VOORHEES, N.J. — Final choices are on the subject of right here for the Flyers.
The membership’s 2022-23 season-opening make-up got here nearer into focal point Sunday forward of Monday’s 5 p.m. ET closing date to post a roster.
Following apply, the Flyers positioned forwards Zack MacEwen and Cooper Marody on waivers. If the 2 transparent waivers Monday afternoon, they will report back to AHL associate Lehigh Valley.
After being claimed off waivers remaining October, MacEwen become an ordinary on the Flyers’ fourth line remaining season. He performed a career-high 75 video games, recording 3 targets, six assists and a minus-15 ranking in 9:40 mins consistent with recreation. His 12 fights led the group and his 159 hits have been 2d maximum on the membership.
But the Flyers went 25-46-11 remaining season and a fourth-liner’s function is hardly sacrosanct. The Flyers have a brand new head trainer and two new assistant coaches this season. They additionally signed hard-nosed winger Nicolas Deslauriers, who performs a an identical function to MacEwen.
MacEwen’s spot seemed in danger when he was once no longer a number of the giant membership staff on Sept. 30 because the Flyers zeroed in on machine paintings.
“He’s played better. I think as the camp’s gone on, I think he’s played better in the exhibition games,” John Tortorella stated Sunday, about an hour earlier than the Flyers positioned MacEwen on waivers. “I don’t know, I don’t know where he fits.”
Hayden Hodgson was once the winger to edge out MacEwen. Both are 26 years outdated and they are alike in dimension. Hodgson’s cap hit is $125,000 inexpensive and his deal options one more 12 months of group keep an eye on in comparison to MacEwen’s one-year, $925,000 contract he inked in early August.
Hodgson grew to become heads in his NHL debut remaining March. He submit a purpose, an lend a hand and a plus-3 ranking within the Flyers’ 5-2 street win over the Blues. He then re-signed on a two-year, $1.6 million contract in overdue August.
“I’ve heard a lot about him,” Tortorella stated. “He’s had an OK camp. I’m no longer going to base the entirety on a camp.
“He’s a large frame, he is a prepared man. He’s indubitably somebody numerous folks within the group suppose very extremely of.
“I need to see more of him. He didn’t have a camp like [Noah] Cates, kind of a different player, but I didn’t notice him as much. That may work itself out. After tomorrow’s practice, those are the decisions we have to make.”
Among all the Flyers’ roster hopefuls, Cates was once some of the absolute best. The group has beloved the improvement of the 2017 fifth-round pick out. He’s in a position to lend a hand the Flyers now and Tortorella is able to consider him at middle.
“The thing with him, it’s not so much playing a couple of positions, he’s a pretty smart player, too,” Tortorella stated. “So you’ll be able to jump him round the entire strains, proper on up during the lineup. I’m going to have him at middle as a result of we are short of a middle, particularly with [Sean Couturier] out.
“You can see how cerebral he is about the game.”
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Cates signed his entry-level deal in March after a four-year collegiate profession at Minnesota Duluth. He had a powerful 16-game audition with the Flyers on the finish of remaining season (5 targets, 4 assists).
“My goal is to be an NHL regular as quickly as I can,” Cates stated Sunday. “If you’re making the group Monday, you have to make it Tuesday, you have to make it Wednesday, you have to make it each day of the 12 months. Because issues can occur, you’ll be able to transfer up and down, you have to make that group each day, you have to earn it each day.
“I think with the new coaching staff, that’s kind of that standard where you can’t rest on your laurels or anything like that. Whether you have a good game or a bad game, you’ve got to come even hungrier the next day.”
Here’s how the Flyers appeared in apply Sunday. They open the common season Thursday night time in opposition to the Devils on the Wells Fargo Center.
Forwards
Scott Laughton-Kevin Hayes-Travis Konecny
James van Riemsdyk-Morgan Frost-Wade Allison
Joel Farabee-Noah Cates-Owen Tippett
Nicolas Deslauriers-Tanner Laczynski-Hayden Hodgson
Cooper Marody-Jackson Cates-Zack MacEwen (further line)
Defensemen
Tony DeAngelo-Ivan Provorov
Travis Sanheim-Rasmus Ristolainen
Nick Seeler-Justin Braun
Egor Zamula-Ronnie Attard (further pair)
Cam Atkinson (higher frame) didn’t play in any of the Flyers’ six preseason video games. However, he was once ready to apply during nearly all of coaching camp and had not too long ago been rehab skating.
Tortorella stated he is assured Atkinson will probably be in a position for the opener.
“We’ll probably go with the same group tomorrow and then after the group, we’ll see where it all is,” Tortorella stated of the Flyers’ ultimate choices. “We’ll have more information on Cam; all that stuff comes into play.”
More: Farabee takes notable step; Tortorella says placing D-man on waivers a ‘difficult one’
With issues in web, Felix Sandstrom (decrease frame) returned to apply. He have been rehab skating after struggling his harm all the way through the Flyers’ 4-0 preseason loss to the Bruins just a little over per week in the past.
During that exhibition recreation, Sandstrom stated there have been a few sequences through which he had to achieve too a long way and “it wasn’t feeling good.”
He felt just right Sunday in apply. If wholesome, the 25-year-old will probably be Carter Hart’s backup.
“Usually in a rehab skate, you do everything in control,” he stated. “[In practice], guys are coming down, taking pictures and passing in numerous techniques, it’s important to make reads and all that. It’s other, it’s important to be more uncovered possibly. That’s a fantastic step to peer how the frame handles that.
“Today was a good day.”
More: Up, down, up, down — Hart is going via ‘hard-paced’ check, feels ‘on monitor’
The Flyers’ roster is at 30, together with injured avid gamers. It should be right down to a max of 23 when it is submitted Monday.
Here’s a present breakdown:
Forwards (14)
Wade Allison
Cam Atkinson
Jackson Cates
Noah Cates
Nicolas Deslauriers
Joel Farabee
Morgan Frost
Kevin Hayes
Hayden Hodgson
Travis Konecny
Tanner Laczynski
Scott Laughton
Owen Tippett
James van Riemsdyk
Defensemen (8)
Ronnie Attard
Justin Braun
Tony DeAngelo
Ivan Provorov
Rasmus Ristolainen
Travis Sanheim
Nick Seeler
Egor Zamula
Goalies (3)
Samuel Ersson
Carter Hart
Felix Sandstrom
Injured avid gamers (5)
Artem Anisimov
Bobby Brink
Patrick Brown
Sean Couturier
Ryan Ellis
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