The Flyers have not yet determined a course of action for Gagne - surgery is a potential option - and therefore have no timetable for his return.

"I can't really say for sure," general manager Paul Holmgren said about possible surgery for Gagne. "We need to sit down and talk with Simon about the whole thing going on here. It is an option, yes. But whether that's the realm we go, I don't know right now."

Gagne was not available for comment yesterday.

Gagne, 29, has been placed on the injured reserve retroactive to Monday, but has the option to be placed on the Long Term Injured Reserve (LTIR) which would force him to miss at least 10 games and 24 days. If he is placed on the LTIR, Gagne's $5.25 million salary would come off the salary cap and enable the Flyers to bring in another high-priced player.

Gagne's injury is the same one that forced Danny Briere to sit 53 games last season.

Gagne told the Flyers - while he was mired in his longest goal-scoring drought to start a season - that he "didn't feel right," but Holmgren said that he would be fine once he scored a goal.

Gagne did that on Saturday night against Florida, scoring his first goal in eight games, but didn't finish Sunday's loss to San Jose because he told the coaching staff he didn't have the power to push in his stride.

Holmgren said from what he understands, Gagne's injury is not related to either his hip surgery on May 28 or the groin that he strained in Hockey Canada's Olympic camp in August.

"We handled Simon very carefully this time," Holmgren said. "Coming back to our training camp [from Canada], we made an effort to give him more time than even he thought was needed. I think this is just a totally different thing."

Flyers coach John Stevens doesn't think playing, or returning too soon, hurt Gagne. He said that it wasn't a premature return that plagued Briere last year, either, even though Briere entered and exited the lineup multiple times.

"If we had to turn the clock back, I don't think it was Danny playing that was the issue," Stevens said. "We were trying to find an answer to what was going on.

"I'm glad that maybe they found something that may be limiting [Gagne] from playing at the level that we all know he can play at. If you don't know what the problem is, it's hard to find a solution."

Stevens said he preferred Gagne to be out now - when the games are a little more spaced out - rather than a month like March when the Flyers play 16 games in 31 days.

"While you prefer that he doesn't miss any time, sometimes that's a good thing; he's not missing games even though he's missing time," Stevens said.

The Flyers chose to not recall anyone from Adirondack for last night's game, opting instead to insert Riley Cote into the lineup to skate with Darroll Powe and Arron Asham on the fourth line.

"I'm excited to get back in there for sure," Cote said. "It's unfortunate that guys get hurt, but that's part of the game. Guys like me need to be ready to step up."

Both Blair Betts and Ryan Parent, who have been out for more than 2 weeks, are slated to return on Saturday against Carolina. Betts' faceoff and penalty-killing skills would bump Cote, or anyone else from the Phantoms, out of the lineup.

"I think it's just an opportunity for guys to step up and play more," Stevens said. "I think we have a lot of guys that can play and take more minutes and give bigger opportunities."

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