Philadelphia Flyers’ Sean Couturier out 6-8 weeks with back injury

Philadelphia Flyers center Sean Couturier has suffered another back injury, and will be out for 6-8 weeks as a result.

Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher said in a statement that they will re-evaluate Couturier’s status during training camp. The team is hoping that Couturier’s back will heal in the 6-8 week timeframe they have set, but if not, surgery will be required, which could see him miss a significant amount of time.

It is reportedly in the same area as the back injury he suffered during the 2021-22 season, however the team and player are currently seeking a second opinion on whether or not this is the same issue or a new one. His injury last season also required surgery, and put him on the shelf for the rest of the season. As a result, Couturier only played 29 games, with six goals, 11 assists, and 17 points in that span.

Couturier spoke with the media last Monday about his recovery during the offseason, at a time when he believed he was going to be starting the season healthy.

“My intensity, when I started getting intense again and pushing myself, there were some setbacks here and there,” Couturier said. “Nothing to worry, everything’s coming back to normal. It was longer than I thought. I’m a guy that usually wants to get back out there quicker than I should be. This one was a little more frustrating because I had to be patient and not push it too hard and make sure I was healing it the right way. Now it’s good, though, so I’m excited.”

However, it goes to show how drastically things can change, with the injury reoccurring since then.

Losing the 2020 Selke trophy winner is a big blow for a Flyers team looking to rebound from a disastrous 2021-22 season. They made a few moves in free agency, bringing back defenseman Justin Braun, as well as signing Tony DeAngelo and Nic Deslauriers. However, their biggest move comes from behind the bench, as they hired John Tortorella to be their head coach.