The Flyers got one encouraging injury update Wednesday, and one much less reassuring one.
Dan Vladar’s status appears far better than it looked Tuesday night, when the goaltender left the preseason game against the Boston Bruins after taking contact in front of the net. Vladar had started against his former team and was expected to handle the first 40 minutes before Aleksei Kolosov took over for the third period. Instead, Vladar was forced out in the latter half of the opening frame, and Kolosov finished the game in goal.
There still isn’t a diagnosis, but head coach Rick Tocchet said Wednesday at practice that the Flyers “dodged a bullet” with the injury. Vladar is being treated as day-to-day, and while his status for Wednesday’s season opener is still uncertain, the update was clearly better than the initial scare.
Denver Barkey’s situation, though, is trending the other way.
The young forward left Monday’s preseason opener against the Washington Capitals after taking the opening draw in the second period and did not return because of a lower-body injury. He got back on the ice Wednesday for the first time since then, joining the non-Flyers group on the Phantoms sheet in a non-contact jersey before moving to a different rink for some solo skating ahead of Flyers practice.
On Thursday, Barkey was again on the ice with the non-game group in the same yellow jersey. He had not been listed on Thursday’s roster and was described as day-to-day, with a possible chance to play in Saturday’s preseason finale.
But that changed quickly once he started drills. Barkey appeared to tweak something and left the ice early.
The severity is still unknown, but the timing makes it hard to see him as an option for Saturday. The Flyers will want him back at full strength before the regular season opens.
That leaves the spotlight on Cole Knuble, who brings a similar style and is battling for the final roster spot. If Barkey remains out for the opener, Knuble could have a path to making his NHL debut.
The Flyers are back on the ice Thursday against the Boston Bruins in their first home game of the preseason, with puck drop set for 7:00 PM ET at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
In Other News...
Flyers Are Still Chasing The Impact Forward This Roster Needs
The Flyers are still in the market for the kind of forward who can change the shape of a roster, with Dave Pagnotta saying on SiriusXM NHL Network Radio that the club remains interested in adding a star-caliber piece. Philadelphia has the cap room to work with and enough young talent it believes can keep growing, which gives the front office some flexibility as it keeps looking for ways to push the team closer to playoff status.
And this is not a case of a team passively waiting for the market to break its way. The Flyers have already shown a willingness to take a swing for a bigger-name addition, and the pursuit of impact help is still very much part of the plan. For a club trying to speed up its timeline, the search for that difference-making forward remains one of the more important storylines around the roster. [Read more 🡒]
Flyers Preseason Test Could Start Sorting Out Key Roster Battles
A mostly NHL Flyers lineup gets a useful preseason stress test against the Bruins, and for a team still sorting out the edges of its roster, these are the kinds of games that matter. Philadelphia will be without injured Dan Vladar and Denver Barkey, but the lineup still has plenty of names worth tracking, with Cole Knuble, Jett Luchanko, Matvei Michkov and Nikita Grebenkin all expected to be in the mix.
The night also carries a little extra weight in goal, where Joseph Woll is set for his first full game with the Flyers. Grebenkins return adds another layer of intrigue after his injury absence, giving the coaching staff another look at a player who has been out of game action since March 21 of last season. For a preseason meeting, there is more than enough here to start separating who is pushing for jobs and who still has more work to do. [Read more 🡒]
Flyers Roster Battle Gets Real In First Home Preseason Test
The Flyers get their first home preseason test at Xfinity Mobile Arena against the Boston Bruins, and the roster mix should give this one a little extra edge. It is the kind of early exhibition that can still tell a lot about where players stand, with veterans trying to establish a rhythm and prospects looking to show they belong in the conversation before the lineup picture tightens.
Joseph Woll is expected to handle the net as Dan Vladar remains day-to-day, which adds another layer to a game that already has a roster-battle feel. For fans watching on NBC Sports Philadelphia or listening on Rock 104.1, it also offers the first chance to see Matvei Michkov in preseason action, a detail that only sharpens the interest around a night that could shape a few roles going forward. [Read more 🡒]