Flyers open up about injuries endured throughout season and postseason

At the end of every year, whether that be regular season or playoffs, players become more open about the injuries they've been battling through. After the grind of an 82-game season, most are dealing with ailments of different varieties. And with little time to rest once the postseason begins, there is hardly any time for those injuries to heal.

The Flyers had a few players dealing with some minor and major injuries. Owen Tippett's was the most serious. In addition to the sports hernia he suffered late in the season, he also dealt with internal bleeding that sidelined him against the Hurricanes. He couldn't pinpoint the moment it happened, simply mentioning he felt off a day or two after the Penguins' series. The injury never progressed to the point where he was cleared to return, though surgery will not be required.

Aside from him, the other injuries suffered during the postseason were not as severe. While most opened up about it, Christian Dvorak was one to stay quiet. He was day-to-day in the midst of the Hurricanes' series, but wasn't willing to reveal what he was dealing with.

But before diving into those who did clarify, it was the first chance Rodrigo Abols had to detail the unfortunately gruesome injury he had suffered in January.

Rodrigo Abols

"Kind of a freak accident, I guess, just edge getting caught, which happens a lot of times throughout the games. And as soon as that happened, I kind of felt it getting caught. So I tried to push it out, and it didn't move. And then in return, my whole weight got put on the leg. So ended up breaking my fibula and tearing my syndesmosis and damaging my deltoid."

It's been a lengthy recovery time for Abols, who couldn't confirm if there was a chance he could've played at some point during the postseason. He had been skating, but things are much different in a controlled environment versus playoff hockey.

Before the injury, Abols had secured himself a spot as the Flyers' fourth-line center. He appeared in nearly double the number of games of his first season and produced slightly more offense. Among regular centers, Abols was third on the team in faceoff percentage as well.

While he was drafted before, this was the first time Abols appeared in any NHL games. Approaching free agency this summer, the Flyers won't have a ton of tape to look back on to determine whether or not he should be re-signed. And with Sean Couturier's re-emergence in a bottom-line role, Abols may have lost his potential role on the team.

Cam York

"I banged up my rib in game two of the Pittsburgh series. But it was fine, you know, was able to play through it. And, you know, playoffs, you don't want to miss games or anything like that. So yeah, I was fine. But just with the schedule and stuff, it was so hard to get days off to like heal and kind of, you know, advance your body. So it's kind of a tough situation." York explained.

For any player, no matter the sport, an injury to the ribs can be difficult to manage without rest. Nearly every movement made, especially in the upper body, can affect it. Breathing alone can be extremely difficult to do. Cam York skated over 20 minutes in all but one game in the playoffs, maxing at 28:34 in Game 6, where he scored the overtime winner.

York has taken tremendous strides over the last few years and has become an integral part of the Flyers' defensive core. He, along with Jamie Drysdale, played a large role in the Flyers being one of the best defensive teams since late January.

Dan Vladar

Dan Vladar didn't go into specifics about the injury he was dealing with, but did confirm that he suffered one during the collision with Bryan Rust in Game 3 against the Penguins. The injury is bad enough, though, that Vladar will not be able to play for the Czechs at the World Championship.

The Flyers could've taken it easy with Vladar and allowed him to rest once they had control of the series. But considering the Penguins nearly forced a Game 7 even with Vladar in net, it was unlikely they were ever going to do so. Vladar was the backbone of the Flyers, and it was even more evident in the postseason.

Even with another year left on his contract, it wouldn't be a surprise to see the Flyers broach the subject of an extension with Vladar. Something, he joked, he'd be eagerly awaiting to see if anyone asked Danny Briere about it in the coming days.

Noah Cates

"Just shot off the foot and just wasn't good enough to go with, you know, some different things going on with it. So, just unfortunate bounce, and you know, kind of a nothing play, but yeah, just kind of unfortunate that [I] couldn't get back in there a couple days later." Cates said.

The key to an injury like that, and why Cates finished the game, is to not take the skate off. Because we you do, the area tends to swell up almost immediately. It reminded Cates of the broken foot he suffered a few years ago to his left foot. But this time, surgery won't be needed.

Cates has always been a steady defensive presence for the Flyers throughout his young career. He stood out offensively this season as well, reaching career highs in all offensive categories. Cates also appeared in all 82 games this season, the only Flyer to do so. And while plus/minus isn't a highly regarded stat these days, Cates' +26 was a testament to his defensive game, something he takes pride in.

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