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The Philadelphia Flyers are continuing to rebuild despite just barely missing out on the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The club looked like a lock to advance to the postseason after an excellent first three-quarters of the 2023-24 campaign, but things fell apart in the final weeks — the Flyers lost nine of their last 11 and just missed out on the second wild-card berth. As the front office looks to position this team to return to the dance in 2025, the health of defenseman Jamie Drysdale will be key to that effort.
And general manager Danny Briere provided a positive update on the 22-year-old this week. After undergoing surgery to repair a “significant injury” earlier in the offseason, Drysdale is expected to be ready when the Flyers open training camp in September, Briere told NHL.com's Adam Kimelman.
Briere said at the NHL Scouting Combine: “He got checked after the season and there's a significant injury there that he needed surgery on.” Although the GM didn't specify the nature of the injury, he said back on April 18 that the D-man “could need a procedure in his lower body or core muscle area,” per Kimelman.
The good news is that it appears, despite the injury and surgery, Drysdale will be 100 percent for training camp. And that's key for a Flyers team that's going to need the young blue liner to improve on last season.
Jamie Drysdale was unspectacular in Flyers debut
Drysdale has really struggled to stay healthy after a standout rookie season with the Anaheim Ducks that saw him put up 32 points in 81 games in 2021-22. He played just eight contests the next season before suffering a shoulder injury that required surgery. That ended his 2022-23 season after just 10 tilts.
Last year, he played 10 games for the Ducks and chipped in five points during that span, before a shock trade sent him to Philadelphia and fellow top prospect Cutter Gauthier from Pennsylvania to California.
Drysdale scored two goals and five points over 24 games with the Flyers, but he missed 16 games due to an upper-body ailment suffered on a collision with Pittsburgh Penguins forward Jansen Harkins on February 25, per Kimelman.
Briere confirmed that this offseason surgery was not related to his previous shoulder injury.
“He wanted to play games,” said Briere recently. “He's had a lot of injuries to deal with the last few years so he wanted to play, so I give him a lot of credit. He showed a lot of character, leadership, the way he handled it. He should be in a much better position [next season], should be a lot freer to play.”
That's great news for the Flyers, who will have two more years of Drysdale's services before he becomes a restricted free agent in the summer of 2026. And they'll be hoping he can return to his rookie form in that time.
Having Drysdale healthy will be huge for this club as it prepares to select twice in the first-round of the 2024 NHL Draft, including at No. 12 overall on June 28.
