The Flyers are two preseason games into the schedule, and they’ve already had a player leave injured in each one. That is not the kind of trend anyone wants to see in late September.
The latest scare came Tuesday night when Dan Vladar went down after a routine dump-in on net in the first period. Vladar, who was recently named a Top 10 goalie in the league by the NHL Network and signed a five-year, $27.5 million extension with the Flyers in July, fumbled the puck and left a rebound sitting in front. As he reached to push it away, Tanner Jeannot drove the net and made contact with Vladar’s right arm.
Vladar exited the game with what the Flyers described as an upper-body injury, which leaves plenty of room for worry and very little actual information. From the outside, it looked like a shoulder issue of some kind, though that’s only a guess.
The concern got louder after Dr. Harjas Grewal posted this assessment: “Concern would be a shoulder dislocation/subluxation (partial dislocation) for Vladar
MRI tomorrow combined with exam will help determine plan. If can rehab, will be week-to-week but if surgery is necessary will be 4-6+ months out”
That’s the kind of update that makes a preseason injury feel a lot bigger than preseason should ever allow.
The Flyers’ other injury concern is Denver Barkey, who got hurt in Monday night’s preseason opener. Barkey was carrying the puck into the offensive zone when Martin Fehérváry delivered an awkward hit that sent him into the boards. He left shortly after with what the team is calling a lower-body injury.
Rick Tocchet doesn’t sound especially alarmed, though. Charlie O’Connor reported that Tocchet said Barkey is day to day and strongly suggested it isn’t serious.
Tocchet put it plainly: “I don't want to put myself out here (saying it's not serious) and then he's out for four months. But it's not going to be for four months.
It's just day to day.”
So Barkey appears to have avoided the worst-case scenario, which is a relief. Vladar’s situation is still the bigger question, and the Flyers are suddenly hoping to get through the last two preseason games without adding anybody else to the list.
In Other News...
Flyers Suddenly Face A Goalie Worry They Couldnt Afford
The Flyers goaltending picture took an unwelcome turn in the first period of a preseason game against the Bruins, when Dan Vladar exited with an upper-body injury. It was the kind of scare Philadelphia could not afford this early in camp, especially with Vladar expected to be part of the clubs plans heading into the season and with every look in exhibition games carrying extra weight.
Aleksei Kolosov took over for the rest of the night, but the bigger concern now is what comes next for Vladar and the teams depth chart. Philadelphia will monitor him through training camp before deciding whether he will be ready for the regular-season opener, leaving the Flyers with an uncomfortable wait at a position where stability matters from the start. [Read more 🡒]
Flyers May Have A Michkov Fit Danny Briere Can't Ignore
Kirill Marchenko has become the kind of name that naturally surfaces when a team is looking for more bite up front, and the Flyers fit that description as well as anyone. Philadelphia has been trying to keep pushing its forward group forward, and Marchenkos scoring track record with Columbus makes him an obvious player to monitor as Danny Briere keeps looking for ways to add offense and balance to the roster.
The intrigue only grows because Marchenko has already fueled some of the speculation himself, even if he stopped well short of saying anything definitive about where he might be playing next. Columbus has had its own share of roster uncertainty, and trade rumors around the Blue Jackets have only kept the focus on whether a deal might eventually make sense for both sides. For the Flyers, it is the sort of situation worth watching closely, especially when a player who could help their attack is sitting right in the middle of it. [Read more 🡒]
Flyers Roster Crunch Just Put One Veteran Battle In Focus
The Flyers are in the middle of trimming their roster and, as usual at this stage of camp, the decisions are getting more revealing. Brek Liske and Maksim Sokolovskii were among the prospects sent back to junior hockey earlier, and the club is now trying to preserve flexibility while sorting out which players are ready to stick for the regular season.
A batch of veterans has now been pushed into the waiver process, which underscores how crowded the picture remains as the final spots come into focus. One name in particular stands out because he had been practicing in a more NHL-facing role, and his situation could matter if the Flyers need more room for a younger winger who is not fully set for opening night. [Read more 🡒]