Report unveils lack of clarity about Cam Atkinson's return from injury for Flyers

The Philadelphia Flyers are decimated by injuries once again, this time to their forward corps. They’re dealing with six lineup regulars sitting on the shelf — including Cam Atkinson, who’s not technically on injured reserve but is out indefinitely with an upper-body injury sustained during training camp.

A more definite timeline is coming into view now, though. The Fourth Period’s Anthony Di Marco relays from a team source that the team hopes Atkinson can make his season debut before New Year’s Day.

When exactly that return happens is still anyone’s guess, though. Di Marco reports that the organization is unsure whether Atkinson’s return could come within the next week or within the next month. It’s evident that the Flyers are being cautious, especially considering the team’s recent string of poor injury luck.

Atkinson is still waiting to be reunited for a regular-season game with head coach John Tortorella, who mentored Atkinson throughout the majority of his 10 seasons with the Columbus Blue Jackets. In 2018-19 under Tortorella, Atkinson enjoyed a career-best 41-goal, 69-point season.

Despite a rocky year for the rest of the Flyers last year, though, Atkinson actually had his best performance since that season in Columbus. His 23 goals, 27 assists, and 50 points were all second on the Flyers.

While the Flyers’ record is much-improved this season under Tortorella, it’s due in large part to the spectacular play of Carter Hart in goal. The Flyers’ goal-scoring ranks 26th in the NHL, with 46 through 18 games. The team sits at just .500 and remains a long shot for the playoffs, but Atkinson returning and providing a 25-to-30-goal pace would improve their waning chances.