Travis Konecny and Owen Tippett back in Flyers’ lineup vs. Utah Mammoth
The two veterans were activated off injured reserve on Sunday. Konecny missed the past 10 games with a lower-body injury, and Tippett missed six with an upper-body injury.
As the calendar flips to a new month, and the Flyers try to turn the page on a miserable start to their season, they will get two key cogs back.
After returning to full practices late this week, Travis Konecny and Owen Tippett are back in the lineup and will dress against the Utah Mammoth on Sunday (4 p.m., NBCSP).
“Obviously, in the room helps,” coach Rick Tocchet said. “Even on the ice, steadiness. Especially when teams are making presses at us, you get a couple of veteran guys that [are] good in our own end, can kind of make a play out or something like that. Calm the waters down, so that helps.”
Tocchet said there will be no restrictions with their ice time.
The two veterans were activated off injured reserve on Sunday afternoon. Konecny missed the past 10 games with a lower-body injury, and Tippett missed six with an upper-body injury.
» READ MORE: Flyers send Hunter McDonald to Lehigh Valley. Did that create space for Travis Konecny and Owen Tippett to return?
“It’d be a huge boost. I think they’re on-ice play speaks for itself, but it’s just more older guys in the room,” said winger Porter Martone.
“TK has been a huge leader, speaking from my personal [experience], before I was even on this team, someone that I got to meet and kind of look to. And Tipp, just the way he plays, his speed, and he’s always got a good voice in the room, too. So if they can both come back, that’d be huge for our group, and we’ve really been missing them.”
Konecny has led the Flyers in scoring for six of the past seven seasons and has three assists in five games this season. Tippett was the team’s leader in goals last season with 28 and had a goal and an assist in his first nine games.
An alternate captain and vocal leader, Konecny will be back on a line with Christian Dvorak and Trevor Zegras. Tippett skated with Denver Barkey and Tyson Foerster.
To open roster space, Jacob Gaucher was loaned to Lehigh Valley of the American Hockey League on Thursday, and defenseman Hunter McDonald went down Saturday.
The loss of McDonald directly impacts the physicality of the Flyers. Between his first game of the season on Oct. 19 and Friday, he was tied for seventh in hits (21) in the NHL alongside several players, including former Flyers forward Garnet Hathaway.
Will the Flyers pick up their physicality in response?
“I hope so,” said Tocchet. “I think we can add more physicality to our team. I don’t think one individual [impacts it]. Obviously it does help, but definitely we can have another notch of physicality in defending the puck.”
And what was the message to McDonald, who also drew seven penalties during his time in the NHL — tied for the most in the NHL in that timeframe — but is one of a handful of players who are waiver-exempt, making for an easy move?
“It’s a numbers game. It comes to that; that’s really what it comes down to,” said Tocchet. “That doesn’t mean he won’t get called up. I think [general manager Danny Brière] just needs time to sort a few things out.”
