The Philadelphia Flyers have lost an important member of their lineup for at least a little while.
Flyers head coach Alain Vigneault revealed Monday that Michael Raffl will not be available for Philadelphia's matchup against the Washington Capitals on Thursday.
Flyers coach Alain Vigneault on forward Michael Raffl, who fell into the boards in 3rd period vs. BOS: "Can't get into specifics, can't get into lengths. But I can say that he's not going to be available for a little bit."
— Adam Kimelman (@NHLAdamK) August 3, 2020
Raffl suffered an unspecified injury during the third period of Sunday's Game 1 round-robin matchup against the Boston Bruins. The 31-year-old went into the boards awkwardly thanks to a hit from Bruins rookie defenseman Jeremy Lauzon.
Raffl to the locker room after going into the boards with Lauzon. pic.twitter.com/fg8HMapatd
— Shayna (@hayyyshayyy) August 2, 2020
Philadelphia, luckily, has plenty of depth and Boston University product Joel Farabee will replace Raffl, Vigneault said, according to Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Farabee was selected by the Flyers 14th overall in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. In 52 games this season, the 20-year-old has notched 21 points (eight goals, 13 assists).
While Farabee can be reliable, Raffl's experience and grit surely will be missed by Philadelphia heading into the playoffs. Raffl, 31, has been with the Flyers since 2013 and he tallied 20 points (eight goals, 12 assists) during the 2019-20 regular season.
Raffl even scored for the Flyers against Boston on Sunday, helping them secure a 4-1 victory to begin round-robin play with a 1-0 record. Quite frankly, his presence is going to be missed.
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