Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Helge Grans exited Thursday night’s preseason matchup against the Boston Bruins with a lower-body injury.
The exact issue and the moment it happened weren’t immediately clear. Grans was on the ice for only two shifts, totaling 1:29 of ice time, but he still managed to make a quick mark. He picked up a secondary assist on Matvei Michkov’s goal a little more than four minutes into the first period, giving him his first point of the preseason.
By the time the second period began, Grans was no longer on the bench.
It was his second preseason appearance. Grans also played in Philadelphia’s first game after training camp opened Monday, finishing at minus-2 in a 5-2 loss to the Washington Capitals.
The 24-year-old is trying to make a case for himself this preseason and show Flyers management he can still carve out a place in the NHL. He hasn’t appeared in a big-league game since the 2024-25 season, when he skated in six contests for Philadelphia and recorded one assist with an even rating.
Most of Grans’ last five years in North America have been spent in the American Hockey League. Originally selected by the Los Angeles Kings in the second round of the 2020 NHL Draft, the Swedish defenseman is entering his fourth season in the Flyers organization after coming to Philadelphia in the three-team trade that sent Ivan Provorov to the Columbus Blue Jackets in June 2023.
Across 298 regular-season AHL games, Grans has produced 21 goals and 57 assists for 78 points, plus five points in 16 Calder Cup Playoff games. He is now entering the second season of the two-year contract he signed in May 2025. That deal was a two-way contract last season before converting to a one-way contract for 2026-27, and it carries a cap hit of $837,500.
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