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CAMP AT A GLANCE
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The Flyers expect big things from Keith Primeau. |
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Coach: Craig Ramsay
'99-00 record: 45-25-12
Camp location: SkateZone (Voorhees, N.J.)
Report date: Sept. 10
Preseason schedule:
Sept. 14: NY Islanders (Trenton, N.J.)
Sept. 15: NY Islanders
Sept. 16: NY Rangers
Sept. 19: at NY Rangers
Sept. 21: Washington
Sept. 23: at New Jersey
Sept. 27: New Jersey
Sept. 30: at Washington
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The Flyers enter camp relatively unchanged. The major difference from a year ago revolves around the absence of Eric Lindros. And that's a pretty big deal.
Here's a look at the rest of Philly's training camp.
Question mark: Balanced scoring
Mark Recchi, John LeClair, Keith Primeau and even Daymond Langkow will produce. But in camp the Flyers must find others to pitch in on the offensive end.
How many goals can you count on from Jody Hull and Kent Manderville?
Those three combined to score 19 goals last season. True, Simon Gagne scored 20 as a rookie, but can he survive the dreaded sophomore jinx? There is no one coming into camp that can do what Gagne did last season.
Biggest position battle: Defense
After the top four of Eric Desjardins, Daniel McGillis, Chris Therien and Andy Delmore, the Flyers have three spots to fill on defense. And Therien isn't even signed yet. Luke Richardson and Brad Tiley will battle for jobs, while Mark Eaton, Mikhail Chernov, Francis Lessard and Jason Beckett and Michal Sykora plan on making things difficult for the coaching staff. Eaton played a fair amount late last year, so he might grab a spot.
Future watch
Here, ESPN.com looks at one or two young players who could make an impact, either now or in the future.
Maxime Ouellet (Goalie):
The Quebec native has good range and puckhandling skills. Two seasons ago, he led the QMJHL in games played (59), wins (40) and GAA (2.70). It's a high-scoring league, so those are great numbers.
Jason Beckett (Defense):
Beckett, 20, is a bruising (6-foot-2, 203 pounds) defenseman who doesn't have a lot of offensive talent but isn't afraid of the physical game. He averaged 200 penalty minutes in each of the last three seasons playing for Seattle of the WHL. The stay-at-home defenseman will get a shot at making the team, but don't be surprised if he starts with the Phantoms in the AHL.
Training camp roster
Goaltenders: Brian Boucher, Roman Cechmanek, Neil Little, Dan
Murphy, Maxime Ouillet, Brian Regan.
Defensemen: Jason Beckett, Mikhail Chernov, Andy Delmore, Eric
Desjardins, Joe DiPenta, Mark Eaton, Jeff Feniak, Ian Forbes,
Guillaume Lefebvre, Francis Lessard, Dan McGillis, Dean
Melanson, Dan Peters, Luke Richardson, Ulf Samuelsson, Sergei
Skrobot, Bruno St. Jacques, Michal Sykora, Chris Therien, Brad
Tiley.
Left wings: Francis Belanger, Todd Fedoruk, Ruslan Fedotenko,
Simon Gagne, John LeClair, Steve McLaren, Gino Odjick, Michel
Picard, Paul Ranheim, Kevin Stevens, Justin Williams.
Centers: Tomas Divisek, Mark Freer, Petr Hubacek, Daymond
Langkow, Kent Manderville, Konrad McKay, Rob Murray, Derek
Plante, Keith Primeau, Peter White.
Right wings: Anthony Aquino, Jesse Boulerice, Mark Greig, Jody
Hull, Keith Jones, Kirby Law, Vaclav Pletka, Mark Recchi, Rick
Tocchet.
Charles Avellino is a lead NHL researcher at ESPN.