Burly defenseman Radko Gudas was suspended for six games by the NHL on Monday, and it appears that Brandon Manning will be healthy enough to replace him when the Flyers' season opens Friday in Los Angeles.
Gudas was suspended for a shoulder-to-head hit on Boston rookie Austin Czarnik in the third period Saturday night.
Because of suspensions to Gudas and Brayden Schenn (three games), the Flyers will have 23 players on their roster, but only 21 available for the first three games.
Manning, bothered by a shoulder injury, was able to take contact during practice Monday in Voorhees. If he keeps progressing, he will be paired with Nick Schultz in the opener.
"Mad Dog had a good practice today, so he's heading in the right direction," said coach Dave Hakstol, referring to Manning by his nickname. "And with him in there, we'd feel real good about the group of six we do have."
The other pairings: Shayne Gostisbehere and Andrew MacDonald and Mark Streit and Ivan Provorov.
In a five-day span, the Flyers have lost Gudas and the injured Michael Del Zotto, weakening their defense.
"You start camp and a lot of the talk is, 'Where does everybody fit?' " Hakstol said. "And I think this is a great reminder of having quality at every position, and we've got quality on the blue line."
Hakstol said it's "never good to have good players out of the lineup for any reason, but in saying that, we can concentrate on the guys that are available."
The Flyers may recall a defenseman from the AHL's Phantoms to serve as an extra player during the season-opening, three-game road trip.
This is the second time Gudas has been suspended in his career.
