The Flyers continue to overlook some of their younger and well-performing prospects as the injury bug begins to chomp down on the roster.
The Philadelphia Flyers were looking good on the injury front until now, and that's prompted some roster moves that many won't agree with.
On Friday, the Flyers announced that defenseman Emil Andrae, once again, had been returned to the AHL Lehigh Valley Phantoms, and center Jacob Gaucher had been called up.
Gaucher, 24, joins the fold after making his NHL debut for the Flyers last season, appearing in four games.
The problem is that Gaucher is the apparent replacement for injured captain Sean Couturier, who left Thursday night's 4-1 win over the Nashville Predators after playing just 5:17.
Trevor Zegras, Noah Cates, Christian Dvorak, and Rodrigo Abols can all play center, and Couturier's injury, naturally, comes immediately after the Flyers had sent prospect Jett Luchanko back to his junior team.
Should Gaucher actually draw into the lineup, it would likely mean that one of Zegras or Dvorak isn't playing center, and the Flyers should really like to get a long look at the former at that position at some point this season, regardless of how impressive he's been.
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Top goalie prospect Aleksei Kolosov is officially back in the NHL with the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers">Philadelphia Flyers</a>.
The Flyers' move to bring up the undrafted Gaucher isn't necessarily one that was made based on merit, though.
The burly 6-foot-4 center has a goal and an assist in eight games this season, while prized NCAA free agent signing Karsen Dorwart has three goals, two assists, and five points in eight games, leading the Phantoms in goals and sitting tied for the lead in total scoring (Andrae and Garrett Wilson each have five points, too).
Dorwart, unfortunately, missed much of training camp after suffering an injury from an Owen Tippett hit, so it would have been nice to see him get a look from the Flyers early in the year on the heels of an impressive start.
And, speaking of Andrae, the diminutive defenseman has handily outplayed his third-pair peers on defense in each of his two NHL appearances this season.
Flyers Already Have Their Logan Stankoven in Bobby Brink
The <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers">Philadelphia Flyers</a> used to get a lot of heat for passing on forward Logan Stankoven in the 2021 NHL Draft, but it's time to put that narrative to bed for good. They already have their own in Bobby Brink.
Instead, the Flyers are choosing to send him down because he doesn't require waivers to pass back to the AHL, rather than sending down a struggling player like Egor Zamula or Noah Juulsen.
The premises of these two moves make perfect sense, but it's the execution that lacks. Simply put, the Flyers aren't icing their best roster, and they aren't giving their prospects a chance to shine in roles they should play given their talents and skillsets.
Dorwart should have been the choice to come up to the NHL as soon as Luchanko left, but we'll have to wait a bit longer for that day to come.
Couturier's status is currently unknown, though it seems likely the Flyers' captain will miss at least Saturday's game against the Toronto Maple Leafs.