Lecavalier out 3-4 weeks
Vinny Lecavalier will miss the next 3-4 weeks with a non-displaced fracture in his lower-back.
Vinny Lecavalier underwent an x-ray in Dallas, and the Flyers didn't like what the images showed.
So, they shipped Lecavalier back to Philadelphia yesterday to undergo an MRI and have the results read by a team physician. They were equally discouraging.
Lecavalier will miss at least the next three to four weeks with a non-displaced fracture in his lower-back, according to Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren. The injury was suffered late in the third period against Nashville on Nov. 30.
It apparently did not affect Lecavalier in the shootout, as he scored the Flyers' only goal to help deliver an extra point with the assistance of Steve Mason.
Lecavalier has missed the last three games with what the Flyers originally labeled as back spasms.
He will require rest, Holmgren said, before the Flyers can pursue a more aggressive treatment plan. The earliest Lecavalier could return is Dec. 30 in Vancouver, barring a breakthrough in health.
A non-displaced fracture is one that the bone cracks either part or all the way through, but does not move and maintains proper alignment.
Lecavalier, 33, has missed 7 games this season for the Flyers. He has not played a full season since 2009-10 with the Lightning. The Flyers are 2-5-0 without Lecavalier - who is tied for the team lead in goals (9) - this season.
For the meantime, Holmgren said the Flyers will try to make due with their current roster as assembled.
"I'd say we're probably going to get by as is," Holmgren said. "He does play a big role on our team. It's hard to replace a guy like that. You've just got to hope that other guys pick it up. There's opportunities for other players to perform now that maybe wouldn't gotten as many minutes with Vinny in the lineup. You've got to look for other guys to step up."
The Flyers will re-call a forward from AHL Adirondack in time for Monday's game in Ottawa to serve as an extra body on the road trip. That player was not yet announced.
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