Philadelphia Flyers Injury News, Rumors: Michael Del Zotto to Have Wrist Surgery, Will Be Out Three Months
The Philadelphia Flyers will have to contend for the rest of the season without their top defenseman Michael Del Zotto, after news that he sustained a wrist injury that requires surgery, in order to fix the ligament damage inside. The team later confirmed that the injury is indeed long term.
According to team doctors, the expected recovery time is from three to four months, which means that the defender will no longer be available to play in the four remaining games of the season. This is a crucial point of the season because the Flyers are hoping to get to the postseason.
The 25-year-old is best known as an NHL journeyman who played and spent time with several teams in the past couple of seasons. He was originally thought to be a player who had the skills to become a star in the league after the New York Rangers drafted him 20th overall during the 2008 Draft. No doubt he's still a reliable defenseman up to this point, and without him, the Flyers will certainly have a difficult time going deep into the postseason, provided they even qualify.
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One of the reasons why Philadelphia acquired him two years ago was his knack for offense, though he's a natural defender. Unlike his previous stints with the Rangers and the Nashville Predators, he finally found his groove in Philadelphia, where he was given the green light to show his flexible game. Although he has seen his points decline this season, he still is the one playing the most minutes for any defender for the Flyers.
His injury deals a huge blow to the Flyers' aspirations of reaching the postseason this year, but they still have a week to decide if they wish to add a player or move another before the trade deadline. As of this posting, the team still has four unrestricted free agents with expiring contracts in the roster, most notably Michael Raffl and Sam Gagner.
