PHILADELPHIA — With a still-healing wound on his chin, the remnants of a handful of stitches thanks to an errant practice puck, Evgeny Medvedev had a smile on his face.

The Russian defenseman is ready to return to the lineup.

Medvedev, 33, has only played 10 games this season and the Flyers need the first-year NHLer badly.

He has one assist in his 10 games, but the Flyers know he can provide an offensive punch. For a team that's tied for worst in scoring in the NHL, they'll take anything they can get. The Flyers thought they were benching Medvedev in Vancouver as a healthy scratch, but after the game that night — in which he didn't play — the defenseman came clean on the airplane that he didn't feel right. He was tested for a concussion and the results said he had one.

Now, after a week's rest, he's ready to go. He thinks he has a lot to improve on.

"No good 5-on-5. No good on power play," Medvedev said in his broken, but still improving English evaluating his play. "Many shots. No goals."

The Flyers know he's better than that. He had an adjustment period after the preseason, in which he tied for the team lead in points, but the play wasn't as fast as regular season.

More From 97.3 ESPN