The Flyers’ Shayne Gostisbehere may be ready for Devils, and injured Sean Couturier is skating

Defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere skated with his teammates Monday for the first time since he contracted the coronavirus, and there’s a chance he will return to the lineup Tuesday in New Jersey.

If he is ready — and there are indications he will be — he will replace the struggling Erik Gustafsson. Gostisbehere has missed the first six games.

“I feel really good and I’m thankful it didn’t hit me too hard,” Gostisbehere said after practice in Voorhees. “Hopefully, I’ll be good to go [Tuesday].”

After a solid training camp, Gostisbehere was diagnosed with COVID-19. He said that he was thankful he didn’t give the virus to anyone, and that he had a “great fiancee” who took care of him.

“For the last couple years, I’ve dealt with some adversity on and off the ice with injuries. ... It [stinks]; you want to be out there,” he said. “Hopefully I can just get back in the swing of things.”

At practice Monday, Gostisbehere was with Ivan Provorov on the top pairing.

In another development, top-line center Sean Couturier, who suffered a rib injury against Pittsburgh on Jan. 15 and is expected to be sidelined for a minimum two weeks, skated and did some drills Monday with skills coach Angelo Ricci.

Couturier said he was feeling better and trying to stay in shape. He said he has not set a timetable for his return.

“It was one of those hits I’ve taken probably 1,000 times [and not been injured],” Couturier said. “It just didn’t feel right.”

Couturier, the Flyers’ MVP the last two seasons, said he is able to “do normal things, like skating.”

“I feel like I can do a lot of stuff on the ice, but I can’t push it and have to let it heal,” he added.

The Flyers are 3-2-1 and have been badly outshot in each game.

Couturier said “we’re not playing that good. There are things we have to clean up in our game, but it’s early in the year and we’re going to make sure we fix those things.”

Brian Elliott will start in goal Tuesday against the Devils. He made 40 saves and blanked Buffalo, 3-0, in his last appearance.

Carter Hart has played the last two games, allowing 10 goals in that span.

Claude Giroux will surpass Bobby Clarke on Tuesday for most games played (611) in franchise history as the Flyers’ captain.