The Philadelphia Flyers will be without the services of blossoming forward Sean Couturier for the next four weeks, Flyers GM Ron Hextall announced on Friday. And while the Flyers' playoff hopes under first-year head coach Dave Hakstol weren't exactly high, the news that Coots will miss the next 14 games or so certainly puts a damper on their postseason chances.
Couturier missed three games for what was then deemed an unspecified lower body injury, but was able to return for the Flyers' last two contests. And while Hextall wouldn't give fresh details on the injury, he did admit that it was the same issue that had sidelined Couturier previously.
"It's the same injury," Hextall said, per CSN Philly. "I'm not sure there was a play. It just got to the point where he could not play anymore.
"This is nothing serious and nothing that will affect Coots down the road. In terms of the injury, if you had to pick one to be out four weeks, there is no lasting effects of this."
It's certainly good news that Couturier's injury isn't of the long-term variety, but his absence over a crucial stretch of the season means bad news for the Flyers playing meaningful hockey well into the spring.
As Sam Carchidi of Philly.com noted, the Flyers are just 2-6-1 without Coots in the lineup this season. They're 21-12-7 with him.
Couturier, long considered one of the best defensive forwards in the league, has been asked to shoulder more of the offensive load in Philly this season. If the Flyers are to turn around their struggling group in coming seasons, players like Couturier and Brayden Schenn are going to have to continue developing their game in the opponent's zone.
Couturier seemed well on his way to taking that next step in his maturation process, having collected 9 goals and 24 points to this point in the season. Considering Couturier's highest goal total of his career is just 15, he looked well on his way to reaching a new personal best.
It won't be easy to replace Couturier's impact in the lineup - he and Schenn had been playing well together - but any fans hoping it may result in a trade can probably give up on that desire now.
"It's not the news we wanted but that is the way life goes," Hextall said. "Again, we have a resilient group and got to continue with that. Coots is a big part but other guys have a chance to step up and get more minutes. Take the ball and roll with it."
