Flyers Notes

An ultrasound exam revealed that the Flyers' left winger is suffering from two small hernias and will be sidelined indefinitely, the team announced.

General manager Paul Holmgren said the Flyers' medical staff would meet with Gagne today to "discuss all options." At that point, the Flyers should know how long Gagne will be sidelined.

It sounds as if surgery is forthcoming.

"That's an option. Whether it's the realm we go, I'm not sure," Holmgren said before last night's 4-2 loss to the Capitals.

Holmgren said Gagne's hernias were not related to off-season hip surgery or to the groin problems he experienced in the summer. He suffered a groin injury in the off-season and aggravated it during Team Canada workouts in late August.

Gagne, 29, missed the beginning of training camp - the Flyers "gave him more time than even he thought he needed," Holmgren said - and was slow finding his form when the season started. He failed to score in his first seven games, the longest season-opening drought of his career.

The discovery of the hernias explains why Gagne hasn't had much zip this season. He has just one goal in nine games.

With Gagne sidelined indefinitely, the Flyers will be missing three players who combined for 86 goals last year: Gagne (34), Mike Knuble (27) and Joffrey Lupul (25). Knuble signed with Washington as a free agent, and Lupul was dealt to Anaheim in the trade that brought defenseman Chris Pronger.

Coach John Stevens said the Flyers would give more power-play time to some of their younger players, such as Claude Giroux and James van Riemsdyk, to make up for the loss of Gagne. With Blair Betts close to returning from a dislocated right shoulder, it will help give the Flyers more balance on their lines.

"The other guys have to step up," Stevens said. "A guy like Giroux is probably going to get more offensive time on the power play, and James has had some time there. We've had a lot of guys capable of killing penalties, and if Bettsy gets healthy, he can help give us another centerman to take face-offs."

Betts is expected to take contact at tomorrow's practice and could return Saturday against Carolina.

"It has to be like in the past, and we get contributions by committee," Stevens said.

Last year, Danny Briere was in and out of the lineup with groin and abdominal injuries. Because of that development, Stevens was asked if the Flyers would err on the side of caution before bringing Gagne back.

"If you turn the clock back, it wasn't the fact [that Briere] was playing that was an issue," Stevens said. "They just kept trying to find an answer to what was going on. It wasn't until he got in an intense training program that he kind of got it behind him. When Gags is able, we need to get him into a big-time, intense training program to play at the level that we all know he can."

There were no immediate plans to recall a player from the Adirondack Phantoms.

Holmgren said the Flyers do not have interest in free-agent winger Brendan Shanahan.

Breakaways. Giroux began last night on a line with Mike Richards and Scott Hartnell. . . . In the last four years, Gagne has undergone three operations to repair hip and groin problems. He missed 56 games because of a concussion two years ago. . . . Entering last night, the Flyers were 5-1-1 when they scored first and 0-2 when they did not.

- Sam Carchidi