The Philadelphia Flyers' defensive corps is getting so banged up that it's starting to look less like a blueline and more like a black-and-blueline.
Andreas Lilja became the latest Flyers defenseman to go down with an injury, as it was reported on Monday that he won't be available until late October or early November after having hip surgery last month. With Lilja's injury, the Flyers now have eight defensemen under contract for the 2012-13 season, but only five who are expected to be ready for the scheduled start of the season. Andrej Meszaros is out indefinitely with a torn Achilles tendon, while Chris Pronger is also out indefinitely. Adding Lilja to the list gives the Flyers an obvious hole to fill...except that the Flyers might not need to fill it.
The NHL will lock out its players on September 15 if a new collective bargaining agreement has not been reached, and while most observers are optimistic that there will be NHL hockey this season, there is much less optimism about avoiding a lockout altogether. Betting on the likelihood of a lockout would be a cynical move, but the Flyers could also be covered by having prospect Erik Gustafsson start the season after playing 30 games a year ago, and bringing up another prospect (Blake Kessel, perhaps?) as a seventh defenseman.
Still, the Flyers were looking to improve their defensive corps even before the Meszaros and Lilja injuries, making a move on Nashville Predators captain Shea Weber before the Preds stepped up to sign the offer sheet. There was already a perceived need in Philadelphia, and the injuries to Lilja and Meszaros haven't made it any better. Look for the Flyers to pursue multiple options to improve their blueline corps, including (but not limited to) a trade for the oft-discussed Jay Bouwmeester of the Flames, a serious run at a trade for Keith Yandle of the Coyotes, or a free agent signing like Carlo Colaiacovo of the Blues or their own free agent, Pavel Kubina.
One way or another, the Flyers aren't done making moves this summer, but it's questionable how much Lilja will have to do with it.
