Flyers goalie Niittymaki has surgery, out 4-6 weeks

The Flyers will be opening camp soon, and they will find themselves without a backup goaltender. Antero Niittymaki, the backup to starter Martin Biron, had surgery on his left hip last week, and will miss 4 to 6 weeks as he recovers. Niitymaki's surgery was considered minor, but he will still miss the start of the regular season, meaning the Flyers will need to look elsewhere, at least for a few games, for a backup goaltender.

One option for the Flyers will be their former 1st round pick, Maxime Ouellet, who was invited to training camp following the Niitymaki surgery. Ouellet was drafted by the Flyers back in 1999 and then traded in the infamous Adam Oates deal. Ouellet never turned into the star goaltender that he was projected to be as he has bounced around the AHL and played only a few games in the NHL with the Washington Capitals and the Vancouver Canucks. If he earns the backup spot at the beginning of the year, he likely won't last long once Niittymaki is ready to play. The Flyers could also use Phantom Scott Munroe as a backup for a short period of time.

Check back on this site regularly for news on the Flyers. With preseason games starting next week and the season less than a month away, there should be plenty of Flyers news to discuss.