Defense has already been considered a problem for the Philadelphia Flyers this season, so they must hope that Kimmo Timonen is just dealing with a minor issue.
The go-to blueliner left Friday’s game against the New Jersey Devils with a lower-body injury and won’t return, according to the team. It’s too early to tell how severe the problem is.
While some believe he’s lost a few steps at 37, Timonen is still a key piece in Philly. GM Paul Holmgren recently gave him a one-year extension with good reason: he slightly edges Braydon Coburn for the team lead in average time on ice with 22:44 minutes per game.
With Chris Pronger’s career likely over and Andrej Meszaros on the shelf until late February (at best?), the blueline is already shaky, so we’ll see if they lose an important piece for an extended amount of time.