Injured Flyers Defenseman Progressing, Not Close to Returning Yet

(Photo: Eric Hartline, Imagn Images)

Injured Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen is making positive progress in his recovery from a season-ending injury, but a return to the ice is still at least one month away.

Ristolainen, 30, was announced to have undergone surgery to repair a ruptured triceps tendon on April 25, which came with a six-month recovery timeline.

This was his second such injury in as many seasons.

The Flyers expected the hulking Finnish defenseman to miss training camp, which appears to still be the case.

Ristolainen has been skating with Flyers teammates at the Flyers Training Center in Voorhees, N.J., but hasn't participated in any of the intrasquad scrimmages or on-ice activities of that nature.

Jordan Hall (@JHallNBCS) on XJordan Hall (@JHallNBCS) on XRasmus Ristolainen skating here in what looks like non-contact purple jersey. He’s recovering from surgery on ruptured triceps tendon. He had surgery on March 26 and the recovery is six months.

Flyers GM Danny Briere said Tuesday that he expects the veteran rearguard to re-join the team in an official capacity in a month or two.

"It's looking good on that front," Briere said of Ristolainen. "Risto is moving ahead. We knew all along that he wouldn't start the season, but everything's moving and looking good for him to meet up with the team in, hopefully, the first month and a half, two months of the season, at some point. So, on that front, it's trending in the right direction."

As for other injured players, Jett Luchanko is expected to be a full participant at training camp for the Flyers, which will kick off on Thursday.

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Defenseman Oliver Bonk was meant to play in the rookie series games over the weekend but failed to do so; this was due to an upper-body injury for which Bonk had scans on Tuesday morning.

The 20-year-old was, however, on the ice participating in positional drills on Monday. Briere and Co. don't appear to be too concerned about Bonk, but we'll monitor that situation as it develops nonetheless.

Tyson Foerster has been scrimmaging with teammates and is just working on testing his strength and making up for lost training time, according to Briere.

Additionally, free agent defenseman Noah Juulsen appears to be fully recovered from a season-ending hernia.

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The former Vancouver Canucks defenseman has been playing in the scrimmages as well and should be ready to go as he reunites with his old head coach, Rick Tocchet, in Philadelphia with the Flyers.

Juulsen should be the first man up on defense, pending the results of training camp, with Ristolainen still not particularly close to a return.

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