Philadelphia Flyers forward Sean Couturier will not need surgery for upper-body injury, team says

PHILADELPHIA -- Veteran forward Sean Couturier will not need surgery on an upper-body injury, the Philadelphia Flyers said on Wednesday.

Couturier remains week-to-week with the injury, which was revealed when training camp opened earlier this month. He has not taken part in drills or preseason games.

The Flyers have not said when Couturier was injured, though he underwent back surgery in February and missed the rest of the season as Philadelphia failed to make the postseason. He signed an eight-year, $62 million contract extension in 2021 and ended the season with 17 points in 29 games.

With former captain Claude Giroux now with the Ottawa Senators, Couturier, 29, is among the few veterans with long-term stays in Philadelphia on their résumés. A 2011 first-round pick of the Flyers, Couturier has played all 11 seasons for Philadelphia. He'll begin this season with 180 goals and 460 points for his career.

The Flyers hired coach John Tortorella in the offseason for what is expected to be a rebuilding year. The team finished with a 25-46-11 record last season under Alain Vigneault and Mike Yeo and was last in the Metropolitan Division.

They will open the regular season Oct. 13 against the division-rival New Jersey Devils.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.