Just as things were looking up for the Philadelphia Flyers health-wise, they were given the unfortunate news that forward Tyson Foerster will miss the next 2-3 months due to an upper-body injury.
The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz was the first to report the news shortly before the Flyers’ announcement.
Foerster, who had already scored a power play goal in the second period of Monday’s 5-1 loss against the Pittsburgh Penguins, suffered the injury on a one-time attempt. He immediately felt the severity of the injury and went straight to the locker room, grabbing his shoulder.
Foerster was having a fantastic season for the Flyers to date with 10 goals and 13 points in 21 games. His tally last night was also his third power play goal of the season, he had also been averaging a career-high 17:27 TOI, and collected 18 blocked shots and 20 hits as well as 8 takeaways.
His presence in the lineup was a massive boon for the club and head coach Rick Tocchet, who will now have to shuffle his lines with such a key player sidelined for the foreseeable future.
Potential call-ups from the Lehigh Valley Phantoms will include a shortlist of Alex Bump, Anthony Richard, and Carl Grundström. Richard leads the team with 7 goals and 17 points in 17 games, he’s followed by Bump who paces the team with 12 assists and is second with 16 points, and Grundström is just behind them with 6 goals and 15 points.
Bump was expected to battle for a roster spot on the Flyers heading into training camp but underwhelmed just a little bit, which led him to being a roster casualty and starting the season in the minors. It’s a move that worked in his favour, as the Prior Lake, Minnesota native hasn’t looked out of touch in the professional ranks.
Richard has had a few stints with the Flyers over the past few seasons and could get another look should they want someone with a bit more experience. Grundström could also be an option after he was recalled earlier in the season. He made one appearance and went without a point in 10:17 TOI.
As for Foerster, it’s going to be a long journey to get back into game shape. He entered the offseason with the potential of missing the start of the regular season due to an infection on his elbow. He made a speedy recovery and became a key point in the Flyers attack – as well as their strong start to the season.
It will be all hands on deck as they look to replace his scoring prowess, despite being in the lower-third of the NHL’s ranks in goals scored. Only time will tell how things will unfold, but our next opportunity to see them in action will take place on Wednesday when they host the Buffalo Sabres.
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