UPDATE (1:00 P.M. EDT)
The Flyers have waived wingers Chris Porter and Colin McDonald for purposes of assigning both veteran players to the American Hockey League's Lehigh Valley Phantoms. That will bring the Flyers' roster down to 24 players. Porter is still eligible to play in tonight's game against the Devils.
At present, the final roster decision appears to come down to whether to carry 14 forwards or eight defensemen. The former would benefit Scott Laughton. The latter would benefit Brandon Manning. One thing that works in Manning favor is that second-year pro Laughton remains waiver exempt whereas Manning would have to pass through waivers first to start the season with the Phantoms.
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PRESEASON PREVIEW: FLYERS VS. DEVILS
Playing the penultimate game of the 2015 preseason schedule, Dave Hakstol's Philadelphia Flyers (3-1-1) host John Hynes' New Jersey Devils (1-4-0) at the Wells Fargo Center on Wednesday night. Game time is 7 p.m. EDT. The game will be televised locally on TCN Philadelphia.
The Flyers last played on Monday night, blowing a 2-0 lead in the third period and losing 3-2 in overtime to the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden. New Jersey last played on Saturday, dropping a 4-3 regulation decision to the Rangers at the Prudential Center. The game was tied at 2-2 at the second intermission. A goal by Kyle Palmieri put the Devils ahead in the opening minute of the third period but Chris Kreider later scored twice to win the game for New York.
The Flyers have had the injury bug bite them a few times over the past week. Sean Couturier and Michael Raffl are day-to-day with respective upper body injuries. Both players are expected to be available for opening night of the regular season, and Couturier may be ready to suit up for Friday's rematch against the Devils in Newark.
Goaltender Michal Neuvirth is expected to start against the Devils on Wednesday night. However, he did not practice on Tuesday and left the morning skate early on Monday. Lehigh Valley Phantoms goaltender Jason LaBarbera, who practiced with the Phantoms in Allentown on Monday, traveled to New York to back up Steve Mason in the Rangers game and then practiced with the Flyers on Tuesday. Assuming Neuvirth is ready to play against the Devils, LaBarbera will make his planned start for the Phantoms in their preseason road game against the Wilkes Barre/ Scranton Penguins on Wednesday.
Matt Read left the ice early at practice on Tuesday and was hobbled in the Rangers game. The player said after Tuesday's practice that he was OK and the issue was a charley horse.
Rosters and lineups (subject to change)
Flyers
The Flyers' morning skate on Wednesday featured the following combinations. One defense pair will be scratched.
10 Brayden Schenn - 28 Claude Giroux - 93 Jakub Voracek 33 Chris Porter - 89 Sam Gagner - 17 Wayne Simmonds 24 Matt Read - 49 Scott Laughton - 20 R.J. Umberger 76 Chris VandeVelde - 25 Ryan White - 78 Pierre Edouard Bellemare
55 Nick Schultz - 32 Mark Streit 15 Michael Del Zotto - 82 Evgeny Medvedev 23 Brandon Manning - 22 Luke Schenn
30 Michal Neuvirth [45 Jason LaBarbera]
Healthy scratches: 40 Vincent Lecavalier, 36 Colin McDonald, 35 Steve Mason, 47 Andrew MacDonald, 3 Radko Gudas.
Injury scratches: 12 Michael Raffl (day-to-day, upper body), 14 Sean Couturier (day-to-day, upper body).
Devils
12 Reid Boucher - 19 Travis Zajac - 21 Kyle Palmieri 14 Adam Henrique - 16 Jacob Josefson - 15 Tuomo Ruutu 20 Lee Stempniak - 51 Sergey Kalinin - 9 Jiri Tlusty 22 Jordin Tootoo - 37 Pavel Zacha - 25 Stefan Matteau
7 Jon Merrill - 28 Damon Severson 8 David Schlemko - 5 Adam Larsson 33 Seth Helgeson - 44 Eric Gelinas
1 Keith Kinkaid [35 Cory Schneider]