Marc Staal returns from fractured ribs, brings ‘calming presence’

ELMONT, N.Y. — Marc Staal is going.

The 36-year-old defenseman is back in the Flyers lineup Wednesday against the New York Islanders (7:30 p.m., NBCSP) after missing 14 games with two fractured ribs thanks to an accidental knee from Edmonton Oilers forward Warren Foegele as the two got tangled and went into the boards on Oct. 19. In the three full games before the injury, he was playing more than 18 minutes a night.

“You’ve gotta get into the fire at some point,” he said. “Probably be a little bit of rust in that but once you get into it and back into the flow [I] should be fine. It’s never fun watching for that long but the guys are playing really well and winning and it’s been fun to be around.”

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While the Flyers’ five-game winning streak has been fun, what wasn’t fun for Staal was the injury. He had trouble sleeping and breathing and said the first 4-5 days were “pretty miserable” before things started to ease up a bit. He took around two weeks off before getting back on the ice to just skate and then incorporated rotational work and getting bumped. It was a process after how he initially felt.

“First I thought it knocked the wind out of me,” said Staal, who only played 7 minutes, 24 seconds against the Oilers. “Then I got back to the bench and I couldn’t get my wind back. I was trying to get it back and it wasn’t happening, so I was like, ‘Oh, man.’ I knew something was going on.”

Staal will slot in next to Egor Zamula on the Flyers’ third pair with Louie Belpedio coming out. The veteran has been impressed by Zamula, who is 13 years his junior. Staal thinks Zamula has gotten better as the season has gone on and called him a “big-rangy player who uses his stick very well.” The young Russian is excited to play with the guy from Thunder Bay, Ontario.

“From the first day, I learned a lot from him. He talked to me and he tried to help me,” Zamula said before adding, “He sometimes plays simple, sometimes plays risky, aggressive. ... He’s going to help me a lot.”

One of four Staal brothers to play in the NHL — Jordan currently plays for the Carolina Hurricanes, and Marc teamed up with Eric last season for the Florida Panthers — there was a comfort level for head coach John Tortorella to bring in the defenseman on a one-year deal. The two were paired up with the Rangers for four-plus seasons from 2009-13, giving him someone who “finds a way to defend the proper way” but is also comfortable helping the Flyers develop their young blueliners.

“Just those small conversations on the bench. If something’s going wrong, or something’s going right, he’ll be aware of it. He’s been through it all,” said Tortorella. “And those conversations from a teammate, a veteran guy to a young player at that position is so much more effective than a coach talking to the player. That’s what Staalsy will bring. And Staalsy, he’s not an emotional guy. He’ll just calmly go about it with them.”

It’s already rubbed off on the guys in the room. According to Travis Sanheim, Staal’s not the loudest personality in the room but when he does speak, the guys listen.

“I think he’s just going to bring in a calming presence and a little bit of stability back there and with him being a little bit older he’s got a pretty good voice and good relationships with all the guys on the team,” Sanheim said. “I think he’s ready to get going. I think he’s obviously been itching to get back here for a little bit and I’m excited to see him play.”

Carter Hart gets the start in net and will go head-to-head with Islander star netminder Ilya Sorokin. ... The forward group remains the same which means that Morgan Frost is a healthy scratch again. He stayed on the ice after morning skate at UBS Arena with Belpedio to get some extra work in.