Imagine how frustrating this scenario would be to live through.

You’re a highly-regarded prospect in your sport and as you move closer to reaching a point where you’re truly getting an opportunity to show what you can do at the highest levels of that sport, you can’t stay healthy. It seems like every time you rehab from one injury, another one hits.

That’s what Sam Morin has experienced for over a year now. The Flyers drafted him in the first round of the 2013 NHL Draft, with the 11th overall pick. After two more seasons in junior hockey, he came to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms for the 2015-2016 season and played in 76 games. The next season, he played in 74 games with Lehigh Valley and made his NHL debut with the Flyers in April of 2017. Looking forward to a big season, most likely with much of it spent with the Flyers, Morin was introduced to the injury bug.

A number of injuries, that started with a groin injury early in the season, limited him to just two games with the Flyers early in the year and then just 15 with the Phantoms. Last May, in the Phantoms classic five-overtime playoff game against the Charlotte Checkers, Morin suffered a torn ACL. He wasn’t able to skate until this past December and prior to last Friday night, hadn’t appeared in a game at any level.

The 23-year old was loaned to the Phantoms on a conditioning assignment and he took to the ice with Lehigh Valley Friday night against Bridgeport at the PPL Center. The Phantoms won in overtime, but Morin was admittedly not at his best.

“I was a bit nervous. I was exhausted out there; I was cramping so much at the end. It’s not easy what I’ve done today. Obviously, I’m not where I was last year, you can see it,” admitted Morin after the game.

Interim coach Kerry Huffman noted that Morin was struggling through his shifts late in the game, but overall, was pleased with his play. He noted that the Sound Tigers didn’t get as many charges on the net when Morin was on the ice.

With a planned night off on Saturday, it was thought Morin would return to the lineup Sunday but that didn’t happen. After Sunday’s 4-3 loss to Hershey, Huffman said he wasn’t sure what the plan would be for Morin going forward.

“He’s definitely going with us to Charlotte [for games Friday and Saturday nights] and hopefully, with a good week of practice here we can ramp him up and get him ready to play both of those games down there,” Huffman said.

ANOTHER RETURN TO THE ICE... Pascal Laberge, who underwent hip surgery during training camp, is getting close to returning to the ice, possibly as early as this weekend. Laberge was activated and loaned to the Phantoms last week and has been skating with the team. Like Morin, Laberge, 20, will also make the trip to Charlotte.

“He’s another guy that’s just got to ramp up practice and get some physicality and see how he reacts. He could be available to us in Charlotte,” reported Huffman.

NOW THE BAD NEWS... Cole Bardreau has been out since early December with an upper-body injury and isn’t close to returning. Bardreau hasn’t returned to skating and Huffman figures he’s at least about a month from getting back to game condition. Defenseman David Kase is also going to be out longer than initially thought. Kase was hoping to return this past weekend, but that was pushed back without giving a new timetable. Reece Wilcox also missed the games on Saturday and Sunday with an undisclosed injury. Huffman was non-commital about when he would be back in the lineup.

STOLARZ HEADS NORTH... Former Phantoms goalie Anthony Stolarz was shipped to the Edmonton Oilers late Friday night as the Flyers acquired veteran goalie Cam Talbot from Edmonton. The 25-year old Stolarz played in 12 games with the Flyers this season with a 4-3-3 record and a .902 save percentage. In Talbot, the Flyers gain a goalie who ranked last in save percentage and 28th in goals against average among the 29 NHL goalies who have played 30 or more games this season. So, why did the Flyers want Talbot?

Flyers current starter Carter Hart considers Talbot to be somewhat of a mentor to after the two spent time working out this past summer, with Talbot giving constructive criticism and encouragement to Hart. That relationship could pay dividends for Hart and the Flyers. Plus, in acquiring the 31-year old Talbot, the Flyers hope to recapture some of the magic he showed as the Oilers starting goalie over the past two seasons and gave up only Stolarz, who didn’t figure in the team’s long-term plans.