Flyers winger James van Riemsdyk out indefinitely, to undergo finger surgery

Another Flyer goes down, upping the injury count to nine.

Left winger James van Riemsdyk left the game early Sunday after taking a puck to the hand. On Tuesday, coach John Tortorella said the veteran broke a finger and will undergo surgery Friday. Tortorella said there’s no timeline for his return, but they’ll know more following the surgery.

It’s hard to soften this blow, and Tortorella was blunt about how it will affect the team.

» READ MORE: Travis Konecny, Kevin Hayes benchings show that no Flyer is immune to John Tortorella’s brand of accountability

“Hurts,” Tortorella said. “Hurts our power play. Hurts some of the balance of your lines. He’s been a good player.”

While van Riemsdyk had a quiet training camp (he had less to prove than many of the young guys playing for roster spots), he has since impressed his new coach. With five points (two goals) in six games, van Riemsdyk has the third-highest point total on the team. He’s also in the final year of his contract, and he has played like he has something to prove.

“I think he’s played hard,” Tortorella said. “I think there’s been a little black cloud hanging over him with a lot of people of what he is and what type of player he is. I think he’s played really well, right from the start of the season.”

The sun may have been peeking through, but the news resonated like thunder through the locker room. As a longtime team leader, van Riemsdyk is well-respected in a room full of players 25 years old and younger. The loss of van Riemsdyk is compounded by the fact that the team is also still missing veterans Sean Couturier (back), Cam Atkinson (upper body), Patrick Brown (back), and Ryan Ellis (pelvis), all of whom are not practicing with the team. Scott Laughton, who has been the only player to wear a letter on his jersey this season, said the injuries have been quite frustrating but that the team has been trying to maintain its “next man up” mentality.

Van Riemsdyk has been an essential part of the team’s success, not only because of the goals he has scored but also because of the way he has scored them. His two goals have both come on the power play. The Flyers’ power play was the worst in the NHL last year (12.6%), and van Riemsdyk’s goals have helped them gain confidence and improve in that regard so far this season (20% through six games).

“The great thing about having JVR in front is he’s really good at tipping pucks and things like that, so we kind of use that to our strengths,” Joel Farabee said ahead of last week’s game against the Florida Panthers.

» READ MORE: Philadelphia gives Oskar Lindblom, former Flyer and cancer survivor, a hero’s welcome home

Even though van Riemsdyk will not be in front of the net, the power play’s structure will remain the same. Tortorella said Laughton will probably take his place. Laughton is smaller (6-foot-1, 190 pounds) than van Riemsdyk (6-3, 208), so he can’t play exactly the same way, but he’s been studying van Riemsdyk’s game.

“I’ve learned a lot from Reemer and looking at what he does on a day-to-day basis at net front,” said Laughton. “So trying to pick up little things from him and add something, a different element to that unit if I’m on it.”

The news Tuesday wasn’t all negative. While they still have to be cleared, both forward Owen Tippett and defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen participated in practice.

Tippett, wearing a tinted visor to take away some of the glare from the ice, participated in all of what he called “flow” drills but put on a non-contact jersey for the more physical portions of practice. Tortorella said they still need to see if Tippett “passes protocols,” implying he has a concussion, and that if he does, there will be some decisions to make.

Tippett’s injury came in season opener, halting what Tortorella thought was an upward trend in his game. The forward has speed and a strong shot but hasn’t been able to get it all to click at the NHL level yet. If Tippett is good to go, Tortorella wants to try to get him going.

“Want to get Tip right into it,” Tortorella said. “I think Tip was playing very well. He’s only played a few minutes, but I think his camp was going in the right direction. Want to get him in a top-six type situation.”

It was extremely frustrating to get hurt, Tippett said, but getting to go with the team on the first road trip of the year was big. It helped him continue to bond with the team he only joined in March. He got to skate every day and participated in practice Friday. And while watching from the press box wasn’t nearly as good as playing, it gave him a chance to learn the new systems in a different way.

“You can always learn from watching,” Tippett said, although he added, “You never want to be watching the game and I think anytime you can kind of be in the game and playing, you’re going to learn. It’s just one of those things that it [stinks] to be sidelined at any time.”

The Flyers play next on Thursday, with a 7 p.m. puck drop against the Panthers at the Wells Fargo Center. ... Ristolainen participated in all the drills, although he circled in on the third pair instead of the second. Tortorella said the team will know more Wednesday. ... Tortorella is confident Atkinson will return this season. He said Atkinson doesn’t feel comfortable getting back on the ice yet, but as soon as he does, Tortorella knows he’ll be back.