Reality and optimism with Ellis, Couturier injuries

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Comcast Spectacor chairman and CEO Dave Scott believes the Flyers can be "in it next year."

The chances of that will hinge heavily on the health of Ryan Ellis and Sean Couturier.

Right now, there's a chance neither player returns to game action for the remainder of this season.

Ellis, the club's prized offseason acquisition, has played in only four games this season because of nagging lower-body injury. The top-pair defenseman's issue appears to be to the hip/groin area.

Couturier, the club's first-line center, has been banged up almost all season. After playing in 29 games, he was placed on injured reserve Dec. 30 with an upper-body issue.

"I think they’re both working hard. I think it could go either way with both players," Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher said Wednesday. "There’s a chance that they could come back this year and there’s a chance that they will need procedures that will take them out for the rest of the season. We’re trying to do everything we can to avoid surgery in both cases."

With the Flyers entombed near the bottom of the NHL standings at 13-22-8, the big-picture focus has shifted to next season.

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"The most important thing for me, my direction to the players and to the medical staff is at this point, we have a long road ahead of us this year. Let’s get these guys right for next year," Fletcher said. "If that allows them to get healthy this year and play, great, but the focus has got to be on their long-term health. Speaking with the doctors and our medical people, we do not feel these injuries are career-threatening at all. But they certainly could be season-threatening as we all have seen."

Couturier has taken the ice the last couple of days. Ellis' rehab has remained off the ice.

Fletcher said it's not as simple as just have the surgery now rather than later.

"I think the biggest element is just what's best for the player. I mean, in a lot of cases, surgery should be the last resort. You're not rushing to have guys get surgery," Fletcher said. "If there's a way to allow the player to heal without surgery, that's what we're exploring. But ultimately your hope is that if surgery does happen, that it doesn't impact next year. We're not at that point with either player. But the driving force behind everything we do right now is doing what's best for the player and trying to get them back without surgery if we can avoid it."

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