Flyers’ Nikita Grebenkin Could Miss Start Of 2026-27 Season
Philadelphia Flyers general manager Daniel Briere issued updates on the team’s long list of injuries after their run to the second-round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Briere announced 10 injuries. They include:
F Alex Bump (MCL sprain)
F Noah Cates (fractured foot)
F Christian Dvorak (fractured rib, separated shoulder)
F Nikita Grebenkin (upper-body injury)
F Garnet Hathaway (fractured fibula)
F Travis Konecny (fractured rib, fractured nose)
F Owen Tippett (internal bleeding, core muscle injury)
F Trevor Zegras (elbow ligament sprain)
D Emil Andrae (fractured wrist)
D Cameron York (fractured rib)
Among the injuries, Briere specified that Andrae will need surgery, while Cates will not need surgery, to address their fractures. It was not clear if Dvorak, Hathaway, Konecny, or York will also undergo the knife. Briere added that every player is expected to make a full recovery before the start of the 2026-27 season, except for Grebenkin, who could miss time in the 2026-27 season per NHL.com’s Bill Meltzer.
Grebenkin hasn’t played since March 21, missing the last 23 games of Philadelphia’s season. Briere did not specify Grebenkin’s injury, though he did say that the team initially thought the winger would only miss a short term. Instead, Philadelphia is looking at different options to help Grebenkin work back to full health.
The young winger broke into a full-time roster role, on the back of high-energy and gritty hockey, this season. He totaled up 14 points and 86 hits in 55 games as an NHL rookie. His hits-per-game average ranked fifth on the team among Flyers with at least 20 games played. That physical presence, paired with Grebenkin’s energetic skating, was overwhelming paired next to center Hathaway – though Philadelphia also rolled him out as the forechecker next to scorers Konecny and Dvorak.
Grebenkin’s absence would leave a hole in Philadelphia’s bottom-six to start next season. It would also limit the 23 year old’s chance to build on a quick break into an NHL lineup. But Philadelphia’s laundry list of injuries could affect the entire lineup. Konecny led the team in both goals (27) and points (68) through 77 games this season. Zegras ranked right behind him with 26 goals and 67 points, while Dvorak and Tippett were part of a three-way tie for third with 51 points.
On defense, York stepped up as a core part of Philadelphia’s top-four this season. He finished the year with 26 points and a plus-five, while averaging more than 22 minutes a night. Andrae served on the other side of the lineup – netting 13 points in 61 games from a bottom-pair role. York’s presence brought some cohesion to the Flyers’ blue-line behind Travis Sanheim as the team’s top defender, while Andrae was a frequently-tapped depth defender. Both players should return to those roles next season, though Andrae will face the added challenge of recovering from surgery.
The Flyers will enter the summer with the bruises of a long season. This was the Flyers’ first playoff run since 2020, when they lost in the second-round to the New York Islanders. Philadelphia has only made five postseason appearances over the last 13 years – but seem well-set to kick that cold spell after instilling promising, young prospects into every level of the lineup. Bump and rookie Porter Martone will offer big upside next season, while the likes of Grebenkin will look to dig their fit deeper into grinder roles.
Flyers’ Owen Tippett Suffered From Internal Bleeding
The Philadelphia Flyers were without winger Owen Tippett throughout their Round Two series against the Carolina Hurricanes for what was originally described as a sports hernia. This morning, according to a team announcement, the Flyers revealed that Tippett was suffering from internal bleeding as a result of the hernia.
In the announcement, Tippett was quoted as saying, “I was unable to return for the Second Round series vs. Carolina due to an internal bleeding issue that I sustained during the First Round series vs. Pittsburgh. Following a series of medical evaluations, treatments, and rehabilitation under the care of the Flyers medical team, I am making progress and feeling better each day. Despite being cleared to travel and skate with the team at certain practices, things did not progress at a pace that I hoped for or would allow me to safely continue playing.”
Given that Tippett played in all six games against the Penguins in Round One, and the Flyers were eliminated by the Hurricanes only 10 days later, it’s remarkable that Tippett even got close to returning. Recovery from a sports hernia typically takes six to twelve weeks and may require surgery to repair damaged muscles, tendons, or ligaments. The Flyers update suggests that Tippett might have been available if the series against Carolina had gone longer, or during the Eastern Conference Final had Philadelphia advanced that far.
Fortunately, it does not sound like Tippett will have any issues beginning the 2026-27 on time. The 27-year-old winger is coming off the second-highest scoring season of his career, registering 28 goals and 51 points with a -6 rating, averaging 16:51 of ice time per game.
Snapshots: Flyers Injuries, Oilers, Celebrini
With their season coming to an abrupt end yesterday, injuries affecting the Philadelphia Flyers have begun to be revealed. Bill Meltzer of Flyers.NHL.com shared that Owen Tippett is dealing with a sports hernia, Cam York was playing through a fractured rib, and Christian Dvorak was battling a separated shoulder.
By yesterday’s Game 4, the Flyers were running with a patchwork lineup, including Carl Grundström and rookie Oliver Bonk, both of whom spent time in the AHL this year.
Tippett was unable to skate in any of the four second round games against the Hurricanes, with an ailment which was not revealed at the time. If he had limped into a game, a full tear would have been possible, which would greatly affect his health moving into next season. The 27-year-old tied his career high in goals this year (28) and played in all but one regular season contest, the best of his career to this point. He should be all set for next fall.
Meanwhile, both York and Dvorak played through their injuries. York skated in 24 minutes or more in each of the last three games against Carolina. The 25-year-old appeared hampered at times, but his overtime series winning goal over Pittsburgh was an unforgettable moment.
Finally, Dvorak came away with four assists, impressively not missing a single game despite his injury. It was a season to remember for the 30-year-old, setting a career high with 51 points in 80 games, and earning a five-year extension with the team.
Elsewhere across the league:
- The Edmonton Oilers face an off-season of changes after a disappointing first round exit, but as written by The Fourth Period, that may not include Connor Ingram, Jason Dickinson, and Connor Murphy, who are expected to explore being re-signed. Dickinson, 30, effectively replaced Adam Henrique as a third line center. Mostly a shutdown penalty killer, he did find the back of the net twice in the playoffs, capable of providing a scoring spark at times. He’d require a serious pay cut from his current $4.25MM to stay with the Oilers. Another former Blackhawk, the 33-year-old Murphy played top four minutes in Edmonton, starting 58% of his shifts in the defensive zone as a stay-at-home sidekick for Darnell Nurse, the duo anchoring the penalty kill. Finally, as far as depth goaltenders go, Ingram brought above average results at a .899 save percentage and 2.60 goals-against-average, but Edmonton must find a solution with Tristan Jarry in order to avoid leaning on the persevering 29-year-old Ingram so heavily again.
- Sharks 19-year-old superstar Macklin Celebrini has been named captain of Team Canada at the 2026 IIHF World Championships. It’s a passing of the torch of sorts, as he’ll lead alongside veteran assistants Ryan O’Reilly and John Tavares despite being the youngest skater on the team. Celebrini is no stranger to the international circuit, leading Canada in the World Juniors, and already a top line star at the highest stage, last February in Milan where he came away with a silver medal. A face of the future of Canada Hockey, the Vancouver native wasted no time, recording three points earlier today in a resounding 6-1 exhibition defeat of France.
Injury Updates: Stone, Tippett, Abols
While the Golden Knights regained the lead in their series against Anaheim on Friday night, it wasn’t all good news. Steve Carp of The Sporting Tribune mentioned that captain Mark Stone exited with an apparent lower-body injury on a non-contact play in the first period and didn’t return, ending his night with just 4:24 of playing time. The 33-year-old quietly set a career high in points per game this season, checking in at a 1.22 mark in 60 appearances. He hasn’t been quite as productive in the playoffs but he still has three goals and four helpers in nine games so far. Head coach John Tortorella didn’t have any further updates following the game and it wouldn’t be surprising if more information isn’t available until Sunday’s Game 4.
Other injury news from the playoffs:
- If the Flyers want to stave off elimination today against Carolina, they will have to do so without the services of one of their top wingers again. Jackie Spiegel of the Philadelphia Inquirer relays (Twitter link) that Owen Tippett has already been ruled out of the lineup. The 27-year-old has yet to play in this series due to an undisclosed injury. Tippett finished the regular season tied for third in team scoring with 51 points although he had a quiet first round against Pittsburgh with only a goal and an assist in six outings. Still, his absence has been felt over the first three games and will last at least one more contest.
- Flyers winger Rodrigo Abols has resumed skating as he works his way back from a fractured ankle sustained back in mid-January, notes NHL.com’s Adam Kimelman (Twitter link). The 30-year-old had locked down a regular role in Philadelphia’s lineup over the first half of the season, chipping in with 10 points and 49 hits in 42 games before being sidelined. At this point, he’s still likely a long way from returning but the fact that he’s back on the ice is a good sign in his recovery process.
Injury Notes: Cates, Dvorak, Tippett, Nikishin
The Philadelphia Flyers’ postseason hurdles just reached a new height. Down 2-0 as the series shifts back to Wells Fargo Center, head coach Rick Tocchet confirmed the worst-case scenario for his forward group: Noah Cates is out for the remainder of the series.
Cates, who hit career highs this season with 47 points and has been the team’s most reliable two-way presence, suffered a lower-body injury after taking a shot off the foot in Game 2. While he finished that game, he was seen in a walking boot on Wednesday, and the team has officially ruled him out for the duration of the second round.
Additional injury notes:
- The Anaheim Ducks receive a boost as Troy Terry is expected to return to the lineup for their series against Vegas. However, the blue line takes a hit as veteran Radko Gudas remains out with a lower-body injury. After battling recurring injuries throughout the season, Terry made his return in Game 1 against Vegas.
- Carolina Hurricanes high-profile rookie defenseman Alexander Nikishin has been cleared to play. After missing the start of the series due to a concussion sustained in the first round, he is an option for Game 3 and will likely slot in alongside Shayne Gostisbehere.
- The Flyers also noted forward Christian Dvorak is currently day-to-day and took a maintenance day on Wednesday, though he is expected to play in Game 3. Also, Owen Tippett, who has missed the first two games of the series, remains a game-time decision for Thursday. While he has returned to practice, his availability hinges on a final evaluation before puck drop.
Metro Notes: Cates, Tippett, Nikishin
Philadelphia Flyers center Noah Cates‘ availability for game three against the Carolina Hurricanes appears to be in question after he appeared to suffer a foot injury in game two. Mike Sielski of the Philadelphia Inquirer reported that Cates was seen after game two “trundled on a cart down a hallway” and “holding a walking boot that would have fit his right foot.” The Flyers did not have an official update on Cates’ status.
If Cates is indeed unavailable for the Flyers’ next game, which is on Thursday, it would represent a significant blow to the team’s hopes of getting back on their feet in their second-round series. The Flyers put up a valiant effort against Carolina yesterday but fell in overtime, and risk being pushed to the brink of elimination with a loss Thursday. Cates, 27, isn’t a star in Philadelphia but he still plays a key role in head coach Rick Tocchet’s lineup. He last slotted in as the No. 2 center between Tyson Foerster and Matvei Michkov, and he plays on both sides of special teams. He has four points in eight playoff games, and scored a career-high 18 goals and 47 points in the regular season.
Other notes from the Metropolitan Division:
- Flyers winger Owen Tippett didn’t play in game two as he remains sidelined with an undisclosed injury. His status is considered day-to-day, so it will be important to track his availability for game three given the importance of the game to the Flyers’ hopes to win the series. The speedy 27-year-old tied a career-high with 28 goals in the regular season and neared his career-high with 51 points.
- Carolina Hurricanes rookie defenseman Alexander Nikishin has officially been cleared to return after missing two games with a concussion. Nikishin was previously paired with veteran Shayne Gostisbehere, a role that has since gone to veteran Mike Reilly. Nikishin scored 11 goals and 33 points in a strong first regular season in the NHL, averaging 18:11 time on ice per game along the way.
Evening Notes: Hronek, Tippett, Manson, Kiviranta
Vancouver Canucks defenseman Filip Hronek was injured in pre-tournament action with Team Czechia’s World Championship roster per Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK News. Dhaliwal adds that Hronek “should be okay soon”, likely a sign that the top Czech defender won’t miss tournament action.
Hronek has carved out an important role on Czechia’s men’s national team. He scored five assists in five games at the 2026 Winter Olympics and six points in eight games at the 2025 World Championship. The latter tournament was Hronek’s first appearance on Czechia’s national roster since the 2022 World Championship, where he scored two points in 10 games. That quiet showing was outdone by his 15 points in 17 games between the 2019 and 2021 World Championships. More than his scoring, Hronek offers a physical, puck-moving presence that helps the Czech push their aggressive forecheck. He would leave an irreplaceable hole on the top-pair if he missed tournament games.
Other notes from around the hockey world:
- Philadelphia Flyers forward Owen Tippett has been announced as out day-to-day with an undisclosed injury. He was doubtful to play in Game 1 of the second round after practice per NBCS’ Jordan Hall. A chance to rest could be timely for Tippett, who racked up two points in six games of the first round. It was a lackluster series for the scoring winger, after he tied his career-high with 23 goals and totaled 51 points in 81 games this season. He fills an important, shooter role in the Flyers offense and could leave a hole in the top-six. Tippett’s absence will secure rookie Alex Bump’s spot in the lineup. Bump scored nine points in the first 17 games of his NHL career this season. He also has one goal in two playoff appearances. He may be one of only a few black aces who could try to fill in for Tippett’s scoring impact.
- The Colorado Avalanche are also still nursing injuries. Defenseman Josh Manson and forward Joel Kiviranta are both still out day-to-day, head coach Jared Bednar told Bailey Curtis of DNVR Avalanche. Manson sat out of Game 4 against the Los Angeles Kings and hasn’t been able to heal up in six days since. He scored two points in the first three games of the series, continuing to fill an important, top-four role on Colorado’s defense. Kiviranta sat out of both Game 3 and 4, limiting him to no scoring and five hits in the first two games of the series. He totaled nine points in 51 games this season, rotaitng in-and-out of the team’s fourth line. Manson will immediately step back into the lineup when he’s back at full health, while Kiviranta will compete with Logan O’Connor and Parker Kelly for depth minutes.
Evening Notes: Kleven, Tippett, Ostlund
Defenseman Tyler Kleven is continuing to progress in his recovery from an upper-body injury sustained in April 2nd’s win over the Buffalo Sabres. He has now taken two practices with full contact and a face-guard and could be back in the lineup soon. Despite that, head coach Travis Green would neither confirm nor deny if Kleven was an option for Thursday’s Game 3 per TSN’s Bruce Garrioch. Meanwhile, Artem Zub remains out of practice since sustaining what appeared to be a lower-body injury in Saturday’s loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. Green did not have an update on Zub’s availability either per Sportscenter’s Claire Hanna.
It seems Ottawa will be forced to roll out the same blue-line that led them to a double-overtime loss on Monday. That will mean heavy minutes for usual stars Jake Sanderson and Thomas Chabot, as well as rising depth defender Jordan Spence who has taken over top-four duties in Zub’s absence. Nikolas Matinpalo should also stay up the lineup, though the Senators could rotate him with Lassi Thomson and Dennis Gilbert. Sanderson is the only Senators’ defenseman to score so far this postseason. He has two assists in as many games. So long as he can continue to elevate the blue-line, Ottawa stands a chance of hanging on against the Hurricanes.
Other notes from around the league:
- Top Philadelphia Flyers winger Owen Tippett missed the team’s Wednesday practice to nurse an injury that he has been playing through, head coach Rick Tocchet told NBCS’ Jordan Hall. He is expected to suit up for Wednesday’s Game 3 against the Pittsburgh Penguins despite the injury. Tippett has one assist in two playoff games so far, while Philadelphia holds a 2-0 lead over the Penguins. He should continue to line up next to Tyson Foerster and Trevor Zegras, maintaining a trio that has proven explosive in the early postseason.
- Buffalo Sabres rookie center Noah Ostlund could return to the lineup in Thursday night’s Game 3 against the Boston Bruins per Matthew Fairburn of The Athletic. Ostlund has not played since sustaining an injury in Buffalo’s March 25th matchup – an overtime loss to the Bruins. The rookie emerged as a reliable, fourth-line center for Buffalo. He played through his first NHL season and racked up 11 goals and 27 points in 60 games, to go with 10 points in seven AHL games. He should take on a fourth-line role over one of Beck Malenstyn, Joshua Dunne, or Jordan Greenway if and when he returns to full health. The decision of who to pull out of the lineup will be a delicate one for Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff, as the fourth-line has currently brought a lot of physicality to a hard-nosed matchup. Ostlund is still adjusting to NHL physicality and will be making his Stanley Cup Playoff debut when he makes it back into the lineup.
Bruins Interested In Owen Tippett
The Bruins have interest in Flyers winger Owen Tippett, according to a report from Anthony Di Marco of The Fourth Period. Di Marco also reports that the Flyers have identified Boston center prospects Matthew Poitras and Dean Letourneau as desirable pieces in a return, as well as defenseman Mason Lohrei. It’s unknown how close a deal has gotten or what the exact framework of talks has been, but Boston has checked in on Tippett’s availability “several times this season,” Di Marco writes.
Tippett, 27, was a first-round pick by the Panthers in 2017 and, after finding his way to Philly in the 2022 Claude Giroux deal, broke out as a consistent second-line scoring piece immediately upon his arrival. He’s never had a big breakthrough by any means but has been remarkably consistent over the past four years.
His points per game rates have fallen in a narrow window between 0.56 and 0.68 since 2022-23, with his goal-scoring rates per game even more precise between 0.26 and 0.36. He averages 16 to 17 minutes per game and has held consistently strong possession impacts, peaking with a relative Corsi For share of 2.3% at 5-on-5 this season.
Not only would Tippett be an immediate plug-and-play 25-goal scorer for a Bruins team with a top-heavy offense, but he’d come with a good deal of control. Tippett is less than two years removed from signing an eight-year, $49.6MM extension with the Flyers, which carries a $6.2MM cap hit.
He’s got six years left on that deal but has a modified no-trade clause kicking in on July 1 this year, affording him a 10-team no-trade list through the end of the 2029-30 season. Whether that would impede any future deal to the B’s remains to be seen, but it’s a factor to keep in mind if Boston identifies him as a must-have target.
The prospects Di Marco reports the Flyers have been eyeing are on opposite trajectories. After impressing out of camp in his age-19 season, Poitras – who the B’s are reportedly dangling in other talks – has yet to settle back into a full-time NHL role.
He dropped out of Boston’s top-five prospects before the season, according to NHL.com. The 2022 second-rounder is days away from his 22nd birthday and does have a 7-20–27 scoring line in 69 career NHL games, but the 6’0″ playmaker’s AHL production has regressed to 30 points and a -5 rating in 47 games this season after notching over a point per game in 2024-25.
Letourneau, however, has seen his stock take a meteoric rise this year. He was also left off NHL.com’s top five list and was ranked right at #5 by Daily Faceoff’s Steven Ellis last offseason. The gargantuan 6’7″ pivot was a controversial selection late in the first round of the 2024 draft right out of the Canadian high school system, and the criticism of the pick was only backed up by Letourneau managing just three assists in 36 games as a freshman for Boston College last year.
A night-and-day sophomore season now sees Letourneau producing over a point per game, ranking second on B.C. in scoring behind fellow B’s center prospect James Hagens with a 19-15–34 line in 31 games. That breakout, combined with that elusive size and skill combination, could very well make Letourneau check in as Boston’s #2 prospect behind Hagens at this point.
With his emergence in mind, that pair of prospects would be a substantial return for Tippett on their own – not to mention a defensively flawed but high-skill piece on the back end in Lohrei. Promising young centers will be the most valuable piece of most any trade, but especially to the Flyers, who have two top-nine pivots on the wrong side of 30 and their current fourth-line pivot, Carl Grundström, is a natural winger.
They do have some names in the system, like 2025 first-rounder Jack Nesbitt, but he’s having an offensively conservative post-draft season and was tabbed by most as a high-end third-line piece in the NHL anyway. That makes the prospect of adding a name with top-six ceiling like Letourneau especially appealing.
Metropolitan Notes: Tippett, Kuzmenko, Pelletier, Fabbro, Crosby
Flyers winger Owen Tippett has been ruled out of Philadelphia’s final two games before the 4 Nations Face-Off, notes Jackie Spiegel of the Philadelphia Inquirer. The 25-year-old suffered an upper-body injury last Wednesday against New Jersey and hasn’t played since. After setting new career highs last season offensively with 28 goals and 25 assists, Tippett has been a bit quieter this season with 14 goals and 20 helpers through 52 games although his 30 points still put him third on the team in scoring.
More from the Metropolitan:
- Also from Spiegel’s column, the Flyers are hoping that newcomers Andrei Kuzmenko and Jakob Pelletier will be available for Saturday’s contest versus Pittsburgh. The two were acquired from Calgary last Friday but are still in the process of securing a work visa. Neither player is presently on their 23-man roster so once they get clearance to suit up, Philadelphia will need to open up two roster spots before they can be activated. Moving Tippett to IR retroactively is one way they can free up one of the spots.
- The Blue Jackets will look into signing defenseman Dante Fabbro to a contract extension, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports in his latest 32 Thoughts column. The 26-year-old has fit in quite nicely since being claimed off waivers in November, putting up 13 points in 37 games with Columbus while logging over 21 minutes a night. Fabbro will be an unrestricted free agent this summer and with how well he has played with the Blue Jackets, he could be in line for a small raise on his current $2.5MM price tag.
- Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan told reporters including Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that more information about Sidney Crosby’s status should be known on Friday. He was injured on Tuesday versus New Jersey. Crosby is over the point-per-game mark for the 20th straight season and is set to be Canada’s captain at the 4 Nations Face-Off if the injury doesn’t force him to withdraw from the tournament.