Matt Read Has Surgery on Shooting Hand, Flyers Hoping for More From Winger

VOORHEES, N.J. — Add Matt Read to the list of Flyer players who had off-season surgery. General manager Ron Hextall made the announcement on Thursday, saying Read had minor surgery on Wednesday on his shooting hand — his left. “It was a clean-up,” Hextall said. “Everything was good, he was a little bit sore at the end of the season … golfing, doing everything he does … went to shoot pucks and it was sore. So we had to check it out.” Hextall said Read’s rehab will last four weeks. Read, who turned 30 this week, had a second, consecutive downer season – just 19 goals over the past two – with 11 goals and 26 points in 79 games. He had a 22-game goal drought during the season. The previous year, Read had a legit excuse with a nagging ankle injury under then coach Craig Berube. He was healthy, however, this past season under Dave Hakstol. Much was expected of Read when the Flyers initially signed him out of college five years ago. Read scored 24 goals his first year (2011-12). Since then, he’s had one other strong season in 2013-14 with 22 goals. “I’m confident that he can get back to the level that he was at,” Hextall said. “But yeah, we need more there.  He’s not a bad player. He’s a good defensive player even when he scores 10, 11, 12 goals. He knows that … he’ll be a good player for us.” E-mail Tim Panaccio at tpanotch@comcast.net