NHL2026-10-19Tyson Foerster and Sean Couturier Are Game-Time Decisions as the Flyers' Injury List Grows Before Colorado
By Verdexed NHL Desk
The Philadelphia Flyers finally won a game on Saturday, and it cost them. Tyson Foerster and Sean Couturier are game-time decisions for Monday's home game against the Colorado Avalanche after neither skated at Sunday's practice, and Owen Tippett, who sat out Saturday with an upper-body injury, also did not practice. They join Travis Konecny, Rasmus Ristolainen and Cam York, all on injured reserve, on a list that now covers a big chunk of Philadelphia's lineup.
Coach Rick Tocchet described both Foerster and Couturier as banged up and said the team would see how they felt Monday. Reports out of Sunday's practice indicated the two sat out because of injury rather than maintenance. Philadelphia is 1-6-3 and just snapped a nine-game losing streak.
What happened to each player
Foerster took a Drake Batherson shot off the right hand and wrist area while blocking it on the penalty kill in Saturday's 3-1 win over Ottawa. He went straight to the locker room, missed the final 3:59 of the first period, and returned for the second. The concern is that a hand or wrist injury on a shooter can linger even if he plays through it.
Couturier was banged up in the same game, per Tocchet, though the specific ailment has not been disclosed. Tippett has an upper-body injury that kept him out Saturday, and NHL.com's status report said he could be out again Monday.
On the IR side, Konecny was placed on injured reserve with a lower-body injury retroactive to Oct. 8. He is now eligible to come off IR, but he was not spotted at Sunday's practice. York went on IR on Sunday with an upper-body injury, also retroactive to Oct. 8, when he was hurt in a 2-1 loss to Ottawa. Ristolainen is also on IR with an upper-body injury.
The Flyers injury board
| Player | Pos | Injury | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tyson Foerster | F | Right hand/wrist area | Game-time decision |
| Sean Couturier | F | Undisclosed | Game-time decision |
| Owen Tippett | F | Upper body | Did not practice Sunday |
| Travis Konecny | F | Lower body | IReligible to return |
| Cam York | D | Upper body | IR (retroactive to Oct. 8) |
| Rasmus Ristolainen | D | Upper body | IR |
The Flyers recalled defenseman Hunter McDonald to bolster the blue line in a corresponding move for York, and local reports suggest Philadelphia could dress 11 forwards and seven defensemen against Colorado if Foerster and Couturier cannot go. A forward call-up from Lehigh Valley remains possible before puck drop.
Context: a team that just found its first win
Saturday was a rare good night for Philadelphia. Matvei Michkov and Porter Martone each had a goal and an assist, Trevor Zegras added an empty-net goal, and Dan Vladar made 25 saves in the 3-1 win over the Senators. That ended a nine-game skid in which the Flyers had been outscored 32-11. The win also came with an injury to Ottawa's Thomas Chabot, but the more lasting fallout may be on the Philadelphia side.
The timing is brutal. Colorado is one of the deepest teams in the league, and the Flyers are now likely to face it without at least one, and possibly three, regular forwards. Konecny, who had three assists, eight shots, 11 hits and four blocked shots across five games before getting hurt, is the most likely reinforcement, but his absence from Sunday's practice makes a Monday return uncertain.
Fantasy fallout
The clearest beneficiaries are the young forwards who drove Saturday's win. Michkov and Martone drove Saturday's win, and every absence ahead of them on the depth chart pushes more ice time and power-play time their way. Michkov in particular is the Flyers forward with the highest offensive ceiling in a thin lineup. Zegras also stands to see more minutes and could get extended looks at center if Couturier sits.
Managers rostering Foerster should check Monday's lineup before lock. Even if he plays, a hand or wrist injury on a shooter is a reason to temper expectations for shots and goals in the short term. Couturier's fantasy value is mostly in deeper formats that reward faceoffs and peripherals, so his absence would be felt more in real hockey than in most fantasy lineups.
On defense, York and Ristolainen being out concentrates minutes on the healthy blueliners. In leagues that count hits and blocks, any Flyers defenseman getting extra shifts against Colorado's pressure is a short-term streaming candidate. In goal, Vladar earned a confidence boost on Saturday, but the depleted lineup in front of him makes Monday a tough spot. Fantasy managers should treat any Flyers goalie as a sit against the Avalanche.
Betting angle
There was no confirmed market line for Monday's game at the time of writing, so bettors should wait for the morning skate and warmups before acting. A lineup with Foerster, Couturier, Tippett and Konecny all missing would be a significant downgrade from what Philadelphia iced earlier in the season, and the market tends to adjust slowly when game-time decisions are resolved late.
Verdexed's model weighs injuries to top-nine forwards, goaltending form and rest when evaluating NHL games, and late scratches like these can change its read. See Verdexed's NHL predictions page at /nhl/predictions for the model's current view, and the daily card at /blog/nhl-picks-2026-10-19. Bettors should be of legal betting age in their jurisdiction.
What's next
Watch for three things before Monday's game: whether Foerster and Couturier take warmups, whether Konecny is activated from IR, and whether the Flyers make a forward call-up or go with 11 forwards and seven defensemen. York and Ristolainen are not expected back for this game.
The takeaway: in redraft leagues, keep Foerster rostered but be ready to bench him if he is a late scratch, prioritize Michkov as the Flyers forward most likely to benefit from the absences, and avoid starting any Flyers goalie against Colorado until this lineup gets healthier.