Another injury to a Flyers prospect

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As the Flyers play their second of six preseason games Thursday night when they visit the Bruins, they've got another injury in training camp.

Let's get into that and more with the essentials for the game:

  • When: 7:30 p.m. ET
  • Where: TD Garden
  • Broadcast: TNT with Kenny Albert, Eddie Olczyk and Keith Jones on the call

• Egor Zamula will miss three to four weeks with a strain to his hip/groin area, Flyers head coach Alain Vigneault said to reporters during his pregame media availability in Boston.

The 21-year-old defenseman was not scheduled to play Thursday night. He scored a goal Tuesday night in the Flyers' preseason-opening, 3-2 overtime loss to the Islanders.

"Egor's a great talent, he's a great kid, we love him in the locker room," Carter Hart said postgame. "Really skilled, he's smart with the puck and he's looking great."

Zamula is one of the club's top defensive prospects. Unless he stole a job away from a veteran, he was expected to open the season at AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley. Now he's a lock to start with the Phantoms.

Lehigh Valley opens the season with a back-to-back road set Oct. 16-17. The Phantoms' home opener is Oct. 23, which is likely when Zamula will aim to return.

The Flyers have been hit with some injuries. Kevin Hayes, Samuel Morin, Wade Allison and Tanner Laczynski are all out for extended time.

• Morgan Frost will make his preseason debut tonight. He's the clear front-runner to fill Hayes' second-line center spot to open the season. Hayes is out six to eight weeks after having to undergo abdominal surgery two days before the start of camp.

The 22-year-old playmaking Frost has been centering a line with James van Riemsdyk and Joel Farabee.

"I'm very happy with what I'm seeing from Frosty," Vigneault said last Sunday after the intrasquad scrimmage. "I didn't know what to expect since he didn't play last year (shoulder surgery). I liked him in rookie camp and he's come here and he's continued. You see physically that he's confident and he’s skating well. We worked on the power play prior to the scrimmage and I liked a lot of his decisions on the ice with the puck. Joel and JVR played together last year quite a few games with different centermen and there's some chemistry there. We'll see moving forward how those guys can do together."

• Offseason acquisition Rasmus Ristolainen will see his first game action with the Flyers. He's a bruising 6-foot-4 blueliner who plays a physical — and in some ways annoying — brand of defense.

"That's a big part of my game," Ristolainen said last Thursday. "I like to take hits and give hits, too, obviously try to make the other team hate me or not want to play against me. I’ve had some good battles against my new teammates, it's been fun. ... I have so much energy, I can’t wait to get going."

• Martin Jones will also see his first game action with the Flyers. The 31-year-old goalie is expected to play the first two periods before being relieved by Felix Sandstrom.

The Flyers did not run forward lines or defensive pairs at practice Wednesday, nor did they have a morning skate as the team flew to Boston today.

Based off of what we've seen the Flyers run at camp, here's our best educated projection for Thursday night's lineup.

Projected lineup

 

Forwards

James van Riemsdyk-Morgan Frost-Joel Farabee

Scott Laughton-Nate Thompson-Nicolas Aube-Kubel

Gerry Mayhew-Cal O’Reilly-Tyson Foerster

Garrett Wilson-Jackson Cates-Linus Sandin

Defensemen

Travis Sanheim-Rasmus Ristolainen

Cam York-Adam Clendening

Nick Seeler-Wyatte Wylie

Goalies

Martin Jones

Felix Sandstrom

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