NEW YORK _ Nolan Patrick, the Flyers' third-line center, has a migraine disorder and will be sidelined indefinitely, general manager Chuck Fletcher announced Thursday.
Patrick has not taken part in training camp, but has been skating on his own, working out and watching video of the Flyers' new system .
Fletcher did not say if the headaches were related to the concussion Patrick suffered late last season, causing him to miss the final two games.
"Our medical staff believes with the proper treatment, it'll be under control," Flyers coach Alain Vigneault said before Thursday's exhibition game against the Rangers at Madison Square Garden. "Hopefully it'll be sooner rather than later. But the young man has to get healthy and I have to deal with the players that are healthy right now and he's not one of them."
Drafted with the No. 2 overall pick in 2017, Patrick scored 13 goals in each of his first two seasons. The Flyers signed Kevin Hayes as the No. 2 center in the offseason, dropping Patrick to the No. 3 unit and hoping it would give him better matchups.
Patrick, 21, will not make the trip to Europe.
After consultation with the Flyers' medical staff and with specialist Dr. Jeffrey Kutcher from the University of Michigan, Patrick was diagnosed with the migraine disorder, Fletcher said in a statement.
He said the team would provide additional information when the Flyers return from Europe. On Friday, the Flyers will head to Switzerland, where they will play an exhibition game Monday.
Officially, Patrick is listed as "week to week."
With Patrick out of the lineup, rookie Connor Bunnaman, who has had a strong preseason after scoring 19 goals for the AHL's Phantoms last year, has a good chance to make the team as its fourth-line center.
Down the road, there is a chance Claude Giroux moves from left wing to center, but that is not the plan at the moment.
