Justin Bailey called up by Flyers, expected to enter lineup soon

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Chuck Fletcher continues to size up the Flyers' prospect pool with an emphasis on size.

A day after adding defenseman Philippe Myers (see story), the club promoted 6-foot-4 winger Justin Bailey from the Phantoms on Sunday.

"He’s played very well and I think Justin is certainly deserving of an opportunity and that’s something we will have to look at here pretty quickly,” Fletcher said Saturday.

Bailey has transitioned his way to the Flyers' organization rather quickly, scoring five goals and adding two assists in 10 games with Lehigh Valley.

Bailey was acquired from the Buffalo Sabres in a trade for Taylor Leier on Jan. 17.

The 2013 second-round pick of the Sabres never quite developed into an NHL regular, playing just 52 games over parts of three seasons.

Bailey admitted his lack of physicality for a player of his size at times has been a reason for his inconsistency.

However, expect interim head coach Scott Gordon to employ the 23-year-old right winger in a fourth-line role to bring a heavy, punishing presence to the Flyers' lineup.

While it’s uncertain when Gordon will utilize Bailey, the forward's presence would be beneficial against a team like the Penguins, who the Flyers play Monday.

The two teams will meet twice over the next two weeks as the Flyers make a playoff push, currently trailing their divisional rival by six points for the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.

The Flyers won the only matchup with the Penguins, a 4-2 victory at PPG Paints Arena on Dec. 1, a game that saw Wayne Simmonds drop the gloves with Pens defenseman Jamie Oleksiak 1:54 into the first period (see story).

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