Fully recovered Foerster likely to start season opener

VOORHEES, N.J. – If the Flyers had one worry over the summer, it was the health status of Tyson Foerster.
Foerster suffered a severe gash on his elbow during the World Championships and the cut became infected. He needed surgery plus some follow-up work to get things right again.
After Thursday’s practice, he disclosed he’s pretty much back to playing ability and hopes to see some preseason action.
“It felt great actually,” said Foerster, who’s still wearing a no-contact jersey in practice. “I think I’m right there. The trainers are doing a great job. By the start I think I’ll be good to go.”
Foerster teammed up with center Noah Cates and right wing Bobby Brink to form probably the Flyers’ best all-purpose line last season. That line just might start this season intact.
“I’m just thankful it (the infection recovery timeline) wasn’t a long as some people said,” Foerster said. “I’m hoping to get back for game one.”
Foerster closed his last season quickly, totaling 25 goals, one behind team leader Matvei Michkov.

>Captain likes new staff

Captain Sean Couturier had his disagreements with former coach John Tortorella so the change at the top might be a good thing for the Flyers’ veteran player.
“I think with the new coaching staff, every coach has his way of building things,” Couturier said. “And ‘Toc’ seems to want to get into systems right away. It’s fun to see.”
The two coaches might have differences in their styles but both believe in a certain work ethic.
“Push ourselves,” Couturier said. “Don’t get comfortable. Veterans are established NHL players but at the same time you can’t get too comfortable because there’s another guy pushing you for your job.
“I think you’re seeing now the depth that we have with draft picks over the last couple years and guys in the minors coming up. The message is keep getting better.”
Coach Rick Tocchet was captain of the team for much of the 1991-92 season. He knows the title can be challenging.
“Captain is hard,” he said. “When you’re captain, you always have to worry about the team. Then what happens is, it affects your game.
“So I want him to worry about his game. The leadership will come, I’ll help him out with that. A couple times he’s come up to me and said ‘hey, can we do this, can we do that?’ And that’s the relationship I want to have.”
Couturier said his relationships with the two coaches differed just a bit.
“I already had some good conversations with him (Tocchet),” Couturier said. “Probably more over the last three months than I had over three years with Torts.”

>Michkov looks relaxed

After an outstanding rookie campaign, Michkov sounds and looks more relaxed for the start of his second season.
Speaking through a translator, the 20-year-old Russian indicated he’s looking forward to bigger and better things under a new coaching regime. And that includes a better command of the English language.
“If I work hard, everything will come,” he said through an interpreter. “The second season I cannot say I don’t understand English. So there will be no excuses.”
Asked how proficient Michkov’s English is now, the player smiled.
“Better!” he exclaimed, drawing laughter from the assembled media.

>Konecny set to go

Travis Konecny enjoyed his best season in the NHL last year and he looks to continue that trend.
“It (the coaching change) is a nice little reset,” Konecny said. “So it’s exciting. Good first day.”
Tocchet was an assistant coach on Team Canada’s squad at the World Championships, so Konecny got a little preview of his personality.
“It was a short time, so not much time to get to know one another,” Konecny said. “It was nice having a familiar face. He did a great job there. I saw him at orientation, too, so we got to chat a bit. It seems great, he seems personable.”