BUFFALO -- Jamie Drysdale had surgery in April to repair a "significant injury" but is expected to be ready when the Philadelphia Flyers begin training camp in September, general manager Daniel Briere said.
Briere would not specify the nature of Drysdale’s surgery but had said April 18 that the defenseman could need a procedure in his lower body or core muscle area.
"He got checked after the season and there's a significant injury there that he needed surgery on," Briere said Thursday while attending the 2024 NHL Scouting Combine.
Drysdale had five points (two goals, three assists) in 24 games with the Flyers after being acquired in a trade with the Anaheim Ducks on Jan. 8. He missed 16 games because of an upper-body injury sustained Feb. 25 that occurred when he collided with Pittsburgh Penguins forward Jansen Harkins. The injury appeared to affect his left shoulder, which was the same one he had surgically repaired in November 2022, which ended his 2022-23 season after 10 games.
Briere said Drysdale's surgery was not related to his previous shoulder injury and that the procedure would allow the defenseman to better showcase his skill set.
"He wanted to play games," Briere said. "He's had a lot of injuries to deal with the last few years so he wanted to play, so I give him a lot of credit. He showed a lot of character, leadership, the way he handled it.
"He should be in a much better position [next season], should be a lot freer to play."
Briere also said defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen is proceeding well in his rehabilitation from surgery April 18 to repair a ruptured triceps tendon and should be ready for the start of training camp. He was expected to need three months to recover.
The Flyers' biggest offseason priority could be forward Travis Konecny, who is eligible to sign a contract July 1. This season will be the last of the six-year, $33 million contract ($5.5 million average annual value) he signed Sept. 16, 2019.
Konecny led the Flyers with 68 points (33 goals, 35 assists) in 76 games and led the NHL with six short-handed goals.
"If there's something, we would like to make it happen to keep him a Flyer for the rest of his career," Briere said. "We'd be excited with that."
Briere wasn't as sure about the future of forward Ryan Johansen, who was acquired in a trade with the Colorado Avalanche on March 6 but hasn’t played for Philadelphia because of a hip injury.
"He's going through some kind of rehab," Briere said. "He had an injection, claims he has a hip injury. At this point, honestly I'm not too sure where it's at. We're not sure if he's going to need surgery, or if he's going to be ready for camp. We don't really know at this point."
Briere said whatever happens with Johansen would not affect the decision to possibly buy out the contracts of forward Cam Atkinson or goalie Cal Petersen. Each has one season remaining on his deal.
Atkinson had 28 points (13 goals, 15 assists) in 70 games this season but was scratched in 11 of the final 17 games. Petersen was 2-2-0 with a 3.90 goals-against average and .864 save percentage in five games (four starts) before being placed on waivers and finishing the season with Lehigh Valley of the American Hockey League.
"We're looking at every option," Briere said. "Because we're tight on [NHL salary] cap space, we're still looking at every possible option in that direction. Both Cam Atkinson and Cal Petersen want to prove that they can still play in the NHL. So we're evaluating all of that, but we haven't made a final decision yet."
Briere's focus is preparing for the 2024 Upper Deck NHL Draft, which will be held at Sphere in Las Vegas on June 28-29.
The Flyers have two picks in the first round: No. 12 and the Florida Panthers' selection at either No. 31 or No. 32, which will be determined after the Stanley Cup Final.
Philadelphia could have as many as 10 picks in the 2024 draft and also has two picks in each of the first and second rounds of the 2025 NHL Draft, which could allow the Flyers to address present as well as future needs during the offseason.
"We're looking at every option," he said. "It gives us the chance to maybe be open-minded to being creative with something different."
