Wade Allison placed on IR; Artem Anisimov and Patrick Brown assigned to the AHL for rehab stints

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Three days after Wade Allison was injured in Saturday’s game against the Ottawa Senators, the Flyers announced he would be out three weeks.

Allison, whom the Flyers placed on injured reserve on Tuesday, suffered an oblique muscle strain and hip pointer after attempting to finish a check. It’s his first injury of the season, but it joins a long list of injuries Allison has had to overcome as he has tried to establish himself as an NHL player.

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Last season alone, Allison sprained his ankle in training camp, injured his elbow in December, and then tore his MCL in January during his Flyers season debut. Finally healthy, Allison came into the 2022-23 training camp determined to prove himself.

After making the team out of camp (officially, he started the season with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms for salary-cap purposes), Allison, 25, began to establish himself. He played well over the first few games — scoring in the season opener — and jockeyed between the top two lines.

Coach John Tortorella moved Allison down to the fourth line for the eighth game of the season. When asked to evaluate Allison’s play, Tortorella said he couldn’t with how few minutes Allison was getting at the time, but three games later, Allison was elevated back to the second line.

Allison played on the second line for four games before suffering his injury. Veteran Scott Laughton called him after the game. At that point, all he knew was Allison, who has three goals and four points on the season, was sore. When he heard Tuesday that Allison would be out three weeks, he said it was “tough.”

“Especially with the way he was playing,” Laughton said. “I thought he was playing pretty good hockey for us, especially the last two weeks where I thought he was providing a ton of energy and blocking shots and doing all the things that make you successful in this league.”

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Luckily, Allison seems to be approaching this latest injury with a positive attitude, Laughton said, adding that the team needs to approach it with a positive attitude as well. The Flyers have dealt with an onslaught of injury news over the last few seasons, and last year that coincided with a downward spiral. Laughton said he and the other veterans need to step up and play better in Allison’s absence.

Zack MacEwen, who also reached out to Allison with encouragement, said the locker room feels better equipped to handle the losses this season.

“I think we have a lot more resilience this year,” MacEwen said. “We’re not getting down on ourselves. We believe in here, and that’s from the top down.”

With Allison out, a familiar face is back in the lineup. The Flyers loaned Tanner Laczynski to the Phantoms and recalled Max Willman. Kieffer Bellows also will return to the lineup Tuesday against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Willman, 27, made his NHL debut in the Flyers’ season opener last year and played 41 NHL games. This season, he started with the Phantoms and said he felt he has improved his competition level in the AHL.

Coached by Ian Laperrière with the Phantoms, Willman said he was starting to do the little things right, even if it wasn’t yielding results in terms of points yet. Willman, who had four goals and six points last year with the Flyers, has two goals and four points in 11 AHL games this season. He added getting called up was a nice sign that others noticed. Tortorella said he leaves it up to Laperrière and his staff to hear who deserves to be called up.

At the Flyers’ optional morning skate in Columbus, Willman was skating on a line with Morgan Frost and MacEwen. He played with both last year and said it felt comfortable skating with them again.

“I’m excited to get back playing with Frosty,” Willman said. “I love playing with him. He’s fast. Same with Mac. So a lot of speed on our line and should be fun.”

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That speed is the number one thing Tortorella will be looking for from Willman. As the Flyers look to break a three-game skid, the team is trying to emphasize forechecking, and Willman will be a part of that “because of his legs.”

Carter Hart will start in goal game against the Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena. ... Veteran Artem Anisimov, who broke his foot during his professional tryout with the Flyers, joined the Phantoms on an AHL professional tryout. Patrick Brown, who has been on injured reserve since undergoing back surgery in the offseason, was loaned to the Phantoms on a conditioning assignment. The signs that they are recovering are bright spots amid the team’s recent injury news. “Two big-body centermen,” Laughton said. “Brown is going to help so much on the penalty kill and faceoffs. ... [Anisimov’s] another really good guy that can probably step in for us and create some depth.” ... Winger Cam Atkinson skated in a noncontact jersey.