Yesterday, the Philadelphia Flyers began to have reason to worry. Just before the second rookie game versus the New York Rangers, reports arrived regarding injuries.
The first was from Anthony SanFilippo, stating Samuel Morin suffered a “significant knee injury.” The good news is the rumor was dispelled by former Flyer Riley Cote, and more importantly, Morin. During a text exchange between Cote and Morin, the conversation played out as follows:
At least Philadelphia fans can seemingly breathe a sigh of relief regarding Morin, but what about Wade Allison?
Truthfully, the actual extent of Allison’s injury has not yet been confirmed. Alain Vigneault will address the team tomorrow. Hopefully, by then, we’ll have more clarity on Allison’s status. Until then, here’s what we know:
During the second period, Allison took a hit on the boards. He had to crawl and slide himself to the bench before being helped to the training room. The area of concern is one that haunts Allison from a previous injury. At Western Michigan, Allison tore his ACL. No matter the severity, the Flyers need to plan for a longer recovery time due to Allison’s leg injury history.
An Action Plan
Hopefully, Wade Allison returns during the Philadelphia Flyers 2021-2022 Training Camp. If not, there’s a real possibility that he’ll be left off the opening night lineup.
With that said, would it make sense to call up Linus Sandin? Maybe. He is waiver exempt, so he could come and go as Chuck Fletcher sees fit. The argument becomes: how valuable is a small sample size of NHL ice time versus a long stretch in the AHL? Since Sandin becomes a restricted free-agent at the end of the upcoming season, there isn’t a risk to see what he can do.
Against the New York Rangers rookies, Sandin totaled three points on Saturday. Two were goals, matching the amount posted by Tyson Foerster. The other, an assist on a Foerster goal. This highlights continued growth from his 2020 campaign with Lehigh Valley, in which he amassed 10 points through 26 games.
Sandin spent part of last season on the taxi-squad. During the 2021 Flyers Development Camp, it was apparent that he wanted to give it another go in the Philadelphia system. His patience could pay off if Allison misses significant time. He was one of the better forechecking forwards participating in the rookie games versus the Rangers.
When Allison is ready to return, his spot will likely be available, but it’s worth seeing Sandin debut at the NHL level.
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