The Philadelphia Flyers lost a critical matchup to the Columbus Blue Jackets in regulation, and some criticism was levelled at head coach Rick Tocchet's lineup decisions. Why were Emil Andrae and Nikita Grebenkin healthy-scratched in favor of Carl Grundstrom and Noah Juulsen?
While Emil Andrae should be back in the lineup for the Flyers' next game against the lowly Chicago Blackhawks, it turns out Grebenkin's scratch wasn't so healthy. In a meeting with the media after practice, Tocchet told reporters that Grebenkin has been dealing with an injury and missed practice to get some tests done.
Tocchet says Grebenkin has been dealing with an upper body injury. Said he missed practice today to have some tests done. He's unlikely to be available tomorrow.
— Charlie O'Connor (@charlieo_conn) March 25, 2026
Grebenkin originally came to Philadelphia as part of the trade that sent Scott Laughton to the Toronto Maple Leafs, arriving alongside a first-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft. In his first season with the Flyers, Grebenkin has scored four goals and has 14 points in 55 games. He's brought a level of grit in a fourth-line role, but has flashed enough skill to play up the lineup when other players have been injured, or has shown in-game that he's got his legs that night. Grebenkin has averaged 11:17 of ice time this season, which is 12th among Flyers forwards.
Losing Grebenkin for an extended amount of time is a bummer more from a developmental standpoint than a lineup one. The rugged winger has demonstrated he can hang at the NHL level, earning a spot on the roster out of camp over preseason favorite Alex Bump, and has shown there's more versatility to his game than meets the eye. Wing is one of the Flyers' deepest positions, though, and with Porter Martone's imminent arrival by season's end, the team should be able to weather Grebenkin's absence.
While Grebenkin's out of the lineup, look for Carl Grundstrom to stay on a line with Noah Cates and Matvei Michkov. It's less than ideal, with eight goals and 12 points in 40 games this season, but Grundstrom should be able to hold things down in the short term.