Flyers GM Gives Injury Updates on Joel Farabee, Bobby Brink, Patrick Brown and Others

Philadelphia Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher gave several injury updates as the team began training camp Thursday.

Some of the news was encouraging, some was crushing.

Left winger Joel Farabee, who had neck surgery in the offseason, skated during Day 1 of Camp Torture, but is not allowed to have contact yet.

Still, the news was upbeat from Fletcher.

Farabee 22, “is making good progress in terms of when he’ll be cleared for contact,” Fletcher said. “That’ll probably depend on how he feels in the skating portion and practice portion of camp.”

“That’s the first time I’ve heard that. I like it!” says ⁦@NHLFlyers⁩ RW prospect Wade Allison when told Torts says he wants to play the kids. pic.twitter.com/z8e1fmtLSL

— Sam Carchidi (@BroadStBull) September 22, 2022

After his session, Farabee addressed the media.

“I feel really good,” he said. “Obviously, I’m constantly talking with my doctor and the guys here, and I can’t confirm yet what my timeline looks like. For right now, I feel really good. I’ve been lifting quite a bit, and getting on the ice for the last month, so I’m definitely getting my body to where it needs to be.”

PHN: Flyers’ Ryan Ellis Expected to Miss Season

Farabee recounted how he was injured, causing him to have the unusual surgery.

In his first week back in the gym after the season, Farabee said, he was warming up and racking up a “really light” bench-press set of 90 pounds. Farabee “reached back and I felt a really weird pinch in my neck. From there, I was having a lot of nerve pain, so I went and saw my doctor back home, and then ended up coming here a few days later and talking to the guys here.”

He underwent an MRI, and a couple weeks later, the surgery was performed.

Bad news

Fletcher delivered bad news on Ryan Ellis — who is likely out for the season — and was waiting for results of Sean Couturier’s examination with a back specialist Thursday.

In other injury news, center Patrick Brown had offseason back surgery and is considered week to week. That means Artem Anisimov and Tanner Laczynski are the main contenders for the Philadelphia Flyers’ fourth-line center spot at the beginning of the season.

Patrick is skating but hasn’t been cleared for contact.

Bobby Brink, a diminutive right winger who led the NCAA in points while playing for national champion Denver last season, is rehabbing at the Training Center and is expected to be ready to play in December or January, according to Fletcher.

He had hip surgery in July after being injured while working out.

The Flyers are hopeful Brink, 21, can start an on-ice rehab program in a week or two.

Ryan Fitzgerald, 27, a center/left winger, suffered a lower-body injury while skating in Boston recently and has not resumed skating, Fletcher said.

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— Sam Carchidi (@BroadStBull) September 22, 2022