According to a team announcement, the Philadelphia Flyers have placed forward Tyson Foerster on the injured reserve, retroactive to November 1st. Philadelphia has recalled defenseman Emil Andrae from the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms in a corresponding roster move.
Despite eventually returning to the game against the Toronto Maple Leafs, Foerster’s lower-body injury is from blocking a shot from Auston Matthews. He missed yesterday’s game against the Calgary Flames and won’t be eligible to return on November 12th against the Edmonton Oilers.
The Flyers have already felt the impact of Foerster’s absence. Although the team is 6-4-0 in their last 10 games, they have lost two straight. Foerster, along with his linemates Noah Cates and Bobby Brink, has been the best forward unit for Philadelphia this year. The fourth-year winger has scored four goals and seven points in 11 games, averaging 18:18 of ice time per contest.
Replacing Foerster in the lineup, although indirectly, will be Andrae. The former second-round pick has already skated in two games for the Flyers this year, going scoreless. In fact, earlier in October, a report from Anthony Di Marco of Daily Faceoff indicated that Philadelphia may actually look to trade Andrae at some point this season.
Unfortunately, the Flyers’ schedule won’t get any easier without Foerster. The team will match up against the Montreal Canadiens and Ottawa Senators in his absence, both of whom sit ahead of Philadelphia in the Eastern Conference standings. Still, despite being in last place, the Flyers are only one point removed from a Wild Card spot, highlighting how important the next month will be for playoff positioning.