It was mostly great news coming out of Philadelphia last night when the Flyers defeated the Nashville Predators to improve their record to 6-3-1. However, the lone blemish could be a big one, as captain Sean Couturier was forced out of the game due to an undisclosed injury.
Head coach Rick Tocchet didn’t have any updates post-game and the Flyers have yet to comment on the situation today. However, considering Couturier left in the first period and was unable to return in any capacity after the fact, doesn’t make it sound promising.
With the Flyers hosting the Toronto Maple Leafs tomorrow night and then the Calgary Flames on Sunday, they decided to get ahead of the situation by recalling forward Jacob Gaucher from the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
In a corresponding move, they loaned defenseman Emil Andrae back with the club needing a forward for insurance purposes and already housing 7 able-bodied defensemen. Tocchet was very complimentary of his play, and his demotion seemed to have more to do with his waiver exemption than anything else, per PHLY’s Charlie O’Connor.
Couturier was injured early in the first period after taking a shot from defenseman Noah Juulsen from the point. He stayed in for the rest of the period but was unable to return. The Flyers reportedly remain positive that it isn’t a serious injury but he is still being evaluated.
It will be difficult to replace Couturier’s position in the lineup as a top-6 centre with 9 points in 10 games, all the while averaging 20:35 ATOI – with the exception of last night’s abbreviated appearance. However it will require all hands on deck from the other centres like Noah Cates and Christian Dvorak, as well as Trevor Zegras, who at times was centering Matvei Michkov and Owen Tippett last night.
As for Gaucher, this will be the 24-year-old’s second stint with the big club after having made 4 appearances last year. He scored 20 goals and 38 points in 70 games for Lehigh Valley last year and has 1 goal and 1 assist in 8 games thus far.
Expect lineup shuffles for tomorrow’s contest against the Maple Leafs if Couturier is unable to suit up. Toronto has made some of their own as they are expecting Calle Järnkrok, William Nylander, and Chris Tanev to return from their injury hiatuses and have even reunited Auston Matthews with Matthew Knies on the top line with Nylander filling the RW void.
Couturier’s status probably won’t be revealed until tomorrow, but if he is out due to injury, he’ll join goaltender Samuel Ersson on the sidelines after he was placed on IR yesterday due to a lower-body injury. The Flyers have also been without the services of Rasmus Ristolainen, who continues to rehab from triceps surgery.
