Sean Couturier (undisclosed) was a victim of friendly fire on Thursday during a win, 4-1, versus the Nashville Predators. During the first period, a shot from Noah Juulsen found him instead of Juuse Saros or the back of the net. Couturier tried to continue, but left for the rest of the game after a few more shifts on the ice.
Down a forward, other centers had to either pick up an extra shift or double up on their shift time, sometimes sticking around for a little too long.
Rick Tocchet doesn’t believe the injury will be long-lasting; however, Couturier is under evaluation. He’s not on the injured-reserve list, which could mean his injury receives a day-to-day designation.
“It was a shot from the point. So, we’ll evaluate. [We] can’t tell right now.” – Rick Tocchet; 10/30/2025
Earlier today, Jacob Gaucher was recalled from the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. He’ll fill in on the fourth line, centering wingers routinely consisting of Garnet Hathaway at right wing, and either Nikita Grebenkin or Nicolas Deslauriers at left wing. To make room for him on the Philadelphia Flyers’ roster, Emil Andrae returned to the Phantoms. Tocchet went on record to state Andrae has ‘solid’ in his performances during the 2025-2026 NHL Regular Season. His return to Lehigh Valley has more to do with his waiver-exempt status, though he’s looked better on the ice than Egor Zamula and Adam Ginning, who would have to clear waivers.
To accentuate the lineup, Tocchet has a few options when inserting Gaucher into the lineup, and how it affects the absence of Couturier. One example includes Trevor Zegras, who could center the first line with Owen Tippett and Travis Konecny. That’ll make Christian Dvorak the center of the third line, with Rodrigo Ābols and Matvei Michkov. Another option is to promote Tyson Foerster, Noah Cates, and Bobby Brink to the first line, then allow Ābols to center Tippett and Konecny, which wouldn’t break up Zegras, Dvorak, and Michkov.
Tippett-Zegras-Konecny
Zegras is deserving of an uptick in minutes on the first line. He’s dynamic, which would drive production with Tippett and Konecny on the wing. There’s no doubt he would have short-term chemistry with Konecny while Couturier is recovering.
He leads the team in points (12; 4G, 8A). That kind of production is coming out of line, centered by Dvorak with Michkov as his running mate along the opposite wing.
What would be the hesitation in directly replacing Couturier with Zegras?
Unfortunately, Zegras is supplemented in a hybrid role on the third line with Dvorak because he struggles at the faceoff dot. That alone hinders Tocchet from committing to Zegras as a center rather than a left winger. The only center he has a better faceoff percentage than (of the skaters who typically assume that role for their line) is Cates. However, as a whole, the Foerster, Cates, and Brink line is the most ‘connected’ in the Flyers’ lineup.
Moving Zegras to the top line means he has to take on the faceoff responsibility. He’ll become a center, likely playing the most minutes, and he’ll push point production, but through the flow of a game, particularly against offenses in the top half of the NHL, puck possession is sacrificed at the faceoff dot. Hockey chemistry is crucial to winning games, especially against opponents with more firepower. A prime example would be tonight, when Philadelphia hosts the Toronto Maple Leafs.
‘If it ain’t broke, then don’t fix it,’ is a wise adage. The Flyers are playing well enough to rank in the top half of the NHL Standings. The urge to split up Zegras, Dvorak, and Michkov should be fought, especially when there’s another method to address an absence in this lineup.
Foerster-Cates-Brink
This is the hottest line in Philadelphia.
No matter how you slice it, the line featuring Foerster, Cates, and Brink is the most reliable line the Flyers have in their lineup. Tocchet routinely praises them, and Couturier previously admitted to taking the line as an example after defeating the Florida Panthers:
“I think we took them [Tyson Foerster, Noah Cates, Bobby Brink] as an example of how to support each other, how to forecheck. Just better chemistry; we’re more on the same page, where guys are backing each other up, and not worried to step in and try to turn pucks over when you know your guys [are] backchecking and recovering for you. It helps a lot. As a five-man unit, we played better.” – Sean Couturier; 10/13/2025
It doesn’t stop at even-strength hockey. Philadelphia scored power play goals in three consecutive games. Not only are the Flyers on a win streak, but they’re also streaking on the man-advantage. Which unit is responsible for the streak? The second unit, which mostly consists of Foerster, Cates, and Brink.
Simply moving Foerster, Cates, and Brink while not disrupting Zegras, Dvorak, and Michkov makes all the sense in the world. So, if you do that, who centers Tippett and Konecny?
What About Ābols?
One player who defines ‘scoring depth’ because of the areas he gets to and the chances he creates is Ābols. Sure, he is a center who could play left wing, so there’s a suggestion to put him where Zegras is to allow Zegras to center Tippett and Konecny. However, Ābols is a faceoff machine. He’s winning 67.7% of his draws, which translates to Philadelphia being a better puck possession team, like Tocchet wanted from the onset of the 2025-2026 NHL Regular Season.
Suddenly, the Flyers aren’t breaking up forward lines with established chemistry. They’re just giving Ābols a chance to win more faceoffs, which means more opportunities for Tippett and Konecny in the offensive zone. Additionally, Ābols presents a sizable net-front presence. Moving him to the top-six of the lineup not only aligns him with Tippett and Konecny (if Foerster, Cates, and Brink become the first line), but he’ll also generate traffic in front of goaltenders for the likes of Cam York, Travis Sanheim, and Jamie Drysdale. If there’s a rebound chance or a play to be made under the hash marks, Ābols is a sturdy center to come up with a scoring chance.
The emphasis on puck possession and winning faceoffs is vital, especially as Philadelphia enters its first back-to-back of the 2025-2026 NHL Regular Season. Additionally, Sam Ersson (lower body) will not be in the lineup when the Flyers host the Calgary Flames. That duty belongs to Alexei Kolosov, and keeping the puck out of the defensive zone will go a long way towards playing efficiently in front of him.
In all, here’s how I present the forward group while Couturier is absent:
Foerster-Cates-Brink
Tippett-Ābols-Konecny
Zegras-Dvorak-Michkov
Grebenkin/Deslauriers-Gaucher-Hathaway
No line chemistry is sacrificed, and puck possession is emphasized.
