Flyers GM Chuck Fletcher provides updates on Sean Couturier, Ivan Fedotov and more

As anyone who’s dealt with back problems knows, every part of daily life involves the back, and anything, from getting into a car to sleeping wrong can tweak it, Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher said.

The Flyers’ top center and best player Sean Couturier has been living with that reality for the last 10 months. After exiting the lineup in December and later undergoing back surgery, Couturier was cleared to play at the start of September. However, the nerve irritation in his glutes lingered. He was told it was a normal part of the recovery process, but three weeks later, “things deteriorated,” Fletcher said.

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There wasn’t any one moment during a skate or a training session when it came to Couturier’s latest injury, Fletcher said. They don’t know what triggered it or whether it’s a recurrence, a reinjury, or if he just wasn’t fully healed yet.

On Thursday, Couturier saw a specialist for a second opinion. Fletcher said Couturier does feel much better than he did last season.

“So to suggest its career-ending or season-ending, I think, is a long way away,” Fletcher said. “But we’ll leave it up to the specialist and see what his opinion is and then we’ll get together and get a plan.”

Fletcher also provided updates on a list of other injured players. Defenseman Ryan Ellis remains out indefinitely with his multifaceted pelvic injury. Left wing Joel Farabee, who underwent disk replacement surgery in his cervical region, started skating again last month and is participating in noncontact drills at training camp. Center Patrick Brown also underwent back surgery in the offseason and is “week-to-week,” although Fletcher called his situation “murky.” Right wing Bobby Brink, who had surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left hip, is nine weeks out of surgery and in the building rehabbing. In the next week or two, he will return to the ice, and they still expect a full recovery by December.

Ivan Fedotov was expected to come over to North America to compete for the backup goalie position, but circumstances out of the Flyers’ control led to Fedotov’s arrest in Russia shortly after he signed his contract.

Fletcher said it’s a sensitive situation, so he couldn’t comment extensively about it.

“He has to fulfill a commitment back in Russia,” Fletcher said. “There’s not much influence we can have on the situation. ... I’ll just leave it that he has to fulfill his commitment in Russia. Obviously, he has a contract with us. But, you know, we’ll just let things play out.”

With Fedotov out, the goalie competition looks very different. Journeyman Troy Grosenick, 33, and homegrown candidates Felix Sandström and Samuel Ersson will now compete for the job behind Carter Hart.

The bad luck from last season has continued. While the team can’t speed up the healing process or bring Fedotov over, it can change how it responds to adversity, Fletcher said.

A healthy Couturier has been a central figure in all of the Flyers’ commentary about bouncing back this season. Now, Couturier is out. It’s a blow, but it’s also a chance for young players. It also doesn’t mean the Flyers are pivoting from the organization’s plan to win now while also building for the future.

“I mentioned to you guys at the draft and free agency, part of our main focus this year is to provide opportunity for young players to get better,” Fletcher said. “We’ve added a lot of young talent over the last couple of years. And I think it’s really important we find out what we have.”

If young players seize the opportunity, Fletcher said he can see there being 10 or more players under 25 years old on the roster.

Fletcher also is expecting more from players like Travis Konecny and Ivan Provorov. And he believes John Tortorella is the right coach to get the most out of them.

“They’re not just our future anymore; they’re our present,” Fletcher said. “[Tortorella’s] got a proven track record of making players better and pushing players to be better, of developing young players.”

As the players sprinted by again and again, a group of new faces watched from behind the bench, ready to help if needed. They’re the new training staff, all carefully chosen to help the Flyers rebound from an injury-riddled season.

“I really feel that in order to be successful on the ice, we have to have the right support crew off the ice,” Fletcher said. “And we spent the bulk of our summer, really, analyzing our staff and also conducting exhaustive job searches.”

As a result, they brought in Ian McKeown in a new role as vice president of athlete performance and wellness. They also hired Tommy Alva as the new head athletic trainer, Jeff Taylor as physical therapist/rehab coordinator, and Gavin McClelland as data engineer. The impetus was to rethink how they approach health and injuries.

“I think it’s really important that we look at different ways of taking care of our players,” Fletcher said. “It’s not enough just to help the players when they’re hurt. I think the whole emphasis here is I’m trying to build out a program where we can prevent injuries from happening using data, using best practices, having experts in the field.”

Fletcher acknowledged it will take time to revolutionize the staff but that they’re excited about the foundation they’ve laid down.