Flyers recall Jacob Gaucher, signaling captain Sean Couturier could miss time after exiting Thursday’s win
The team captain did not return following the first intermission after he was hit by a puck early in the game. He skated another four full shifts after he was hurt.
The Flyers may be without their captain for a bit.
Sean Couturier did not return after the first intermission Thursday night against the Nashville Predators because of an undisclosed injury.
Friday, the team recalled Jacob Gaucher from Lehigh Valley of the American Hockey League and sent down defenseman Emil Andrae in a corresponding move.
An undrafted center who has also spent time during his career in the ECHL, Gaucher made his NHL debut last season with the Flyers and skated in four games. He had a strong camp and has a goal and two points in eight games for the Phantoms this season. Andrae played on Thursday after being recalled on Tuesday and skated a few ticks above 15 minutes.
With 14:37 left in the opening frame, Couturier took a sharp wrister by defenseman Noah Juulsen off his body. He was spotted on the broadcast in pain on the bench and was seen by head athletic trainer Tommy Alva.
However, Couturier skated another four full shifts, including two well over a minute. A key penalty killer, he was on the ice after getting hit by the puck for a 59-second shift when Jamie Drysdale was called for hooking Jonathan Marchessault. He was also on the ice for the final three seconds of the period when Bobby Brink was called for a late penalty.
After the game, coach Rick Tocchet said he did not have an update, but confirmed the injury came off a shot from the point. “We’ll evaluate. Can’t tell right now,” he added.
Couturier has been off to a solid start, entering Thursday with two goals and nine points in the first nine games. Under new coach Rick Tocchet, he had been averaging 19:35 of ice time. It is the most since the 2021-22 season, when he played 29 games before undergoing two back surgeries, missing the entire 2022-23 season.
» READ MORE: Sean Couturier goes down, but the Flyers battle to send Nashville out and win third straight