Flyers open preseason slate on the road against Capitals

The Philadelphia Flyers will have their first test of game action on Sunday afternoon when they travel to Washington to take on the Capitals. Ian Laperriere will be behind the bench for this one.

It will be a rookie-heavy game as only seven players in the lineup were NHL regulars last season. The first few preseason games help give teams a longer look at some players who might challenge for a spot during the season.

It also can be used as a reward for players who aren't expected to make the team but have performed well during camp. Denver Barkey and Oliver Bonk got a preseason look last year despite being destined to return to London. Jett Luchanko is one of those players who will be rewarded for his hard work.

Flyers Roster

There's no certainty of how the lines will shake out this early in camp. With so many players on the roster, it's more about getting opportunities and seeing who can step up and force the team's hand. But based on early camp lines, we can get an idea of how things might look.

Matvei Michkov has played with Morgan Frost and Owen Tippett and that could be one of the lines that the Flyers use this afternoon. Laperriere confirmed that Ivan Fedotov will get two periods and Carson Bjarnason will play one. As mentioned before, it's a good idea for the Flyers to see as much of Fedotov as they can during the preseason. He's the expected backup, but the team needs to know they can trust him regardless.

Rodrigo Abols will get his first look after signing with the team in the offseason. He's expected to go to the Phantoms but could fight for a depth spot on the NHL roster. Same for a player like Olle Lycksell who has gotten a taste of the NHL, but hasn't been able to stick. Emil Andrae has drawn compliments on his offseason work and could challenge for a spot on the backend as well.

Forwards

Bobby Brink, Olle Lycksell, Jett Luchanko, Rodrigo Abols, Noah Cates, Matvei Michkov, Sawyer Boulton, Morgan Frost, Rhett Gardner, Owen Tippett, Joel Farabee, Brendan Furry

Defensemen

Helge Grans, Jamie Drysdale, Adam Ginning, Nick Seeler, Emil Andrae, Spencer Gill

Goaltenders

Carson Bjarnason, Ivan Fedotov

Washington Capitals Roster

Forwards

Jakub Vrána, Sonny Milano, Taylor Raddysh, Terik Parascak, Mike Sgarbossa, Andrew Cristall, Hendrix Lapierre, Ethen Frank, Alex Limoges, Henrik Rybinski, Riley Sutter, Ivan Miroshnichenko, Eriks Mateiko

Defensemen

Vincent Iorio, Hardy Häman Aktell, Ethan Bear, Alex Alexeyev, Leon Muggli, Cam Allen, Trevor van Riemsdyk

Goaltenders

Hunter Shepard and Clay Stevenson