Flyers' Yeo: Ellis 'looking less and less likely' to return this season

Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Ryan Ellis hasn't officially been ruled out of the rest of the season, but his chances at slotting back into the lineup aren't looking promising.

"Not much of an update. We're getting to the point in the season where it's looking less and less likely that he'll play, but nothing has been fully determined yet," Flyers interim head coach Mike Yeo told NHL.com's Adam Kimelman on Tuesday.

Ellis was Philadelphia's splashiest acquisition in the offseason. The Flyers sent Philippe Myers and Nolan Patrick to the Nashville Predators in exchange for the veteran's services in July.

The 31-year-old suited up for Philadelphia's first three games of the season and chipped in with one goal and three assists. He then missed the Flyers' next nine games with a lower-body injury and returned to the lineup against the Dallas Stars on Nov. 13, but he hasn't played since after aggravating the ailment.

Ellis' initial return timetable in mid-November was four-to-six weeks. General manager Chuck Fletcher said in February that the team was trying to avoid surgery, per Kimelman.

Yeo added that Ellis hasn't had a substantial skating session recently.

"I don't know if he skated in the last few days. I wouldn't even really call it skating, what he was doing, as far as just kind of ... gliding around," Yeo said. "Certainly not pushing himself to any point where we would think that he's a possibility to return at any point here."

The Flyers are in last place of the Metropolitan Division with a record of 16-26-10.

Ellis is in the third season of an eight-year, $50-million contract.

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