Charlie O’Connor of The Athletic is reporting that Nicolas Deslauriers of the Philadelphia Flyers didn’t attend today’s optional practice. Deslauriers didn’t play in the Flyers 5-4 win over the Minnesota Wild last night and is listed as day-to-day with an upper body injury. Deslauriers was supposed to be re-evaluated today, but no word yet if he will dress in Philadelphia’s game tomorrow evening against the Detroit Red Wings.
The 32-year-old Deslauriers has five goals and six assists in 70 games this season while playing just over ten minutes a night on the fourth line. His signing last summer was one of the more baffling moves that any team made as the Flyers elected to give a four-year contract with a modified no trade clause to a player that has never been able to score or remain in the lineup.
In other Flyers injury news:
- Jordan Hall of NBC Sports Philadelphia is reporting that Owen Tippett has been banged up this week and didn’t attend Flyers practice today. Tippett left practice earlier in the week, and when asked about it coach John Tortorella said Tippett was “Not serious, nicked up.” Tippett has taken massive strides this season for the Flyers after coming over from the Florida Panthers in last year’s Claude Giroux trade. Tippett has a career high 39 points in 66 games and has looked every bit the top-6 winger the Flyers hoped they were getting when they dealt their former captain.
- Olivia Reiner of The Philadelphia Inquirer tweeted that Sean Couturier and Travis Konecny were both present at Flyers practice today and wearing regular contact jerseys. Couturier hasn’t played in over a year after having two back surgeries in less than nine months. The 30-year-old center has had a long road to get back and while it is encouraging to see him practicing with the team once again, it is unknown if he returns to game action in what has been a lost season for the club. Konecny on the other hand has been out since suffering an upper body injury in late February in a game against the Calgary Flames. Konecny had been having a stellar season with 54 points in 52 games before he was put on injured reserve. It was a bounce back season for the 26-year-old after struggling to score in the two seasons previous. Should Konecny return to the lineup soon, he will likely eclipse the 30-goal plateau for the first time in his career.
Bring them all back and see what they can do together