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

Philadelphia Flyers center Sean Couturier suffered another back injury and will be out for 6-8 weeks.

Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher said in a statement that they will reassess Couturier’s status during training camp. The team hopes that Couturier’s back will heal within the 6-8 week timeframe they have set, but if not, surgery will be required which could cost him a lot of time.

It is believed to be in the same area as the back injury he suffered in the 2021-22 season, but the team and player are currently seeking a second opinion to find out whether or not it is the same problem 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 during that span.

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

« My intensity, when I started getting intense again and pushing myself, there were setbacks here and there, » Couturier said. « Nothing to worry about, everything is back to normal. It was longer than I thought. I’m a guy who usually wants to come back faster than I should. This one was a bit more frustrating because I had to be patient and not pushing him too hard and making sure I healed him the right way. Now it’s okay, so I’m excited.

However, it shows how drastically things can change, with the injury recurring ever since.

Losing the 2020 Selke Trophy winner is a blow for a Flyers team looking to bounce back from a disastrous 2021-22 season. They made some 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.