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Sean Couturier

Flyers Notes: Van Riemsdyk, Couturier, Hayes, Injuries

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Winger James van Riemsdyk is one of the more prominent names left on the board heading into the trade deadline.  However, with a cap hit of $7MM, not many teams can get involved in the bidding, at least without the possibility of double retention.  To that end, Chris Johnston of NorthStar Bets and TSN reports (Twitter link) that the current asking price for the 33-year-old is a third-round pick.

Johnston adds that the Golden Knights, Jets, and Kraken are among the teams that have inquired about van Riemsdyk so far.  Notably, none of those teams have enough cap space to take on his contract outright while Vegas would need either a third team to get involved to be able to add him.  The veteran has nine goals and 14 assists in 41 games this season and will be an unrestricted free agent this summer.

More from Philadelphia:

  • Center Sean Couturier skated before practice today as he works his way back from his back injury, relays Olivia Reiner of the Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link). The veteran has yet to play this season but GM Chuck Fletcher acknowledged last month that there was a possibility Couturier could return before the end of the season.  At this point, the goal of a return would simply be to try to remove any questions about the possibility of the injury lingering into 2023-24.
  • The Flyers are open to offers for center Kevin Hayes, reports Sam Carchidi of Philly Hockey Now. The veteran is having a nice season with 17 goals and 32 assists in 61 games which would be appealing to many buyers.  However, his cap hit of $7.143MM through 2025-26 will make the 30-year-old difficult to move without considerable salary retention.  A trade involving Hayes is likely easier to make in the summer when other teams will be more willing to move a roster player back to help match salary.
  • Philadelphia has activated wingers Zack MacEwen and Tanner Laczynski from IR, notes Charlie O’Connor of The Athletic (Twitter link).  MacEwen has missed more than a month after undergoing surgery on his fractured jaw while Laczynski has missed the last three months with a lower-body injury.  If the Flyers wind up moving out some forwards today, MacEwen and Laczynski should be their replacements in the lineup, meaning no recalls would be needed from AHL Lehigh Valley.

Sean Couturier Could Return This Season

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It has been a tough season for Flyers center Sean Couturier.  After it looked like he’d be able to return earlier than expected from a back injury, he suffered a setback in October and eventually required surgery.  However, it appears he’ll have a chance of getting back late in the season as GM Chuck Fletcher confirmed to Sam Carchidi of Philly Hockey Now that they haven’t ruled out the veteran returning to the lineup:

He’s been progressing well. I know the surgeon is happy with the progress he’s made. As you ramp up the intensity of the on- and off-ice workouts, hopefully things continue to go as expected, and in that case, it would be great for him to come back this year and get some games.”

We’ll just have to see if there are things that slow down the recovery or not. That’s hard to predict, but right now he’s doing well. We’re certainly not on a fast-track with him. We do things very methodically. At the end of the day, it’s about the long-term and not this year.

When the 30-year-old underwent surgery in late October, the anticipated recovery timeline was three-to-four months so Couturier appears to be on track.  But with Philadelphia struggling for most of the year (they currently sit seventh in the Metropolitan Division), it was also a strong possibility that they just held him out for the season to err on the side of caution to avoid any concern about him sustaining another injury.

When healthy, Couturier has been one of the stronger two-way centers in the league and was rewarded for his efforts in 2021 with an eight-year, $62MM contract with 2022-23 being the first year of that deal.  Getting him back to top form would go a long way toward boosting Philadelphia’s lineup although that type of performance isn’t likely to come this season after being off for so long.  Even so, just getting him back and Couturier showing that he’s healthy would certainly be a welcome sign heading into the offseason.

Sean Couturier, James Van Riemsdyk Have Surgery

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As reported by Giana Han of The Philadelphia Inquirer, a pair of Philadelphia Flyers forwards underwent surgery recently. Center Sean Couturier underwent back revision surgery and will require three to four months of recovery. Winger James van Riemsdyk also had surgery on his left index finger and will miss six weeks. As reported, van Riemsdyk’s surgery was expected to have surgery earlier this week, however Couturier’s comes as a bit of a surprise. At the end of September, it was reported that Couturier would not require surgery on his back. Still, given the recent news that Couturier was not ready to start skating, today’s news gives some context as to why.

Generally, a star player having major back surgery that causes them to miss significant time would come as bad news, however for Couturier and the Flyers, this may be the start of bringing the star’s injury saga to a close. The former Selke winner missed significant time the last two seasons, playing in just 74 out of 138 possible games, including just 29 of 82 last season. His production hasn’t suffered in that time, recording 58 points in those 74 games while chipping in superb defense. Even if Couturier were to miss the maximum four months, it would put him on track for an early March return date which would be, all things considered, fantastic considering rumors that the 29-year-old could miss the entire 2022-23 season.

Van Riemsdyk, like his Flyers, had been off to a strong start to the season, but suffered an injury and left Sunday’s game against the San Jose Sharks early with an apparent injury. Though the surgery had been expected, a timeline for recovery remained unclear heading into the procedure, but with it complete, six weeks appears to be the magic number. Considering the 33-year-old’s status as a pending UFA, this injury is a tough blow not only for the team, but for the player. The veteran doesn’t seem to be the perennial 60-point player he was in his prime with the Toronto Maple Leafs, but has still shown the ability to get to tough areas to score all while being a team leader, two valuable assets to bring into free agency. Should Van Riemsdyk recover as expected and finish the season strong, he should be able to preserve his value in free agency.

With low expectations to start the season, Philadelphia’s strong start has been a welcomed surprise for the team and their fans, the team sitting at 5-2-0 coming into today. Losing one of its core veterans in Van Riemsdyk surely doesn’t help their cause, but a somewhat favorable timeline is a silver lining. With expectations that Couturier might be done for the season, the news that he could return later in the year is encouraging, especially if the team can remain in the playoff hunt. In the meantime, the absences will give opportunities to younger players to shine, as well as newcomers Lukas Sedlak and Kieffer Bellows, who were both claimed off of waivers recently.

Sean Couturier “Not Ready” To Continue Skating

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While the word setback wasn’t used, it sure seems like that’s what John Tortorella suggested when speaking about Sean Couturier today. He told reporters including Giana Han of the Philadelphia Inquirer that Couturier is “just not ready” to continue his rehab and has stopped skating for the time being. As Jordan Hall of NBCS Philly points out, the veteran forward recently said he was feeling good in his recovery while getting on the ice.

Couturier is not close to returning. Meanwhile, Cam Atkinson is “one frustrated young man,” who isn’t expected to be back anytime soon.

This will sound like the same old song and dance for Flyers fans who have lived in a world of injury setbacks and additional surgeries over the past few years. Ryan Ellis, last year’s offseason prize, played just three games for Philadelphia before ending up on the shelf, and then just one more before being shut down for the year. He hasn’t played at all this season.

Kevin Hayes underwent several surgeries to correct multiple issues and ended up playing in just 48 games. Even Nolan Patrick, the high draft pick that was supposed to help usher in a new era of Flyers hockey, could never get over his migraine and concussion issues to stay in the lineup on a consistent basis.

Couturier, arguably the team’s most important forward, only played 29 games last year. Despite his obvious injury concerns, the team signed him to an eight-year, $62MM contract extension in August 2021 – one that he is only just starting this season. The deal carries a cap hit of $7.75MM through 2029-30. Already 29, Couturier will turn 30 in December and now hasn’t played a full season in several years.

Hopefully, this setback only means that it will take him a little longer to return from his back injury. But with whispers in September of him missing the entire season because of the potential need for surgery, and now keeping him off the ice, there are bad vibes coming out of Philadelphia.

Injury Notes: Couturier, Oshie/Orlov, Blueger

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Good news for Philadelphia Flyers fans will be shining beacons of bright light this season, given the team’s expected poor performance on the ice. Good news is exactly what they got today, though, at least on the health front. Sean Couturier, when it was originally speculated he could miss the entire season with a back injury, returned to the ice today, albeit skating on his own.

Couturier’s status remains week-to-week. However, he said today that he’s “feeling a lot better,” and he could be on track for the six-to-eight-week timeline Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reported last month when the news broke. If that’s the case, Couturier could make his season debut sometime in November and hopefully stay healthy for the rest of the year. Nothing is confirmed, though, especially with an injury of a delicate nature such as a back ailment. Goaltender Felix Sandstrom, who is projected to serve as Carter Hart’s backup this season, also skated today after a week-long absence due to injury.

  • Per NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti, Washington Capitals forward T.J. Oshie is feeling “ready to go” after suffering an upper-body injury during the preseason, but he’s yet to be cleared by the team’s medical staff to return to play. His status for the team’s season opener on Wednesday night against the Boston Bruins. Defenseman Dmitry Orlov is in a similar situation with a lower-body injury, meaning Washington could be without a top-nine forward and top-four defenseman, at least for opening night. Those injuries are in addition to the absences of Nicklas Backstrom and Tom Wilson, who the team confirmed are headed for long-term injured reserve this morning.
  • According to Pittsburgh Penguins beat reporter Shelly Anderson, forward Teddy Blueger stayed in a no-contact jersey in today’s practice, lowering the likelihood of his availability for the team’s first game on Thursday. Blueger has been day-to-day with an upper-body injury since September 28. The capable Latvian bottom-six center had 28 points in 65 games last year.

Sean Couturier Will Not Require Surgery

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It appears as though the Philadelphia Flyers have avoided the worst injury outcome (at least for now) in regards to Sean Couturier. According to Chuck Fletcher, who spoke with reporters including Charlie O’Connor of The Athletic, the veteran center will not require surgery for his recent setback but remains out on a week-to-week basis.

There was some speculation that Couturier could miss the entire season when it was announced that he was dealing with a back injury again. This essentially rules that out, though fans of the Flyers who have gone through the Ryan Ellis saga over the last year won’t be satisfied until they see the Selke winner back on the ice.

Couturier, 29, missed all but 29 games last season, which became one of the reasons why the Flyers struggled so mightily. Losing him for this season would likely have the same effect, even if John Tortorella’s new coaching staff can get the best out of the rest of the roster.

One of the most dominant two-way players in the league a few years ago, Couturier hasn’t quite been himself since winning the Selke in 2020. If he can avoid surgery and get close to that level, the team will have a legitimate star at the top of the forward group to build around.

Unfortunately, even if there is no surgery required right now, back issues aren’t something that usually go away completely. Given Couturier is only just beginning an eight-year, $62MM contract extension, which will carry a $7.75MM cap hit through 2029-30, it’s hard to know how much value the Flyers are actually going to receive.

Sean Couturier Out Week-To-Week, Potentially Season-Ending

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6:10 PM: Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reports that the Flyers are “hoping” that Couturier’s back will heal in six to eight weeks. He also adds that if Couturier’s back doesn’t heal in that timeframe, surgery would be required, which would leave Couturier out for what Seravalli called a “significant period of time.”

5:00 pm: The Flyers have released an official statement on Couturier, confirming that he has an upper-body injury. His official status is week-to-week, although that shouldn’t discredit the reports of SanFilippo and Friedman.

3:55 pm: Philadelphia Flyers star center Sean Couturier has a herniated disk in his back that could keep him out for the entire 2022-23 season, reports Crossing Broad’s Anthony SanFilippo. It’s expected that Couturier will be out for at least several months.

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports the Flyers and Couturier are seeking out a second opinion to determine the exact nature of the injury. It’s unclear whether it’s the same issue that kept Couturier out for all but 29 games last season.

Couturier, now 29, has played just 74 games over the past two seasons after winning the Selke Trophy in 2020. The Flyers have certainly felt his absence, missing the playoffs in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 1993 and 1994. Given the state of the team now, especially without Couturier, it’ll be a third such season in 2022-23.

One of the league’s best defensive forwards, Couturier’s stock has risen astronomically over the past five seasons after a somewhat slow start to his career. Elevated in the lineup for the 2017-18 season, Couturier then enjoyed back-to-back 76-point seasons while playing over 20 minutes a game. Now the team’s uncontested no. 1 center with Claude Giroux gone from the team, he’s the heart and soul of the Flyers’ offense.

Significant back injuries in back-to-back seasons also don’t bode well for Couturier’s long-term future. If it’s another significant injury that requires him to miss the whole season, it becomes a question mark whether Couturier will be able to return to his previous level of play when healthy.

The Flyers have been busy adding forwards on the PTO market in the past few days, including Antoine Roussel and Artem Anisimov. Neither of them, even if they sign, would come even close to replacing Couturier’s crater-sized hole in the Flyers’ lineup. Kevin Hayes will have a huge role to play next season as the team’s likely first-line center for the foreseeable future after having 31 points in 48 games last season.

What might have been at least a mediocre season for the Flyers if everything went right now seems over before it even began. Without Couturier, it’s hard to imagine this edition of the Flyers finishing anywhere outside of the bottom-five teams in the league, if not bottom-three. It’ll be an incredibly challenging first season for new head coach John Tortorella, who’ll be tasked with reconfiguring the offense in Couturier’s absence.

Snapshots: Couturier, Hayes, Broberg

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Last season was filled with injury and disappointment for the Philadelphia Flyers but with a new head coach in town, they are ready to try again. One of the biggest question marks was the health of Sean Couturier, who underwent back surgery in February.

All clear, says the veteran center, who spoke with the media today and explained that while there were “a lot of ups and downs” in his recovery, he is fully healthy and cleared for training camp. Couturier played just 29 games last season, recording 17 points.

  • Not only that but Kevin Hayes is also fully healthy after his own surgery in January, telling reporters that he hasn’t had any other procedures since then – something that wasn’t clear given his recent history of re-injury. Hayes returned in March and played 28 games down the stretch, recording 22 points in them, to take his season total to 31. Charlie O’Connor of The Athletic expressed his optimism that Hayes can return to his previous form, given how well he played down the stretch.
  • There’s an interesting sight at the Edmonton Oilers informal skates, as Daniel Nugent-Bowman of The Athletic notes that Philip Broberg is mostly playing the right side. Part of that may simply be the absence of Cody Ceci, who Nugent-Bowman reports was not there today, but given how many left-handed defensemen will be in camp. Adding some familiarity on the right side may help Broberg establish himself as a full-time NHL player after splitting time between the Oilers and Bakersfield Condors last season.

Sean Couturier Out Rest Of Season Following Back Surgery

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The Philadelphia Flyers will be without alternate captain Sean Couturier for the remainder of the season after he underwent successful back surgery this morning. The procedure was performed by Dr. Jon Yoon at Pennsylvania Hospital. General manager Chuck Fletcher explained that the recovery period is approximately three months and the medical staff is confident Couturier will be back to full strength in time for training camp.

Fletcher explained that surgery is also potentially on the table for Ryan Ellis and Kevin Hayes, giving the latter a “50-50” chance to return this season.

The tenor of Fletcher’s press conference today was clearly one of defeat as he looks forward to next season. The 2021-22 campaign is basically already over for the Flyers despite them having played just 46 games. With a 15-23-8 record, major injuries to several key players, and a Metropolitan Division that contains several difficult opponents, the playoffs are off the table for the eighth-place Flyers.

Once again these announcements will lead to plenty of speculation about the future of Claude Giroux, who remains one of the top trade candidates in the league. The veteran forward is on an expiring contract and is now on a team that not only is losing games but also top players seemingly every few days.

For Couturier, his season is ending after 29 games and just 17 points. That’s the lowest total since his difficult sophomore campaign and will rob him of the chance of hitting 500 career points this year. A Selke winner in 2020, Couturier’s injury and absence have been some of the biggest factors in Philadelphia’s demise this year.

A back surgery, whether the staff expects a full recovery or not, is also a concern given the fact that Couturier signed a new eight-year, $62MM contract extension in the offseason. This was the last year of his discount deal and next year he’ll suddenly carry a cap hit of $7.75MM. Even with Giroux and others like Rasmus Ristolainen coming off the books, the team has more than $68MM committed to just ten players for 2022-23.

What Your Team Is Thankful For: Philadelphia Flyers

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In the spirit of the holiday season, PHR will take a look at what teams are thankful for as the season passes the one-quarter mark. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. We’ll examine what’s gone well in the early going and what could improve as the season rolls on for the Philadelphia Flyers.

What are the Flyers thankful for?

Their new coach.

It’s hard to gauge time with all the postponements, but the Flyers have only played eight games since firing Alain Vigneault on December 6. Since then, however, the Flyers have either gotten lucky or turned a corner, going 5-2-2 under interim coach Mike Yeo so far. The two regulation losses were their first two games under Yeo, a 7-5 loss to Colorado on December 6 and a 3-0 loss to New Jersey on December 8. Since then, they’ve yet to lose in regulation and have won by multiple goals in two of their five wins.

The defensive bleeding is starting to improve, albeit slowly. Philadelphia hasn’t allowed more than three goals since that Colorado loss.

Better goaltending this season will help the Flyers in the long run, and under Yeo, it looks like the team is starting to turn a corner in front of Carter Hart and Martin Jones. If Ryan Ellis can stay healthy later in the season, he’ll be a big help as well.

Who are the Flyers thankful for?

Cam Atkinson.

Not much was made of the Atkinson-for-Jakub Voracek swap this summer. It was a trade of ageing wingers who’d underperformed in recent years, and it allowed the Flyers to gain some salary cap flexibility for future moves. That trade’s paid dividends for both teams, though, especially the Flyers. Atkinson holds the team lead with 12 goals in 31 games and has the best +/- rating on the team by far (+13).

He’s on a 32-goal pace, which would be the third-highest total of his career. COVID hit right after his career-high 41-goal campaign in 2018-19, but he’s now already hit his 12-goal mark in 2019-20 and is only three goals shy of his 2020-21 mark. The +/- mark is especially impressive for a team that’s had the defensive struggles of Philadelphia. That +13 rating is already tied for the second-best in his career. It may be a stretch to say it’s a career season for Atkinson given the 41-goal mark, but it’s certainly one of his best.

What would the Flyers be even more thankful for?

Health and more production from Sean Couturier.

Philadelphia’s defensive struggles this year were exacerbated by a somewhat unexpected lack of scoring. Couturier’s still been as trustworthy as ever defensively, but after signing an eight-year, $62MM extension this offseason, he’s got just six goals and 17 points through 29 games. It’s not awful by any stretch, but he’s been hovering around a point-per-game for the past few seasons and the dip is somewhat concerning.

It won’t be happening anytime soon, though. Couturier was injured recently and team announced he’s now out week-to-week with an upper-body injury.

What should be on the Flyers’ Holiday Wish list?

A Rasmus Ristolainen deal at the trade deadline.

Philadelphia, barring a miracle, is extremely unlikely to make the playoffs. They are tied for ninth in the conference with the Bruins, but Boston has four games in hand on them. With other teams behind Philadelphia looking to make runs as well, it doesn’t seem like they’ll be able to pull away from the pack by the trade deadline.

The Flyers paid a pretty penny to acquire Ristolainen from Buffalo this offseason, but it just hasn’t worked out. He’s still struggled mightily in his own end, and he has just eight points in 29 games this year. The team needs cap space and assets, and shipping out Ristolainen in the last year of his deal would allow them to at least recoup some assets for the ill-advised acquisition.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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