Jordan Hall on The Best Show Ever: The Flyers are playing “more like a John Tortorella team” in recent stretch.
VOORHEES, N.J. — The Flyers placed Samuel Ersson on injured reserve Monday, making room for Helge Grans to be called up from AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley.
With Emil Andrae out because of a mid-body injury, the Flyers needed a defenseman for their game tonight against the Avalanche at the Wells Fargo Center (7 p.m. ET/NBCSP+). Grans, a 22-year-old from Sweden, will make his NHL debut against a Colorado team that sports some serious star power in Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen and Cale Makar.
"It gives us a chance to look at a big, right-handed defenseman here against one of the top teams in the league with pretty good speed," head coach John Tortorella said at morning skate. "He's going to see some stuff pretty quickly here."
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Andrae, also 22 years old from Sweden, suffered an injury in the third period of the Flyers' 5-2 win last Saturday night over the Sabres. He has opened eyes in 10 games with the big club.
"He has played very well," Tortorella said. "I think he has helped our transition game, I think he has defended better than we thought he would. He has had a good run here since he has been called up, so we'll miss him."
Ersson's status hasn't really changed. The Flyers can backdate his IR stint. The 25-year-old goalie has been day to day with a lower-body injury. Tonight will be the fifth game he has missed this season and third in a row. The Flyers are going to be careful with their No. 1 netminder, especially with the season only in November.
Aleksei Kolosov will start in net for the Flyers (8-8-2) against the Avalanche (9-9-0). Ivan Fedotov will be his backup.
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For Grans, the NHL debut comes at a great time. His father Morgan and mother Maria were already in the U.S. visiting him for vacation. The righty-shot blueliner came to the Flyers in the three-team Ivan Provorov trade. In 70 games with the Phantoms over the last two seasons, Grans has 11 points (two goals, nine assists) and a minus-3 rating.
"I would say I'm a two-way defenseman who can handle the puck," Grans said. "But I like to play a defensive role. ... I feel my offensive game has gotten a bit better this year with some confidence."
He understands Colorado poses a stiff challenge.
"I've only seen them on TV, so I guess I don't know exactly what it feels like," Grans said. "But I'm going to do my best to be ready."
The Flyers are expected to use Travis Sanheim and Rasmus Ristolainen a lot tonight. The club has been banged up on the back end. Cam York and Jamie Drysdale, both recovering from upper-body injuries, continued their on-ice work at the team's optional morning skate.
York, who has been practicing and skating in full, last played Oct. 23. Drysdale has been skating in non-contact fashion and will miss his fourth straight game tonight.
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