Philadelphia Flyers forward Rodrigo Abols was on the wrong end of a terrible spill during the first period of last Saturday night’s 6-3 loss to the New York Rangers at the Wells Fargo Center.
Abols attempted to play the puck along the boards, but ended up falling on the play. Unfortunately, his skate blade got caught up on the ice, twisting his leg in an awkward position.
The Philadelphia Flyers forward was unable to skate off the ice on own. The 30-year-old required assistance from teammates to leave the ice.
The injury comes at an unfortunate time as the Flyers have hit a major skid. Philly has lost six in a row, going 3-6-1 in their last 10. The loss of Abols only further complicates matters. Per medical expert, Dr. Harjas Grewal, Abols could miss at least eight weeks due to what looks to be an ankle fracture.
The news comes on the heels of goalie Dan Vladar landing on IR and Tyson Foerster’s long-term injury earlier this season.
Abols’ injury leaves a hole in the Flyers’ fourth lane. To plug the gap, the club recalled Lane Pederson from the Lehigh Valley Phantoms to take over for Abols.
In the meantime, there is no firm timeline for Abols’ return to the ice. But judging from Dr. Grewal’s opinion, the prognosis could be Abols missing significant time for the Flyers.
Abols to Miss Olympics
Abols’ injury not only affected the Flyers’ roster situation. Team Latvia announced on Monday that Abols had been replaced on their official Olympic roster, CBS Sports reported.
The move doesn’t come as a surprise. The Flyers placed Abols on IR, listing him as week-to-week. Considering the eight-week timeline for the Latvian forward to return to the ice, Abols could be back in the fold at some point in late February or early March.
That situation has to be a disappointing prospect for Abols. This year’s Olympic appearance would have been a major milestone for the Flyers forward. Abols has been a regular for Latvia in international play. Last spring, he played three games for his native country, scoring two goals in the IIHF World Championship.
Abols also played three games for Latvia as part of the Olympic qualifiers. He notched two goals and two assists to help the Latvian side earn an Olympic berth.
Flyers May Need to Consider Depth Options at Trade Deadline
With Abols out for about two months, the Flyers may need to consider depth options. Up until their current losing streak, Philly was in a playoff spot. If the Flyers still view themselves as a playoff team, they may need to consider depth options in case of further injuries.
Assuming Abols returns after the Olympics, the Flyers will have up until the March 6 trade deadline to determine if more help is necessary. If Abols can’t return, the club may need to find a suitable option for the remainder of the season.
The only caveat here is if the Flyers fall completely out of contention. In that situation, the Flyers may roll with internal options to ride out the season.
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