Injury Updates
Joel Farabee Misses Flyers Practice for ‘Maintenance’
Just two games into the season, Philadelphia Flyers winger Joel Farabee was absent from practice due to what was ascribed to a “maintenance day,” per head coach John Tortorella.
Farabee, 24, has one goal and one assist in his two games this season but is averaging a career-low 13:50 of ice time so far.
The two-time 20-goal scorer’s absence is at least slightly concerning, given that the Flyers were off on Sunday and had a light practice on Monday before traveling to Edmonton.
“He’s just a little banged up, maintenance, but I’ll tell you, I think Joel Farabee played well,” Tortorella said after practice on Monday.
Does that minor injury update mean that Farabee will still be able to play against the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday night? Tortorella was less certain of that possibility.
“I have no idea.”
Tortorella also spoke to the success of the second power-play unit, one of which Farabee has been an important part.
Rookie Jett Luchanko, who sat out Saturday’s game against Calgary, is poised to return to the lineup and help get that unit back on track, but it is unclear if he’ll do so with or without Farabee alongside him.
“Rocky’s been up my ass, right?” Tortorella added. “He wants to try to keep them together. I want to try to stay with it. When we sat Jett, that kind of screwed up the second one. But, I’m going to try to stay with the units and see if we can get some cohesiveness as we go through it.”
Luchanko and Farabee have played on the same line for most of training camp, the NHL preseason, and Game 1 against Vancouver, so one player’s return to the lineup and another’s potential exit could have further implications for the power play and other line combinations.
The Oiler faithful are very uneasy lately…Oilers are not playing up to their abilities…hope Flyers can extend that for another game tonight.