Gostisbehere shut down for the season?

Flyers prospect Shayne Gostisbehere began practicing with the Phantoms nearly a month ago, hopefully the final step in his rehab from a torn ACL suffered in November.

A strange situation has since developed, with Gostisbehere and Phantoms coach Terry Murray saying the Flyers' top defensive prospect has been shut down for the season.

Flyers general manager Ron Hextall rebutted those quotes from the Allentown Morning Call.

"It is better for my long-term future and gives me a chance to get completely healthy and stronger and ready for next year," Gostisbehere told the Morning Call.

"That decision has not been made," Hextall said after the Flyers' win over the Blues. "Now that it's out there, I will tell you that we've talked about it, but until we go through the whole process and get all the information and he has his final doctor's appointment, we'll make that decision."

Hextall said he has "absolutely no idea" why Murray would say that Gostisbehere has been shut down for the season.

"I haven't talked to 'Murph,'" Hextall said. "We're going to talk and straighten it out."

Gostisbehere, 21, skated in two games with the Flyers on Oct. 25 and 28. He was sent back to Lehigh Valley, where he suffered the knee injury on Nov. 7.

The original plan was for Gostisbehere to return to action in late February or early March, which has not happened yet. Gostisbehere is due for another doctors appointment in approximately two weeks. Hextall said there has not been any sort of setback.

"It's an injury that there's new information coming out every year on it. Stuff that's come out recently, we're leery on putting him in at this point," Hextall said. "But again, two weeks, how things go, we'll make a decision at that point. He's not going to be playing in the near future, I can tell you that. But yeah, it's been talked about, and yeah, it's a possibility."

On Twitter: @frank_seravalli