Discomfort keeping Giroux out after ankle laceration

The inadvertant skate of Hurricanes defenseman Justin Faulk did not sever any tendons or arteries on Claude Giroux's left ankle. It did, however, dig just deep enough to keep the Flyers' captain off the ice for a few days longer than expected.

Giroux did not participate in a full-team practice on Monday, with the team citing his discomfort wearing a skate on top of the laceration. Giroux was apparently saved by the use of cut-resistant, kevlar-reinforced socks used under his equipment.

"It's a discomfort issue," GM Ron Hextall said. "That's good and bad, I guess. We wish he wasn't uncomfortable, but that's where he's at. As soon as he can put his skate on and go to work, he'll go to work. It's possible he plays (Tuesday), but that's about the most information I could give you."

Coach Craig Berube said Giroux did not have a setback.

"I think it's more probably just a mental thing and it's about him feeling comfortable," Berube said. "I think it's about the training staff doing what they can to get him ready. There's no special potion, that's for sure."

The good news for the Flyers is that they did not feel the need to place Giroux on the short-term injury list, retroactive to Jan. 2, which would have kept him out until at least Saturday. That means Giroux is relatively close to playing, or else the Flyers would not have risked losing Ryan White on waivers.

They placed White on waivers on Monday, making him susceptible to a claim by 29 other teams before noon on Tuesday. White, 28, recently completed a three-game conditioning stint with the Phantoms last week. He has been out since August, when he suffered a torn pectoral muscle in an offseason workout in Manitoba. 

Hextall could have also placed defenseman Carlo Colaiacovo on waivers, instead of White.

"The feeling was, obviously when you look at this, you have different options," Hextall said. "It's just that Ryan hasn't played in a long time. He played OK in his three games, but he needs to play some games. He'll go back to the Phantoms as of right now (if he clears waivers)."

On Twitter: @frank_seravalli