Flyers' Konecny returns vs. Sabres, Couturier won't play this season

Philadelphia Flyers leading scorer Travis Konecny returned to the team's lineup Saturday against the Buffalo Sabres.

Flyers head coach John Tortorella said pregame that forward Sean Couturier won't play this season, according to The Athletic's Charlie O'Connor.

Konecny hadn't played since Feb. 20 after sustaining an upper-body injury against the Calgary Flames. Despite missing 16 contests, the 26-year-old still paces the Flyers with 27 goals and 54 points.

Couturier has been sidelined due to a back injury. He last played for Philadelphia on Dec. 18, 2021.

Tortorella noted that Couturier didn't sustain a setback in his recovery, but that the decision was made to not risk bringing him back for the final eight games of the season, according to O'Connor.

"I said to (Couturier), 'Why don't we use the next few months to get even more ready?'" Tortorella said.

"This guy's a whole different animal, he wants to (play)," the coach continued, according to NBCS Philadelphia's Jordan Hall.

The Flyers entered Saturday sitting seventh in the Metropolitan Division with a 29-32-13 record.