Foerster has lower-body injury, Flyers hope to have him back by weekend

Foerster has lower-body injury, Flyers hope to have him back by weekend originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

VOORHEES, N.J. — Tyson Foerster was not on the ice at morning skate Monday after taking a puck to his right foot two days ago in the Flyers’ 3-2 win over the Kraken.

The team said his lower-body injury is minor and it’s hoping to have him back by the weekend. After hosting the Coyotes on Monday (7 p.m. ET/NBCSP) and visiting the Maple Leafs on Thursday (7 p.m. ET/NBCSP), the Flyers head outdoors for the 2024 Stadium Series. They face the Devils under the MetLife Stadium lights Saturday (8 p.m. ET/ABC).

Foerster blocked Jamie Oleksiak‘s shot with 1:50 minutes left in Saturday’s game as the Flyers nailed down their third straight win. The rookie winger was seen favoring his right foot after the play.

The 22-year-old has been playing well on a line with Ryan Poehling and Noah Cates coming out of the extended break. In three games, the trio has combined for four goals and two assists, while the Flyers have outscored opponents 9-4.

“He has been playing great hockey,” Poehling said about Foerster after morning skate. “He’s a great player. He plays fast, he plays hard, he plays the right way. You know where he is at all times. I thought we were playing well together.”

The Flyers went with 11 forwards and seven defensemen against Arizona.

More: Flyers rally in third period to beat Coyotes, win fourth straight

Travis Sanheim filled in for Foerster on the Flyers’ second power play unit, which also featured Cam York, Cam Atkinson, Morgan Frost and Scott Laughton.

In his team’s win over Seattle, John Tortorella went back to the traditional 12 forwards and six defensemen. But without Foerster, they have further reason to play 11 forwards and seven defensemen. Since the addition of Jamie Drysdale last month, the club has had more depth on the back end.

“We’re not going to go away too long from 11 and seven just because I have to play the defensemen,” the Flyers’ head coach said at morning skate. “There are eight D that I really want to play.

“There are going to be seven D on there most of the time unless something happens at the [trade] deadline. We’re not moving away from 11 and seven too much. It’s not like I want to do it that way; it’s kind of a necessity now when we made that deal with Jamie.”

The Flyers are fortunate Foerster won’t miss a significant period of time. The 2020 first-round pick has arguably the best shot on the team and has been very reliable in his 200-foot play.

“I saw something, just like his analytics on defense are so good,” Joel Farabee said after morning skate. “You really watch for that kind of stuff. For a guy playing his first year in the NHL, he does all the little things away from the puck really well and I think that helps his game a lot, too.

“It’s one of those things when he scores one, he tends to get a lot more chances right after. He’s a really big part of the team. Obviously he blocks a shot at the end there. He kind of plays like a veteran in a way with just the little things he does away from the puck. I think that’s a reason why he’s having a lot success in the NHL right now.”

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