Flyers get devastating news on defensive front
GM Ron Hextall said he would explore the trade and free-agent market, and that he expected to make a callup later today.
The Flyers' already-thin defense got even thinner Friday, when it was announced that Braydon Coburn (left foot) and Andrew MacDonald (lower-body) would miss about four weeks because of injuries.
They are the Flyers' top D pairing.
GM Ron Hextall, whose team is allowing 3.71 goals per game (28th in the NHL), said he would explore the trade and free-agent market, and that he expected to make a callup later today.
"There's not a lot out there, and the guys that are out there, you're worried if they haven't played and what kind of shape they're in," Hextall said.
Mark Alt's nameplate was on a locker in Voorhees, but Hextall said no decision had been made (yet) to recall the Phantoms' defenseman. (wink, wink)
He did not rule out recalling Shayne Gostisbehere, but made it sound like a longshot, saying it was "a shame" he only had two AHL games under his belt this season. The implication: He needs more seasoning.
Coburn has missed the last six games, and was close to returning in Chicago Tuesday before suffering a setback.
The Flyers host Detroit on Saturday night, and, assuming Alt is recalled, the pairings will probably look like this: Mark Streit and Nick Grossmann; Luke Schenn and Michael Del Zotto; and Nick Schultz and Alt.
BTW, Alt's dad, John, was a standout offensive left tackle with the Kansas City Chiefs, playing there for 13 seasons.