Writing in the heart of the American Revolution, when times seemed tough, Thomas Paine wrote, "These are the times that try men's souls." A few weeks later, the Patriot army under George Washington won a stunning victory at Trenton and followed it up with another at Princeton.
For sports teams, when players start getting injured, this is the time that really proves what a team is worth. It's easier to win when all the top stars are playing. Right now, Tyson Foerster is out for the year. Travis Konecny, Bobby Brink, and Jamie Drysdale all sustained injuries this week and will miss some time.
Injury updates: Defenseman Jamie Drysdale has been placed on injured reserve (upper body) retroactive to Jan. 6. We have recalled defenseman Adam Ginning from the @LVPhantoms (AHL).
— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) January 9, 2026
Additionally, forwards Bobby Brink and Travis Konecny are day-to-day with upper-body injuries.
The Philadelphia Flyers are playing well. They aren't exactly setting the scoreboard on fire, but they are doing enough to win, or at least get loser points, which does help out. They are scrappy and hanging in almost every game.
With some star firepower sidelined for a while, this gives a chance for some guys to step up and showcase their worth. Despite the talk about whether Christian Dvorak's contract could stall the development of someone else, you can never have enough depth. Injuries happen. And when injuries happen, it becomes the job of the next man up to take on the role that has been given to him and fill in seamlessly. Sometimes, they play so well that you don't miss the person who was injured in the first place.
We are a month away from when the NHL takes a break for the Olympic Games. The Flyers have 10 games between now and the break. And when they arrive back, they will only have a few games before the NHL trade deadline hits. Hopefully, none of the Flyers get injured during the festivities in Italy.
In that time before the break, this is a chance for some guys who've been playing minor roles to step up. This is a chance for Denver Barkey to prove that he has some firepower and deserves a full-time spot on an NHL roster. This is a chance for Carl Grundström to show he is more than a trade toss away and has something to offer a team. This is a chance for Nikita Grebenkin to show us all what he flashed during training camp and show that he deserves to be an everyday player.
This is also a chance for some of the regular players to shake off some rust or take a chance. For Matvei Michkov, it's time to break out and become a star again, like last season. For Noah Cates, this is for him to take a more leadership role on the team. For Rodrigo Abols, it's a chance for him to show the Flyers why he's representing Latvia on the world stage. For Emil Andrae, it's time to make good on the team's faith in him.
All teams have injuries. It's the good teams that can overcome them. Injuries derailed the Flyers' season not that long ago and cost them the playoffs. Will this team bottom out, or will the rise above the adversity and rise to the occasion?