The Flyers have the day off from practice today but will resume preparations for Thursday's regular season opener in Boston. Between today and Wednesday, the Flyers will have to make roster cuts and become compliant with the salary cap (with Matt Walker still in camp, they are currently over the cap, even with Ian Laperriere going on LTIR late this week).
Here's a look at the remaining decisions the club has to make for the opening night roster?
Brayden Schenn vs. Sean Couturier'
Paul Holmgren has said that the club would like to carry both rookies on the opening night roster, if their available ice time and the salary cap outlook permit. On the latter front, the Flyers would need to shed at least one veteran's salary (not counting Walker's) in order to carry both Schenn ($3.1 million cap hit) and Couturier ($1.37 million) on opening night. Even with Laperriere's $1.7 million LTIR allowance, the Flyers do NOT have the cap space to carry both rookies with the rest of the roster composed as is.
As stated many times before, Jody Shelley's $1.1 million salary seems to be the most expendable via waivers. Alternatively the club were to trade young defensive winger Andreas Nödl ($845,000) it would have just enough to enter the season with both Schenn and Couturier but would have even less free cap space.
If, however, the Flyers want to give Couturier a nine-game trial with the big club early in the season without moving out a veteran, they also have the option of starting Schenn with the Phantoms and then re-evaluating their cap picture once they decide to call up the youngster.
In hockey terms, a 20-30 stint in the AHL could be beneficial to Schenn (as it was to Claude Giroux in his first pro year). Keep in mind that Schenn missed the latter part of the preseason with a shoulder injury -- he is now OK to play. Schenn posted one point -- an assist in the opener -- in four exhibition game appearances, but won 54 percent of his faceoffs (27 for 50).
The 18-year-old Couturier struggled in the faceoff circle and did not produce much offensively, but his defensive game was every bit as solid as advertised prior to the 2011 Entry Draft.
Shelley vs. Rinaldo vs. Harry Z
Shelley's status and preseason suspension have been discussed to death. Zolnierczyck's play was eye opening early in the preseason but he faded a bit later, and is likely to be sent to the Phantoms in the next few days. Rinaldo kept himself under control during the preseason and was generally effective in bringing some energy to the club; however, like Harry Z, Rinaldo is far from a heavyweight. One of these players will make the opening night roster as the 12th or 13th forward.
Matt Read vs. Andreas Nödl
Read has clearly earned his way onto the opening night roster, and has also earned a starting spot on the third line to start the season. He made himself impossible to cut. His presence, however, creates a bit of a problem. Read makes $900,000, which will eat up most of Laperriere's LTIR money to carry on the opening night roster.
Nödl has missed time in the preseason with a groin pull (he'll OK for the opener) and was outplayed by Read. He's been bumped either to the fourth line or the press box on opening night, unless he is traded or waived to be assigned to the Phantoms. I do not think the Flyers will go the latter route with the Austrian. Laviolette was generally happy with Nödl's play last season, although not as much in the second half as the first.
Oskars Bartulis vs. Erik Gustafsson
Gustafsson outplayed Bartulis during the preseason, and the puck-moving Swede probably merits a roster place above the Latvian blueliner. One problem is that Bartulis is subject to waivers and Gustafsson is not. The other problem is that Gustafsson ($900,000) would cost more against the cap than Bartulis ($600,000).
Andreas Lilja vs. Matt Walker
Walker has outplayed Lilja in the preseason and probably deserves to start the season as the Flyers' 6th defenseman. However, unless the club were to send Schenn to the minor leagues, the club is going to be very hard-pressed to squeeze Walker's $1.7 million on the roster. Lilja's two-year over-35 deal at $737,500 pretty much ensures him at least the 7th defense spot, and it does not require any special maneuvering to keep him. I could still see other NHL clubs with some cap space being interested in trading for Walker as their 6th D. Otherwise, he will go on waivers and be assigned to the AHL as a cap casualty.
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Two of the season's first three games (the season opener and first game at home will put the Flyers against both of last season's Stanley Cup finalists. The Flyers open the season in Boston and play their home opener against the Canucks on Oct. 12. In addition, the Flyers don't have to wait to long for their first game against prodigal sons Mike Richards, Simon Gagne and the rest of the Los Angeles Kings. LA pays a visit to the Wells Fargo Center on Wed. Oct 15.
After that tough stretch of four games, the Flyers actually have (on paper) one of their more favorable schedules over the balance of October. In total, seven of the 11 games this month will be played at the Wells Fargo Center. Only five of the games are against clubs that made the playoffs last season.
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • 
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