SUNRISE, Fla. — Philadelphia Flyers forward Danny Briere will be making his season debut Saturday night against the Florida Panthers.
Briere, who sustained a wrist injury while playing in Germany during the lockout, didn't sound optimistic after the morning skate about his chances of playing.
Briere said he feels comfortable in his ability to absord a hit and doesn't feel pain shooting the puck. The biggest problem, he says, is faceoffs.
The Flyers rank 24th in the league in faceoff percentage this season at 46.7.
"That, I can tell you, I'm not going to be able to be much help there," Briere said. "That's the big issue."
The Flyers, who are off to a 1-3 start, no doubt can use Briere's offensive skills, especially after losing Scott Hartnell to a foot injury for 4-8 weeks.
Briere admitted it's been tough having to watch the Flyers struggle at the start of the 2013 season.
"You feel a little responsible when the team is not getting the wins," he said. "You feel responsible for not being out there. It was good to finally get on the board last game, gave us a little breathing room for everyone around here."
Florida Panthers winger Kris Versteeg (groin) skated Saturday morning but was again scratched. Tomas Fleischmann (foot) returned to the lineup, while former first-round pick Quinton Howden (No. 25, 2010) made his NHL debut in place of Mike Santorelli, who was a healthy scratch.
NHL.com is the official web site of the National Hockey League. NHL, the NHL Shield, the word mark and image of the Stanley Cup, the Stanley Cup Playoffs logo, the Stanley Cup Final logo, Center Ice name and logo, NHL Conference logos, NHL Winter Classic name, and The Biggest Assist Happens Off The Ice are registered trademarks and Vintage Hockey word mark and logo, The Game Lives Where You Do, NHL Winter Classic logo, NHL Heritage Classic name and logo, NHL Stadium Series name and logo, NHL All-Star logo, NHL Face-Off name and logo, NHL. TV, NHL Premium, NHL After Dark, NHL GameCenter, NHL GameCenter LIVE, NHL Network name and logo, NHL Tonight name and logo, On The Fly, NHL Awards name and logo, NHL Draft name and logo, Hockey Fights Cancer, Because It's The Cup, NHL Green name and logo, NHL Vault, Hockey Is For Everyone, NHL Thanksgiving Showdown name and logo, NHL Centennial Classic name and logo, NHL Centennial Season logo, NHL100 Classic name and logo, NHL Global Series name and logo, NHL China Games name and logo, and Don't Miss A Moment are trademarks of the National Hockey League. All NHL logos and marks and NHL team logos and marks depicted herein are the property of the NHL and the respective teams and may not be reproduced without the prior written consent of NHL Enterprises, L.P. © NHL 2018. All Rights Reserved. All NHL team jerseys customized with NHL players' names and numbers are officially licensed by the NHL and the NHLPA. The Zamboni word mark and configuration of the Zamboni ice resurfacing machine are registered trademarks of Frank J. Zamboni & Co., Inc. © Frank J. Zamboni & Co., Inc. 2018. All Rights Reserved. Any other third party trademarks or copyrights are property of their respective owners. All rights reserved.