First it was Mike Knuble, now it’s Simon Gagne.

Anyone want to coax Peter Forsberg out of retirement?

All kidding aside, the Flyers bolstered their lineup with the addition of Gagne via a trade with the Los Angeles Kings that only cost the Flyers a conditional fourth round pick in the 2013 draft.

The Los Angeles Times is reporting that the pick becomes a third rounder if the Flyers make the playoffs.

Gagne, who turns 33 Friday, had fallen out of favor of Los Angeles coach Darryl Sutter because he didn’t fit the more physical bruising style that Sutter wants to employee, said he was contemplating asking for a trade when the call came that he was being sent back to Philadelphia.

VOORHEES, N.J. – It’s nice to know that the rest of the hockey world is taking notice of Jake Voracek too.

He’s been a rock star in Philadelphia this season, leading the Flyers in scoring (7-15-22) and moving into the top 10 (t-9th) in the NHL.

And because he did something last week that hadn’t been done by a Flyer in eight years – specifically score 11 points in four consecutive games – he was recognized by the league as the NHL’s first star of the week.

As a matter of fact, Voracek, whose career-high in points is 50 – in an 81-game season, is on pace for 53 points – in a 48 game season.

That’s, what you call, a breakout season.

PHILADELPHIA – The final numbers were nothing staggering.

There were 23 shifts, 14:54 of ice time, four penalty minutes, five shots, one hit and one takeaway.

But for Scott Hartnell it was a start. And it came far sooner than expected.

Hartnell returned to the Flyers lineup one month after suffering a fractured left foot and having surgery to repair it.

It was a surprise announcement by the Flyers, who had originally declared Hartnell out 4-8 weeks, trimmed it to 4-6 weeks, then narrowed it to five weeks with a declaration Wednesday that he was 7-10 days away.

That was trumped again by Thursday’s announcement that Hartnell was upgraded to 5-7 days away, which turned into today.

Below are some comments from Hartnell as well as his coach and teammates about his return to the ice:

UPDATE: So much for the conditioning assignment for Tom Sestito.

Sestito suffered a lower body injury in the second period of the Phantoms game and did not return. He was having trouble walking after the game.

Flyers general manager said Sestito would be re-evaluated tomorrow.

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PHILADELPHIA – When the Adirondack Phantoms take to the Wells Fargo Center ice tonight for a game against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, there’ll be a new face in the lineup.

The Flyers have sent Tom Sestito to the Phantoms for a conditioning assignment, which begins tonight.

The assignment may last just one game, as Sestito is expected to be available for the Flyers for tomorrow’s game against Winnipeg.

Sestito, 25, has two goals this season for the Flyers – both coming in a 2-1 win against Tampa Bay – and has played in seven games for the big club accruing 12 penalty minutes. He is also a plus-1.

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There’ll be a lot of familiar names in the lineup for the Phantoms tonight for the expected sold out Philadelphia crowd.

On defense will be three players with NHL experience with the Flyers – Danny Syvret, Brandon Manning and Andreas Lilja.

Up front, fans should recognize a bevy of forwards as well.

Aside from Sestito, Eric Wellwood, Jon Sim and David Laliberte have all played for the Flyers.

Backup goalie Scott Munroe dressed for the Flyers for several games, but never played for the team.

Cal Heeter will get the start in goal for Adirondack.

To contact Anthony SanFilippo, email asanfilippo@comcast-spectacor.com or follow him on Twitter @AnthonySan37

PHILADELPHIA – The Flyers were hoping for the best. Instead, they got the worst.

Just when it seemed the team was getting healthy and close to being at full force, Matt Read took a crunching hit from Penguins forward Chris Kunitz in the first period of yesterday’s game.

The result of that injury? Read has torn rib cage muscles.

He will be out of the lineup for six weeks.

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For Scott Hartnell, watching hockey, rather than playing it for the first time in his life, brought on new levels of frustration.

Saddled with a fractured foot, Hartnell has spent more time this season on his couch watching the Flyers than playing for them – and it hasn’t always been a pleasurable experience.

“Since I’ve been here in Philadelphia I’ve hardly missed any games,” Hartnell said. “So, to sit and watch games on T.V. like a fan – I’ve definitely thrown the remote across the room a couple times – and then I’ve forgotten that I have to hobble up to get it.”

But now, he doesn’t have to worry about that any longer.

Hartnell was back at practice Thursday, skating with the Adirondack Phantoms, the Flyers AHL affiliate who is in town for a game at the Wells Fargo Center tomorrow, at Skate Zone in Voorhees and then skating with Flyers’ reserves and assistant coaches afterward.

PITTSBURGH – Closer. Ever closer.

That’s the way to look at the impending returns of Scott Hartnell and Andrej Meszaros to the Flyers lineup.

General Manager Paul Holmgren announced that Hartnell was cleared to begin practicing with the team (which likely won’t happen, because of the compact schedule, until a morning skate Saturday – although it’s possible an optional skate could happen Friday) and could have a return to game action in a week-to-10 days.

That means Hartnell could return as soon as next Wednesday against Washington or by March 2 against Ottawa, which was the original target date for his return.

As for Meszaros, Holmgren added that he has continued to improve and that his return could be coming soon as well.

Meszaros will visit a doctor tomorrow and the Flyers will give an update afterward.

Hartnell has played just three games for the Flyers, fracturing the first metatarsal on his left foot on Jan. 22 when he was hit by two slap shots in the same spot – first by Devils defenseman Marek Zidlicky in the second period and later by teammate Kimmo Timonen in the third period. He had surgery to repair the fracture later that week.

Meanwhile Meszaros has played in only four games, suffering a severe sprain to the AC joint in his left shoulder in the very next game against the New York Rangers at the Wells Fargo Center.

To contact Anthony SanFilippo, email asanfilippo@comcast-spectacor.com or follow him on Twitter @AnthonySan37

PITTSBURGH – When the NHL schedule was released in early January, the common sentiment was that everyone would have to endure a condensed schedule of 48 games in 99 days.

Yet, no one had to endure the grueling start the Flyers did. Consider the following:

- After tomorrow night’s game at the Wells Fargo Center against Florida, the Flyers will have played 19 games in the season’s first 34 days, more than any other team in the NHL.

- Tonight is the Flyers’ 12th road game in their first 18 games – most in the NHL.

- Tomorrow completes the sixth set of back-to-back games the Flyers have played in the opening month. The six sets – you guessed it, most in the NHL. And, of those 12 back-to-back games nine were on the road.

The schedule-maker was not kind, to say the least.

UNIONDALE, N.Y. – It’s hard to find a turning point in a 7-0 hockey game, but on this afternoon there was one.

Leading 1-0, the Flyers suddenly found themselves shorthanded two men for a full two minutes against a very good New York Islanders power play that was ranked second in the NHL.

Referee Dan O’Halloran made a questionable call on Kimmo Timonen for interference, which came immediately on the heels of a blatant trip of Danny Briere that wasn’t called.

Wayne Simmonds didn’t like the call, so he had a comment for O’Halloran. The referee must have been in a foul mood, because he immediately teed up Simmonds for unsportsmanlike conduct.

It was looking bleak at that point for the Flyers, but their penalty kill unit did a masterful job.

NEWARK, N.J. – While the Flyers continued their season-long road trip here in the Swampland, a very important part of the team was back at home and put on a pair of skates for the first time in three weeks.

Scott Hartnell was cleared by doctors to resume skating, and he did this morning for the first time.