Despite injury woes, Flyers' prospect remains upbeat

Bad luck seems to follow center Cole Bardreau, but the good-natured 23-year-old Flyers prospect manages to keep an upbeat attitude.

With three Flyers centers playing in the World Cup, this was supposed to be a training camp where the scrappy Bardreau would get a longer look and a chance to impress the brass.

Bardreau will miss training camp, however, after recently undergoing surgery to repair a torn lower abdominal muscle. He has been skating at the Flyers training facility in Voorhees but isn't expected to be ready to play until mid-October, when he figures to join the AHL's Phantoms.

"Just a little bump in the road," he said after Friday's workout.

Bardreau, 23, knows all about bumps in the road. In 2013, he fractured his neck while playing for Cornell and was nearly paralyzed. The injury occurred a short time after he and Shayne Gostisbehere helped Team USA win the World Junior Championships.

A grueling rehab followed that injury. He also missed 21 early-season games last year with Lehigh Valley because of two different injuries.

Now he's doing another rehab stint.

"I didn't feel right while I was working out and training toward the end of this summer," said Bardreau, explaining his latest injury. "Unfortunately, it required surgery."

Bardreau, who had 13 goals and 17 assists in 54 games with the Phantoms last season, has been skating and stickhandling the last two days. "I'm trying to keep my hands semi-decent so that when I come back, I'm not chopping wood out there," he said with a smile. "I'm working on my hands so when I come back, I don't look like an idiot."

Though he is eager to return, Bardreau acknowledged he has to "take it slow and not rush back and cause further problems."

The Fairport, N.Y., native said his goal last season was "to make an impact with the Phantoms. This year, it was to get a few (NHL) games in, but at the end of the day, I have to take the positives out of it. I can get in the weight room, get my strength back. Take the positives and keep moving forward."

The 5-foot-10, 193-pound  Bardreau thinks the Phantoms will be a much-improved team.

"They went out and made a lot of good signings, which, for me, is awesome because I want to win. I'm a competitive guy," said Bardreau, who toward the end of last season centered Taylor Leier and Colin McDonald. "It's been a struggle down there a little bit, so hopefully we can make a run for the playoffs and make a run for the Calder."

On a personal note, Bardreau still has aspirations of making his NHL debut at some point this season.

"I'm hoping to make some big strides this year, get back healthy and get a few sniffs with the big squad and show I can play on that level," he said.