Philadelphia Flyers place Michael Leighton and Ian Laperriere on injury reserve
On Wednesday, October 6, the Philadelphia Flyers placed goaltender Michael Leighton and winger Ian Laperriere on the short-term injury reserve list. The moves reduced the Flyers roster
to 22 players for Thursday's season opener against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
In late September, Leighton was diagnosed with a bulging disk in his back. Leighton was signed by the Flyers in December 2009 after the Carolina Hurricanes placed him on waivers, and he
took the starting job from Brian Boucher after Boucher sustained a cut to his finger during a game. Leighton went 10-0-2 in his first 12 games with the Flyers. In March, Boucher was back in goal when Leighton suffered a high ankle sprain. Leighton came back
during the playoffs when Boucher injured both knees.
Leighton was in net for the Flyers during their run to the Stanley Cup final against the Chicago Blackhawks. The Flyers fell to the Hawks in game six of their seven game series.
In the off-season, the Flyers were reportedly interested in free agent goalies Marty Turco and Evgeni Nabokov. In the end, the team elected to stick with Leighton, signing him to a two-year
contract worth $3.1 million.
Laperriere is suffering from nerve damage behind his right eye. His injury occurred during last season’s playoffs when he was hit in the face by a slapshot from Paul Martin of the New
Jersey Devils.
Both Leighton and Laperriere could be placed on the long-term injury list as early as today. Once on the long-term list, a player is required to sit out 10 games or 24 days. The team benefits
in that situation due to the fact that the player’s salary does not count against the salary cap while they are on the long-term injury list.
Leighton is expected to eventually be back with the Flyers, but Laperriere is another story. He is currently consulting with several doctors about his options and there is a distinct possibility
that he will miss the entire upcoming season or be forced to retire due to the lingering effects of his injury.
Boucher is expected to be the Flyers starting goalie in tonight’s game.