Flyers hockey is back … well, sort of.
The rookie game and media day gave way to the official commencement of 2017 Flyers training camp on Friday in Voorhees, New Jersey.
Which means roster spots and jobs are to be won from now until the season opener Oct. 4 in San Jose, California.
Prior to opening night, the Flyers must submit a roster of no more than 23 players. We know a lot of the obvious candidates in line for openings.
However, let's take a look at five sleepers:
1. Taylor Leier, No. 58
Somewhat of a forgotten man in the Flyers' growing forwards competition, Leier was an AHL All-Star last season after a career-high 49 points (20 goals, 29 assists) in 71 games the year prior with Lehigh Valley. He now has 16 NHL games under his belt and even saw a brief stint on the Flyers' top line in 2016-17, when he appeared in 10 games. The 2012 fourth-round pick is only 23 years old and re-signed on a one-year deal in the offseason. He'll be a winger option for the Flyers when camp breaks and throughout the season.
Philadelphia Flyers
Complete coverage of the Philadelphia Flyers and their rivals in the NHL from NBC Sports Philadelphia.
2. Travis Sanheim, No. 57
Not an unknown as he's arguably the Flyers' top defensive prospect, but Sanheim appears destined to start the 2017-18 season with the Phantoms. There looks to be two slots open on the Flyers' blue line and the early favorites to fill them are Sam Morin and Robert Hagg, both of whom made their NHL debuts last April. The two have a combined five years of AHL experience, while Sanheim is coming off his first season in Lehigh Valley. Still, the 21-year-old is not far off and should give both a legit run for their money. "I'm coming to camp to make the team," Sanheim confidently said in July.
3. Ivan Kosorenkov, No. 89
Obviously, Kosorenkov is not making the big club in camp, but he is fighting for an entry-level contract as an undrafted free agent. The 19-year-old Russian winger earned a training camp invite (the Flyers' only one) after opening eyes at development camp with his quick skates and hands. He also played well in the rookie game. The more you see him, the more you wonder how he went undrafted this summer. The Flyers obviously want to see more of him. This isn't quite a Phil Myers situation, but it's similar in the sense that the Flyers are hoping they have something here in another undrafted FA.
4. Cole Bardreau, No. 42
The injury-stricken Bardreau will not be lacking any motivation. He missed training camp last year because of abdominal surgery and also suffered a litany of injuries while at Cornell, including cervical fractures in his neck. The 24-year-old forward owns four years of college experience and two at the AHL level. He'll have his work cut out for him in training camp against the likes of Nolan Patrick, Oskar Lindblom and Mike Vecchione, among others, but he'll be in the running now healthy.
5. Scott Laughton, No. 21
How can a 2012 first-round pick be a sleeper? Considering many thought Laughton could have been in Vegas at this time of the year, the 23-year-old is in a real prove-it point of his career with the Flyers. The organization somewhat surprisingly protected him in the June expansion draft and now he's just fighting for a roster spot among a busy group of forwards. Despite Laughton's playing only two games with the Flyers last season, general manager Ron Hextall was pleased with the prospect's progress at Lehigh Valley. "Scotty had a terrific year," Hextall said in July. "He improved a lot, his focus and his professionalism. Quite honestly, I think Scotty really grew up last year. So Scott is certainly going to be given an opportunity to make the hockey club."
