Jaromir Jagr remains doubtful for Thursdays game against the Florida Panthers because of a hip injury.
Jagr, who tangled up a couple of times in the second period against Detroit on Tuesday, said today that defenseman Braydon Coburn checked Valtteri Filppula into him, causing the injury.
General manager Paul Holmgren doesnt expect Jagr to play.
He is fairly sore and probably not available to play tomorrow, Holmgren said, adding that it will be Jagrs call because, he has a pretty good sense of where he is at with his body.
Jagr was laughing and joking with the media as usual today.
Cobie hit somebody, Filppula, and I was leaning and I saw him late, Jagr said. If I wouldnt have moved my leg, he think he would have blown my knee out. I just moved it at the last second. He hit my knee and he fell this way.It was more my knee and hip, but I was lucky I moved my knee away at the last second.
Jagr said he wanted to see how he felt at the morning skate. Again, Holmgren said that given his age40the call is entirely Jagrs.
NHL
Holmgren said the club would recall at least one, perhaps two forwards, from the Phantoms either today or tomorrow.
Timonen and Meszaros
Neither Kimmo Timonen (back) nor Andrej Meszaros (probable groin) will play against Florida.
They are both doing better, but its too soon to put a time frame on return on it, Holmgren said. Particularly with Kimmo were being a little more careful.
Mes injury kind of came out of nowhere. Its something we want to be careful with, too. With Kimmo, because of his age, were being extra careful with him.
Timonen turns 37 this month.
Loose pucks
Tommy Sestito (groin surgery) said he was feeling better and will soon begin to work out again. He is not able to do any kind of heavy lifting or strenuous exercise at the moment.Holmgren on collegiate free agent goalie Cal Heeter, signed from Ohio State on Tuesday: The college free agent market is an area where we have been active in the last few years. For a number of reasons. No. 1, we havent had a lot of draft picks. Its a very competitive market right now, too. When you get in that areaits basically recruiting. Neil Little and Ross Fitzpatrick have done a good job for us. Holmgren said the Flyers had followed Heeter quite extensively, and that Little was high on Heeter as a prospect. ... Thursday's morning skate is at Skate Zone. Coach Peter Laviolette said he wanted to work on some things here. Translation: it's too easy for the Panthers to see what he's working on at Wells Fargo Center where the Panthers will skate. ... The Flyers are hoping to have newly, re-designed banners of retired numbers installed before Thursday's game against Florida. The new banners will resemble Mark Howe's with a number and picture.
E-mail Tim Panaccio at tpanotch@comcast.net