Jeff Carter could be back in Game 2 for the Flyers...or not?

The good news just keeps on coming for the Flyers. With the team already rolling past the Canadiens in Game 1, rumors have come out that they may get their leading goal scorer back sooner than expected. According to CSN Philly, there is a chance that Jeff Carter, who has been out since injuring his foot in Game 4 against the Devils, could return to the Flyers as soon as Game 2 on Tuesday. As you may recall, initial reports back on April 21st speculated that Carter would miss 6 weeks so a comeback this soon would mean he has made an incredible recovery from his injury.

Of course, as soon as this rumor was broken by CSN Philly, the Flyers quickly squashed it, saying that a return in Game 2 or 3 would be highly unlikely. Take what the Flyers say at this time of the year with a grain of salt, though, teams don't like to give away when their players are returning in the playoffs.

While some may not want Carter back in the lineup given how well the Flyers are playing without him, I don't see how his return could be anything but a good thing. Since the Flyers are playing well, there is no reason to rush him back to the ice, but if he's ready to contribute, he needs to be playing, even if it's just on the power play or on the third or fourth lines. Adding a 30 goal scorer to the Flyers lineup will give them yet another weapon that the opposition has to figure out how to stop. Whether it's sooner or later, whenever Jeff Carter returns the Flyers offense gets that much more potent and their chances of winning a cup increase even more.