Just two games into the season, Philadelphia Flyers winger Joel Farabee was absent from practice due to what was ascribed to a “maintenance day”, per head coach John Tortorella.
Farabee, 24, has one goal and one assist in his two games this season, but is averaging a career-low 13:50 of ice time so far.
The two-time 20 goal-scorer’s absence is at least slightly concerning due to the fact that the Flyers were off on Sunday and had a light practice Monday before travelling to Edmonton.
“He’s just a little banged up, maintenance, but I’ll tell you, I think Joel Farabee played well,” Tortorella said after practice on Monday.
Does that minor injury update mean that Farabee will still be able play against the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday night? Tortorella was less certain of that possibility.
“I have no idea.”
Tortorella also spoke to the success of the second power play unit, one which Farabee has been an important part of.
Rookie Jett Luchanko, who sat out Saturday’s game against Calgary, is poised to return to the lineup and help get that unit back on track, but it is unclear if he’ll do so with or without Farabee alongside him.
“Rocky’s been up my ass, right?” Tortorella added. “He wants to try to keep them together. I want to try to stay with it. When we sat Jett, that kind of screwed up the second one. But, I’m going to try to stay with the units and see if we can get some cohesiveness as we go through it.”
Luchanko and Farabee have played on a line together for most of training camp, the NHL preseason, and in Game 1 against Vancouver, so one player’s return to the lineup and another’s potential exit could have further implications on the power play and other line combinations.
