After being scratched for two straight games, forward Travis Konecny returned to the lineup against the St. Louis Blues on Monday night. He would then suffer an injury in the game and would not return. The team announced today that Konecny will be out 4-6 weeks with a lower-body injury.
Per #Flyers GM Ron Hextall, forward Travis Konecny will be out 4-6 weeks with a lower-body injury → https://t.co/iAvVGDZ2XH
— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) February 7, 2017
Travis Konecny Out 4-6 Weeks
Konecny had recently been finding himself in and out of the lineup. After returning on Monday night, he would play just over eight minutes before taking a hard hit against the boards in the second period. That would be the end of his night. This is the first injury that the young rookie has had during his first season in the NHL.
Konecny has seven goals and 15 assists in 51 games. His 22 points are good for fifth on the team. The injury is coming at a time where the Flyers need the scoring that Konecny has been able to provide. The team has been shutout in back-to-back games.
With this injury, Matt Read will be checking back into the lineup. The Flyers will also likely be calling someone up. With Read checking back in, the team has no extra forwards.
There are a couple of candidates that the team could look at. Konecny has primarily seen time on the wing so Greg Carey is a player the team may look at. In 45 games, Carey has 22 goals and 12 assists for the Phantoms.
If the team decides to just call up any player, Scott Laughton could see his return to Philadelphia. Laughton had previously been unable to crack the Flyers lineup full time. With the Phantoms he has 10 goals and 11 assists in 31 games.
One other option the Flyers could go with is Jordan Weal. Weal is also another player that hasn’t been able to crack the NHL lineup. He was acquired in the deal that sent Vincent Lecavalier and Luke Schenn to the Los Angeles Kings last season. In 42 games he has 15 goals and 30 assists, good for second in the AHL.
Nonetheless, the Flyers will have a big hole in fill in their lineup and will have to figure out what approach they would like to take. Konecny will likely be out until about mid-to-late March. With the team currently hanging on to the last wild card spot, they will need to figure things out fast.
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