Philadelphia Flyers captain Sean Couturier will return to the lineup against the Boston Bruins after serving two games as a healthy scratch, the team announced.
Couturier, named captain just over a month ago, was relegated to the press box for games against the Toronto Maple Leafs and Carolina Hurricanes. Head coach John Tortorella, known for making statement moves like this, remained tight lipped about the situation on Thursday.
When asked what he needed to see from Couturier going forward, the 65-year-old cut off the reporter mid-question and said, “I’m not talking about Sean.”
Prior to making him a healthy scratch, Tortorella had been critical of Couturier’s play, benching him during the Flyers’ loss to the Bruins last week. Couturier finished the game with only 11:10 of ice time, well below his season average of 18:36.
The 31-year-old has 11 goals and 36 points in 64 games this season but hasn’t scored in his past 15 games with only four assists over that span. He is just four years removed from receiving the Selke Trophy, awarded to the best defensive forward in the league.
He missed most of the 2021-22 season and the entirety of 2022-23 due to a back injury.
Couturier is in his 12th season with the Flyers, who drafted him eighth overall in 2011. He has played 721 games with 180 goals and 280 assists for 460 points.
The Flyers (35-26-8) are third in the Metropolitan Division with 78 points — only three points up on the Washington Capitals in the race to the playoffs.
