With one preseason game remaining and the clock ticking toward the NHL's opening night roster submission deadline on October 9, the Flyers held a practice session plus an off-ice workout at the Flyers Training Center in Voorhees on Wednesday afternoon. The Flyers host the New York Islanders in the preseason finale on Thursday evening at the Wells Fargo Center at 7 p.m. EDT.
The Flyers had 14 forwards, eight defensemen and three goaltenders on the ice during practice. They did not do line rushes. The session was split in half between the Flyers rink and the Phantoms rink.
Forwards (15): Wade Allison, Cam Atkinson, Bobby Brink, Noah Cates, Sean Couturier, Nic Deslauriers, Joel Farabee, Tyson Foerster, Morgan Frost, Garnet Hathaway, Travis Konecny, Scott Laughton, Ryan Poehling, Owen Tippett.
Defensemen (8): Emil Andrae, Rasmus Ristolainen, Travis Sanheim, Nick Seeler, Marc Staal, Sean Walker, Cam York, Egor Zamula.
Goaltenders (3): Samuel Ersson, Carter Hart, Felix Sandström.
Defensemen Ronnie Attard and Adam GInning did not participate in the practice. Subsequently, the Flyers announced that the two blueliners have been assigned to the American Hockey League's Lehigh Valley Phantoms. The Flyers also learned that both goaltender Cal Petersen and center/winger Tanner Laczynski cleared waivers. Both Laczynski and Petersen have been assigned to the Phantoms.
Samu Tuomaala skated with JR Avon prior to practice. Avon continues to rehab a left knee PCL injury he suffered shortly before training camp. Tuomaala is also "nicked", per Flyers head coach John Tortorella.
Tortorella indicated that Ersson will be the backup goalie to Hart going into the season. Sandström will have to clear waivers prior to being assigned to Lehigh Valley.
For Thursday's game against the Islanders, Hart will start and go the distance in goal. Veteran defensemen Staal, Seeler and Walker will all be in the lineup as well, per Tortorella. The coach said it remains to be seen how managing playing time for some the veterans and young players will shake out but reiterated that the organization, is committed to making sure that younger defensemen get their share of playing time.
Totorella praised Zamula's training camp performance to date, saying that he's doing a lot of things well. He'd like to see Zamula read and react just a little quicker on certain plays but likes the collection of assets (height, mobility, reach, passing skill) that the defenseman brings. He felt that Andrae has had some ups and downs but was very pleased with what the young Swede showed in the third period and overtime of Saturday's game against the Devils.
Ginning and Attard also had good camps, according to Tortorella, and they are among the players narrowing the gap between players who will open the season in the NHL and Lehigh Valley players pushing for call-ups during the season. The coach said that the same areas of improvement he wants to see from Zamula also apply to Attard and Ginning. The key will be doing so at the NHL's pace of play.
