID-19 Protocol

Players removed today: Joel Farabee, Philadelphia Flyers

Farabee’s removal marks a great day for Philadelphia, as the Flyers are completely free of the COVID protocol. The team couldn’t manage a win against Pittsburgh earlier today but should have their full contingent ready for tomorrow night.

Sceviour’s addition comes after Sidney Crosby and assistant coach Todd Reirden both had a short stint earlier this week. Hopefully, the Penguins forward will have a similar timeline, though there is no way to tell at this point.

*denotes new addition

COVID Protocol Related Absences: 03/05/21

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Each day, the NHL will publicly release the list of players that are unavailable to their respective teams due to being in COVID-19 Protocol. Though the league is still waiting on a report from the Kings, here is the rest of the list:

Colorado – Dennis Gilbert*
Philadelphia – Joel Farabee
San Jose – Tomas Hertl, Marcus Sorensen*

As a reminder, inclusion on this list does not mean that a player has tested positive for Coronavirus or even that they have been confirmed as a close contact to another positive person. Included in the NHL’s list of possible reasons for someone being on the list is are the following:

(1) an initial positive test which remains unconfirmed until confirmatory testing is completed pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (2) mandated isolation for symptomatic individuals pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (3) required quarantine as a high-risk close contact in accordance with the Positive Test Protocol; (4) isolation based on a confirmed positive test result and/or; (5) quarantine for travel or other reasons as outlined in the COVID-19 Protocol

Players removed today: Charlie Coyle, Boston Bruins

Gilbert comes onto the list in Colorado, certainly not the first person ruled out for them this season. We’ll have to wait and see what this means for the club and if any other players will be added in the coming days.  Sorensen is also a late addition after last playing for San Jose on Monday.

Coyle, who was only added on Wednesday, comes off for the Bruins, clearing their board and meaning they’re back to full capacity.

*denotes new addition

COVID Protocol Related Absences: 03/04/21

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Each day, the NHL will publicly release the list of players that are unavailable to their respective teams due to being in COVID-19 Protocol. Here is today’s updated list:

Boston – Charlie Coyle
Philadelphia – Joel Farabee*
San Jose – Tomas Hertl

As a reminder, inclusion on this list does not mean that a player has tested positive for Coronavirus or even that they have been confirmed as a close contact to another positive person. Included in the NHL’s list of possible reasons for someone being on the list is are the following:

(1) an initial positive test which remains unconfirmed until confirmatory testing is completed pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (2) mandated isolation for symptomatic individuals pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (3) required quarantine as a high-risk close contact in accordance with the Positive Test Protocol; (4) isolation based on a confirmed positive test result and/or; (5) quarantine for travel or other reasons as outlined in the COVID-19 Protocol

Players removed today: Ryan Johansen, Nashville Predators; Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins.

While Penguins superstar Crosby, as well as Pittsburgh assistant coach Todd Reirden, are a welcome subtraction from the CRPA list, it is one step forward and one step back as the league continues to get agonizingly close to a blank list. The Philadelphia Flyers are back on COVID watch, as Farabee makes his first appearance of the season less than a week after many of his teammates were finally removed. Boston Bruins forward Coyle, a late addition on Wednesday night, also does not seem to be a fluke, as he was not at practice this morning and remains on today’s list.

UPDATE: Nashville’s late report showed that that they too are no longer carrying any protocol players. Johansen has been activated from the CPRA list, making this a net positive day in the league’s battle against COVID.

*denotes new addition

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