Flyers' Andrew MacDonald to miss 4-6 weeks; will Brandon Manning or Samuel Morin replace him?
Andrew MacDonald apparently injured his knee blocking a shot in Saturday's 2-1 win over Edmonton. He has been on the team's top defensive pairing, alongside Ivan Provorov.
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Defenseman Andrew MacDonald will miss four to six weeks with an apparent knee injury, and the Flyers might turn to Samuel Morin to take his roster spot.
We should know at Monday's practice in Voorhees.
The 6-foot-7, 227-pound Morin played well enough to make the team in training camp. He stuck with the Flyers for the first four games — it was a precautionary measure because Shayne Gostisbehere health was in question — but he did not play and was sent to the Phantoms.
In five games with Lehigh Valley, Morin has a goal, three assists, and a plus-3 rating.
MacDonald had his best game of the season in Saturday's 2-1 win over visiting Edmonton. He blocked six shots and — together with defensive partner Ivan Provorov, played a major role in shutting down Edmonton superstar Connor McDavid.
The 31-year-old MacDonald was injured blocking a Milan Lucic shot in the third period.
If Morin is recalled, he might be paired with Travis Sanheim. The two were partners with the Phantoms last season.
In that scenario, the right-handed shooting Radko Gudas, who has been Sanheim's partner, might be paired with Provorov.
The Flyers have other options, such as inserting Brandon Manning into the lineup. If they opted for the hard-nosed Manning (plus-3 in three games), they might leave Morin in the minors because they want him playing and not being an extra player.
Should the Flyers opt for Manning, they might recall Mark Alt (five points in seven games, plus-6) or Moorestown's T.J. Brennan (three points in four games, plus-3) as an extra defenseman. Brennan, however, has been battling an undisclosed injury. Phil Myers, a righthanded-shooting defenseman, has also been sidelined with an injury.
The Flyers (5-3) will host Anaheim on Tuesday in the final game of their five-game homestand. They have won three of four games on the homestand.
Oddly, all three of the Flyers' losses were against teams directed by former Philadelphia coaches. They lost twice to Nashville, coached by Peter Laviolette, and to John Stevens-coached Los Angeles.