Couturier was forced to leave Friday's game with a mid-body injury and did not return. An MRI on Saturday revealed a Costochondral separation, which sounds horribly painful (Google it). Missing two weeks will cost Couturier at least the next seven games. While this is a brutal blow for the Flyers they have some of the best centre depth in the NHL and are built to withstand this loss.
Couturier was forced to leave Friday’s win over the Penguins with a shoulder injury and will get an MRI on Sunday to reveal the severity of the damage. The Flyers are off until Monday, so he may not miss time if it isn’t too serious but expect the Flyers to provide an update in the next 48 hours.
Juulsen was a first-round pick (No.26 overall) in 2015 but only played in 44 NHL games since. Juulsen has dealt with headache issues in recent years, last year playing just 13 games with Laval (AHL). Still, he is just 23-years-old and has a bright future as long as he can stay healthy and on the ice.
Thompson has been making his rounds in recent years, as he lands with his sixth team in five years. The 36-year-old provides almost no offence but will serve as a fourth-line centre and is a quality penalty-killer.
The Maple Leafs made it know that they wanted to get tougher to play against heading into 2021 and Simmonds brings some goal-scoring and toughness to the lineup. He's not the 30-goal scorer he used to be and will be a bottom-6 forward in Toronto but has averaged 14 goals, 17 assists (31 points) and 157 hits per 82 games over the last two seasons.
Juulsen missed most of the 2019-20 season with concussion-like symptoms that stemmed from a facial fracture that he suffered after being hit in the face with the pick in September. He had three assists in 13 AHL games and will likely start 2021 with Laval (AHL) after the promotion of Alexander Romanov and the addition of Joel Edmundson.
Couturier was hurt in a collision with Mathew Barzal late in the second period and did not return for the third. Head coach Alain Vigneault did not have an update on Couturier's status on Wednesday but said that he was "still being evaluated." Consider Couturier a game-time decision for Game 6.
Sandin was a 23-year-old undrafted free agent out of Sweden. The centre spent the last three years in the Swedish Elite League and is coming off of a year where he led HV71 Jonkoping in goals (19) and was second in points (36).
Seeler and Lucas Carlsson have been alternating games over the last month and Seeler will come out tonight vs. the Sharks after dressing for the last two games.
