Scott Laughton played 10 minutes of last night’s final preseason game in Washington, even logging a few minutes on the penalty kill. Chris Vandevelde played half that time and took on a lot less responsibility, so it’s no surprise that Laughton’s still on the roster today while Vandevelde’s catching a car up to Glens Falls.
ROSTER UPDATE: #Flyers have loaned (F) Chris VandeVelde to @PhantomsHockey. MORE INFO HERE… http://t.co/66ls13mY6C
— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) September 28, 2013
(Also, I’m sure the first-round pick vs. career minor leaguer thing worked in Laughton’s favor.)
That wraps up the roster battles at the forward position, but the Flyers have five centers now, so that’s a question mark. Perhaps Adam Hall — one of the team’s better face off men — will move to the wing. We’ll see in the next few days.
It’s also not a guarantee that Laughton, who’s still eligible for juniors, plays the entire year in the NHL. Much like last season, his first nine games will be a tryout, and his play will be reevaluated before the Flyers reach the point where they have to make the decision to keep him in Philly or send him back to the OHL’s Oshawa Generals.
If the Flyers make the determination that they want to send Laughton back to the OHL, there are several players in Adirondack — Vandevelde included, I guess — that can be called up to take the spot. Laughton can’t go to the AHL because he’s too young and rules are dumb.
There are still decisions to be made on defense, but the roster is just about set, guys. Regular season hockey is just days away. Rosters must be trimmed down by Monday.
