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Meltzer's Musings: Flyers Trim Roster to 32; Who is Gone and Who is Left?

September 19, 2013, 6:57 AM ET [378 Comments]
Bill Meltzer
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • RSSArchiveCONTACT
FLYERS TRIM ROSTER TO 32

With the Flyers training camp shifting from Philadelphia to Lake Placid and the team not playing another game until next Tuesday, head coach Peter Laviolette and general manager Paul Holmgren have pared down the roster to 32 players.

The most notable cuts made yesterday included 2013 first-round pick Samuel Morin, who was reassigned to the Rimouski Oceanic of the QMJHL, and Adirondack Phantoms assignees Tye McGinn, Jason Akeson, Mark Alt and Nick Cousins. Goaltender Anthony Stolarz, the Flyers second-round pick in the 2012 NHL Draft was reassigned on Monday to the OHL's London Knights after he appeared in the Flyers' preseason opener in London on Sunday.

The roster bubble players who are still in camp with the Flyers include 2012 first-round pick Scott Laughton (slide-rule eligible), 24-year-old Austrian rookie Michael Raffl, veteran tryout defenseman Hal Gill, young defenseman Oliver Lauridsen and checking line forwards Ben Holmstrom and Chris VandeVelde.

Gill is in competition with Bruno Gervais for the seventh defenseman (i.e., reserve) role on the NHL club. Thus far, the more mobile 28-year-old Gervais has outplayed the hulking 38-year-old
stay-at-home Gill. The latter has had some rough moments in his first two preseason games. However, a player does not get to play 1,100-plus NHL games the way Gill has unless he knows what he's doing. Gill is also a highly respected player in locker rooms throughout the NHL. As such, the Flyers will keep the tryout player around for awhile longer and the competition will keep going as camp progresses.

Neither Gill nor Gervais are likely to be penciled into the Flyers starting lineup this season barring injuries elsewhere in the lineup. However, the Flyers are still likely to trade a veteran defenseman among Andrej Meszaros or Nicklas Grossmann before the start of the season.

Lauridsen probably would have among the early round of cuts if he had not unexpectedly played so well during a late-season NHL callup last year and then held his own at the IIHF World Championships. The third-year pro earned an extended look in NHL camp as a result.

The only way I could see Lauridsen sticking with the big club at the start of the year would be if it is Grossmann that ends of getting dealt, That is a move I would personally oppose for hockey reasons, as I believe that the big Swede is currently the best of the stay-at-home, shot-blocking lot among himself, Gill and Lauridsen by a significant margin. As strictly a cap-management move, however, it would have some logic.

As of now, I think Erik Gustafsson has the inside track for the Flyers' sixth defenseman spot (again, that's assuming a veteran gets traded for cap space). However, he had a rough first period-and-a-half of the preseason opener. It's only one game and it would ridiculous to overreact but there are also no guarantees. Gustafsson will still need to play reasonably well over the remainder of the preseason.

The early indications from the Flyers are that Raffl has a strong shot to win the open third-line left wing spot on the NHL club. He has shown good speed and two-way awareness in duties on a scoring line in his first preseason game and a checking unit in his second game. I'm still of the opinion that making a direct jump from years of EBEL and Allsvenskan hockey to the NHL without an intermediate stop in the American Hockey League is an awfully tall task in the long run but Raffl has handled himself quite well thus far.

The Flyers have a tough decision to make with Laughton, because he is not AHL-eligible and the team already has the likes of Max Talbot and Adam Hall who are both either capable of playing the fourth-line center role (Hall's most likely spot) or playing on a checking wing (Talbot). It would be preferable in my view to keep Laughton at his natural center spot rather than shifting him to a wing.

I would not be opposed to Laughton playing the fourth line center role as a rookie if he can beat out Hall for the job. I don't buy into the notion that a young, pro-ready forward -- defensemen and goalies are a somewhat different story -- can't develop if he's playing limited minutes in the NHL rather than big minutes on a junior team against lower-grade competition. Is it better to be practicing daily with and against the likes of Claude Giroux, Vincent Lecavalier and Sean Couturier or averaging over a point-per game in game action against OHL-grade competition?

If the rules allowed it, the AHL would be the ideal place for Laughton to play this season. He'd get more playing time for the Phantoms in a variety of situations than he'd get for the Flyers, facing superior game-in-and-game-out competition than he'd see in the Ontario League and getting daily practice time with and against talented young players such as Cousins.

Alas, the rules say that the 19-year-old Laughton is ineligible for the American Hockey League despite having three OHL seasons under his belt. It's a joke of a rule that benefits neither the player nor the NHL team that already has him under entry-level contract.

When all is said and done, I suspect that Hall will hold his spot and Laughton's contract will ultimately slide for one more year, but hopefully Laughton makes that a real tough decision as camp continues. If he's reassigned to Oshawa, Laughton would eligible to finish the 2013-14 season in the AHL after his junior year is done. His entry-level contract would start next year.

The 2013-14 season is a make-or-break year for Holmstrom's long-term NHL callup hopes. Now 26, the defensively responsible center has dressed in seven games for the Flyers. Last season, unfortunately, he suffered a season-ending knee injury that ended his American Hockey League season after just 22 games. In that time, however, the Phantoms' captain established himself as the sort of player that defense-first head coach Terry Murray had faith in to play a physical but generally disciplined brand of hockey.

I don't think Holmstrom will make the Flyers out of camp, but he's still a callup candidate. He seems healthy now, and he's been a player the organization has liked for years.

VandeVelde centered the fourth line in each of the Flyers' two preseason games played in Philadelphia. Like Holmstrom, the 26-year-old University of North Dakota product, is a defensively solid forward with modest offensive upside at the pro level. VandeVelde dressed in 10 NHL games last year for the Edmonton Oilers (and 28 total NHL games) but has mostly played at the AHL level.

VandeVelde recently signed an AHL contract with Adirondack, which makes him currently ineligible to play for the Flyers. However, now that the contracts of Taylor Leier (WHL's Portland Winterhawks), Stolarz and Morin have slid to their junior teams, there would be an open NHL contract slot if the Flyers were to want to cancel VandeVelde's AHL deal in favor of signing him to a two-way NHL contract.

Do I expect that to happen? No, not particularly. But if Laughton is re-assigned to Oshawa, the Flyers are down to 48 contracts. Depending on the rehab progress of Eric Wellwood (currently on an AHL minor league contract for the season), one open slot may go to him. That scenario would still leave one open slot. While I couldn't see VandeVelde as an NHL regular, he is a capable call-up player as a fill-in but would need to be an NHL contract to be available if needed.

Below is the full list of roster cuts made yesterday, with commentary on each.

Assigned to the Adirondack Phantoms (AHL)

Brandon Alderson: The late-blooming overage forward will enter his first full pro year.

Jason Akeson: He played very well in the preseason opener but a) is a player who needs to play on a scoring line and is not a good candidate for a third-line role and b) still has two strikes against him as an AHL prospect as an undersized player with just-average skating.

Mark Alt: The rookie defenseman stands a strong chance of eventually becoming an NHL player if he stays healthy. It might not be this year, but it may be in the not-too-distant future. His late-season Phantoms partner last year, Andreas Lilja, said he's got a chance to be "something special" as a defenseman with both shutdown and puck-moving ability. After Tuesday's preseason game, Gill had similar praise for Alt's tools and said "when he puts it all together," he's got a good shot at being an NHL regular. That's a combined 1,690 games worth of NHL blueline experience saying that the rookie pro has all the tools to eventually be a future regular at the top level.

Rob Bordson: He's a hard-working player who gained Murray's trust last year and started in 76 games as a role-player for the Phantoms. Bordson will perform similar duties this year.

Tyler Brown: A hot name entering last year as a potential callup player for the Flyers bottom six, that talk cooled off quickly during an up-and-down campaign with the Phantoms. It was not a surprise that he was among the early round of NHL roster cuts.

Carsen Chubak: The undersized rookie goalie is a battler, which is an absolute must for a player who plays a position where the athletes who make it as pros are getting bigger and bigger. He's on a minor-league deal with the Phantoms and, with veteran Yann Danis (still in Flyers camp as the third goalie) likely to start for Adirondack and second-year-pro Cal Heeter as the backup, Chubak's most probable landing spot to start the season is the ECHL's Greenville Road Warriors.

Doug Clarkson: The younger brother of the Toronto Maple Leafs' David Clarkson was recently signed to a minor-league contract. He scored a goal against the Leafs in the preseason opener in London. Clarkson will now battle for a bottom-six roster spot on the Phantoms. The 24-year-old is a big (6-foot-5, 242 pound) crash-and-bang type of role player. He spent last season in the ECHL, including a stint with the now-defunct Trenton Titans.

Nick Cousins: Cousins was arguably the most effective forward in a Flyers uniform in the preseason opener in London. Even so, the rookie's AHL assignment was pretty much a foregone conclusion. The organization wants the agitating, skilled forward to continue to work on his skating and improve his defensive play. He may see time at wing this season in addition to playing his natural center role.

Steven Delisle: The 6-foot-6, 23-year-old minor league defenseman is on the Adirondack/Greenville bubble.

Cullen Eddy: The gritty, hard-working Eddy started 70 AHL games last year and is likely to play a third-pairing role for the Phantoms this season.

Kyle Flanagan: The severely undersized but offensively talented center will play a top-six role for the Phantoms this season.

Cal Heeter: The second year pro got the start in the Flyers' shootout win in Toronto. He enters the 2013-14 season as the number four goalie on the depth chart. He will battle to split AHL duties with veteran Danis.

Tyler Hostetter: The Lititz, PA native is probably bound for Greenville this season in the final year of his entry-level contract.

Andrew Johnston: The second-year forward will look to earn a regular spot for the Phantoms this season. The 22-year-old split last season between Adirondack and Trenton. A concussion suffered in his first game with the Titans set him back a bit.

Matt Konan: The defenseman quietly but steadily improved over the course of his rookie pro season and even got a two-game NHL cup of coffee when the big squad was decimated by blueline injuries at the tail end of last season. He also looked good in rookie camp earlier this month. Konan will battle for increased AHL playing time this season and aim to work his way up on the NHL callup depth chart. He'd currently be the third or fourth callup option, which speaks to the rapidly improving defensive depth in the Flyers farm system.

Maxim Lamarche: The QMJHL overager will enter his rookie pro season with the Phantoms.

Matt Mangene: The speedy but undersized converted defenseman should see increased AHL playing time this season but will need improved consistency.

Brandon Manning: Along with Lauridsen (presuming the Dane is eventually assigned to the Phantoms), Manning is one of the top two defense callup candidates. He needs to have a better defensive season this year.

Derek Mathers: The rookie enforcer candidate must continue to work on his all-around game. He's a better player this September than he was a year ago entering his final OHL season, but there is still a long way to go before he can skate shifts in the NHL. He was, however, arguably the top fighter in the OHL prior to graduating to the pro level.

Tye McGinn: What is holding the gritty McGinn back from an NHL job, after generally looking strong in callup duty after the lockout last year? First, he needs to continue to improve his skating. Secondly, if he's going to hold a third-line or fourth-line spot in the NHL, he still has room for improvement in his defensive awareness. McGinn has made significant strides in both areas in his two pro seasons to date but the organization clearly feels there is still additional room for improvement.

McGinn was set back last season by a fractured orbital bone suffered in a fight with Mike Brown on Feb. 25. After last Friday's training camp session at the Wells Fargo Center, I asked McGinn if he felt fully up-to-speed or tentative at all about playing his characteristically aggressive, grind-it-out style of play after his return to the lineup. He furrowed his brow and said he simply healed, followed his rehab course and then resumed playing feeling fine and without a second thought about the injury.

I am still not totally convinced that was true. McGinn was notably less physically aggressive late in the season. He got into 13 more AHL games and two more NHL games following the eye injury. He had just two penalty minutes (a tripping minor in a March 20 game against Norfolk) in that span. While penalty minute totals aren't always the most reliable gauge of someone's physical play, when McGinn plays his customary style he generally averages the equivalent of a minor penalty every other game with an occasional fight mixed in.

McGinn, who advanced significantly last season as a net-front power play forward at the AHL level, closed out of the AHL season with 11 points (3 goals, 8 assists) in his final 13 games. However, he went pointless in his final six games for the Phantoms last season. He did not record a point or penalty and was minus three in his two late-season NHL games with the Flyers after the injury.

The thing I like about McGinn is that he is generally tenacious along the boards and has underrated hands around the net. Add that to his willingness to drop the gloves when needed and you have a player who can potentially plugged in different roles around an NHL lineup. However, the vibe that Peter Laviolette gave off about the player both last season and in camp was that there were others he preferred as regulars in his lineup.

As such, I was not shocked that McGinn was among the cuts made yesterday. I still think he'll be one of the first players called up when injuries strike, but it's also clear he will need further improvements if he is to claim a full-time NHL job at some point this year.

Mark Nemec: The fact that the Unversity of Maine product was sent to the Phantoms camp speaks to the tryout defenseman's solid showing at rookie camp.

Marcel Noebels: I had Noebels as a dark horse to push for an NHL spot out of camp, but he really didn't stand out much thus far in camp or in his preseason outing against Washington. He still has some skating deficiencies but has improved all-around game over the last year.

Petr Straka: The rookie offensive specialist did not show enough in camp to earn an extended look with the big club. Straka was pretty much invisible in the home preseason game against Washington but did get a crack during the shootout (failing to score). Straka enters his first pro season being counted on to produce offense for the Phantoms. He is a top-six-or-bust type of prospect in terms of eventual NHL upside.

Zack FitzGerald: The fan favorite tough guy will play the same role for the Phantoms that he did last season. It seems like he will be a full-time forward but can also still take shifts on defense if needed.

Players loaned to junior clubs

Tyrell Goulbourne (Kelowna, WHL): If the Flyers are right that he is a Zac Rinaldo-type in the making, next year will the season when he will be likely to play in the AHL and try to work his way up.

Taylor Leier (Portland, WHL): Recently signed to a slide-rule eligible entry-level contract, Leier will resume his role as an important two-way forward on one of the WHL's powerhouse teams. There is a lot to like about his speed, hockey sense and tenacity but Leier is a bit undersized and his pro-level offensive upside suggests his future is as a third-line or fourth-line player.

Samuel Morin (Rimouski, QMJHL): In my opinion, the Flyers made the right decision to send Morin back to his junior team now instead of later. First of all, he wasn't going to make the NHL roster out of camp with the glut of veterans. Secondly, the Quebec League regular season is already underway. The Flyers will not play again for a week, and subsequent games will see them use their projected starters and roster bubble defensemen with greater frequency. That would have meant less ice time for Morin. Lastly, even with the enormous potential he showed during training camp, there are areas of his game where he needs development this season.

Morin was tremendous for an 18-year-old defenseman in his first NHL camp. He's got an entry-level contract in hand, played two strong preseason games with a lot of ice time and can go back to Rimouski brimming with confidence. I'd even go so far as to say he might push for an NHL job next season -- something I would not have said back in June, but he looked to be a year ahead of where I expected. But the timing was right to return him to the Q.

Released from professional tryout

Todd Orlando: Believe it or not, the 6-foot-8 Orlando was actually the biggest defenseman at camp; it may have been the first time in Hal Gill's long career that he wasn't the tallest defenseman at camp. But the 27-year-old looked like an ECHL-caliber player in limited viewings at camp and the Phantoms already had an overrun of defense candidates as it is.


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