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Andrew MacDonald’s injury could open door for Phil Myers, Christian Folin at Flyers’ camp

Andrew MacDonald will miss the first two weeks of the Flyers' regular season because of an unspecified injury, opening the door for players like Christian Folin and perhaps Phil Myers.

Flyers defenseman Andrew MacDonald battles Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby in front of the net during last season's playoffs as goalie Brian Elliott makes the save.
Flyers defenseman Andrew MacDonald battles Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby in front of the net during last season's playoffs as goalie Brian Elliott makes the save.Read moreSTEVEN M. FALK

The Flyers announced Sunday that defenseman Andrew MacDonald will miss training camp and probably the first two weeks of the regular season because of an unspecified injury.

That will open the door for someone like rookie Phil Myers to make the team in camp. Rookies will report Monday in Voorhees, veterans on Friday.

MacDonald, expected to be on the Flyers' second defensive pairing, suffered a lower-body injury during an offseason workout and will miss about six weeks, according to general manager Ron Hextall.

Christian Folin, 27, signed as a free agent in July, might fill MacDonald's spot, but he will get competition from players like Myers, Reece Willcox, T.J. Brennan, and Mark Friedman.

Folin, a native of Sweden, is a righthanded shooter who has spent four seasons in the NHL. In 65 games with Los Angeles last season, the 6-foot-3, 205-pound Folin had three goals, 10 assists, and a plus-1 rating. He led the Kings with an average of 2.6 hits per game and averaged 15 minutes, 35 seconds of ice time.

MacDonald, 32, was used on the first and second pairings last season, and he finished with six goals, 21 points, and a plus-8 rating in 66 games. He blocked 131 shots, placing him second on the team.

MacDonald was one of the Flyers' few steady defenders in their six-game playoff loss to Pittsburgh, collecting two goals and an "even" rating.

The Flyers' young defense is expected to include Ivan Provorov, Shayne Gostisbehere, Radko Gudas, Travis Sanheim, Robert Hagg, and Folin.

The Flyers will open their season Oct. 4 in Vegas,