VOORHEES, N.J. — The injury to Travis Sanheim Sunday in New York wasn’t as serious as it first appeared.
According to general manager Ron Hextall, the Flyers' second-year defenseman will “probably be out for a week” with an upper-body injury after he was driven into the boards by Islanders forward Matt Martin.
Sanheim will be off the ice for several days before he resumes skating.
"We'll be cautious with it, but that's what we're looking at right now,” Hextall said to reporters Monday.
With a one-week timetable, Sanheim could return to play in one or both of the Flyers’ final preseason games next week.
Hextall was also optimistic regarding the progress of defenseman Andrew MacDonald, who was slated to miss the first two-to-three weeks of the regular season with a lower-body injury he sustained in off-ice workouts. The Flyers' GM said MacDonald is a little bit ahead of the original six-week prognosis but it’s still unclear how many regular-season games he’ll miss to start the season.
Hextall added he continues to monitor the free-agent market to see what’s available in the event the Flyers need some additional help on the blue line.
NHL
Forward Wayne Simmonds and goaltender Brian Elliott were both given maintenance days Monday. The Flyers have been cautious with both players as they recover from offseason rehab.
The Flyers have not made it clear when either will see their first preseason action.