Well, how’s that for a Friday news dump. First cuts, now an injury update.
What we knew
Pascal Laberge hasn’t gotten in for a preseason game, and hasn’t been assigned to the Phantoms. He left the practice skate early on September 14, didn’t seem to be in any sort of dramatic contact situation, and has been battling what appeared to be a mystery injury since then.
What we know now
Apparently the mystery injury was more serious than we thought, as the Flyers disclosed that Laberge has undergone hip surgery to rectify whatever the particular issue was (they haven’t specified, which, are we really surprised?). So it was surgery and that’s just about what we’ve been given.
What we don’t know
How long he’ll be out for. When we said that was all the Flyers gave us, the confirmation that he had surgery was all they gave us. No timeline for his return has been given, but with what we know about hip/core surgery, it tends to be a question of a matter of months. But we’ll update you all with the real timeline once we’re given it.
What this means
And this is probably the biggest part. Laberge was just about set to start the season with the Phantoms, and it was looking like a chance to start over. After past seasons hindered by injury (namely a concussion), and readjustment after the injury, and readjustment after a mid-season trade, this was figuring to be a season where he could (hopefully) get settled. Finally staying put in one place and under the Flyers’ guidance, he had a chance to show that he’s still of value to this organization, that they shouldn’t give up on him as a prospect, and they would have the chance to evaluate him closer. And maybe we still get that. It’s not out of the question. It’s just a delay, but one more bump in what’s admittedly already been a rough road for a young player.
