Flyers Injury Update: Jordan Weal in, Nick Cousins Out

NEWARK, N.J. -- In comes one forward, out goes the other.

That was the case for the Flyers on Thursday as they took on the Devils at the Prudential Center, trying to keep their heart beating in the playoff race.

Jordan Weal, who missed Wednesday's 4-0 win over the Penguins because of lower-body injury, returned to the lineup and rejoined the team's top line.

The 24 year old has played well since being called up from AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley on Feb. 10. Entering Thursday, he had three goals and an assist in 11 games.

"Did some testing and stuff like that [Wednesday] to see if everything was all good and it was good news," Weal said pregame Thursday. "I'm ready to go now."

Weal has added much-needed speed and playmaking to the Flyers.

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"He's proven so far he's ready to take advantage of this opportunity and help our team, and that's what a player needs to do to be in the lineup," Flyers head coach Dave Hakstol said. "He's done that from the first day he came in.

"He's continued to earn his way, game by game. He's a hungry player, and that's the way he's played every day."

Weal would not say he was 100 percent healthy.

"It is what it is, but we're going to keep on moving forward," he said. "It will be good." 

Clearly good enough to give it a go for the Flyers, who were without Nick Cousins because of an upper-body injury. It's uncertain when Cousins suffered the injury but he is day to day. Playing limited minutes of late, Cousins totaled 8:52 of ice time in Wednesday's game.

Meanwhile, defenseman Brandon Manning missed a third straight game. He's recovering from an upper-body injury.

"Manning, he was good [Wednesday]," Flyers general manager Ron Hextall said. "Today, he's a little sore, so he's back to day to day."

Defenseman Nick Schultz replaced Manning for the third game in a row.

Forward Michael Raffl, who is expected to be out the remainder of the regular season with an upper-body injury, is on schedule in his recovery, according to Hextall.

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