FanHouse at Flyers Camp Notebook

FanHouse's Christopher Botta reports from Flyers training camp.

VOORHESS, NJ -- After two full days following the Flyers at camp, we present some news, notes, rock-solid lineup projections (riiiiight) and more.

'L' Locked In: Barring injuries, the Flyers' blueline is set. Although the team's season opener at home vs. Washington is three weeks from now, it would not be a shocker to find these defense pairings:

Matt Carle - Chris Pronger
Braydon Coburn - Kimmo Timonen
Randy Jones - Ryan Parent

Free agent signee Ole-Kristian Tollefsen, who played the last three seasons in Columbus, has the inside track as the seventh defenseman. Former Oilers third round pick Danny Syvret, who had 57 points for the Flyers' AHL affiliate last season, has impressed management and could push for a spot.

Openings at Forward: Head coach John Stevens has taken the unique step this early in camp of virtually locking in three pairs of top forwards as linemates:

Simon Gagne - Mike Richards - ___________
Scott Hartnell - Jeff Carter - ____________
__________ - Daniel Briere - Claude Giroux

The tradition of toughness continues with old-school enforcer Riley Cote, middleweight slugger Arron Asham, yappy instigator Ian Laperriere -- signed to a three-year deal in the offseason -- and fearless agitator Daniel Carcillo. If you haven't heard, No. 1 goalie Ray Emery also doesn't shy away from a brawl.

Darrell Powe, a free agent signing two years ago out of Princeton, has emerged as an intangibles performer with blazing speed and a nasty streak -- join the club! -- and has the inside track on an NHL job. Former San Jose first round pick Lukas Kaspar is getting a look, as are young Philadelphia farmhands Jon Kalinski and Patrick Maroon.

If the Flyers cannot find the answers within their prospect pool, NHL veterans Blair Betts and Mark Bell -- in camp on tryouts -- could win contracts. Betts, after four seasons of solid service as a defensive center and ace penalty killer, surprisingly went the entire offseason without a contract offer.

Although no one seems to know how to pronounce it, the name on everyone's lips through three days of camp is Mika Pyorala. Signed with zero fanfare after nine years in the Finnish and Swedish leagues, the 28-year-old center has dazzled with his skill and tenacity. Then again, stories like Pyorala's can be found all over NHL camps this month. He could make the Flyers or just as easily never be heard from again.

No Competition in Goal: Many may view the position as the Flyers' biggest question mark, but the goaltending rotation is set:

Ray Emery
Brian Boucher

Emery went to Calgary in August to work out with personal goaltending coach Eli Wilson in Calgary and other NHL goalies, including Carey Price. "Except for the year I played in Russia, I've done the program in Calgary every summer," said Emery. "It's the best way to get your feet under you and I always pick up something new with technique."

Johan Backlund will be the No. 1 goalie with the organization's new AHL affiliate, the Adirondack Phantoms. Adam Morrison, the third round pick this June with Saskatoon (WHL), is the Flyers' best netminding prospect.

ETC: In an intrasquad scrimmage this morning, Jeff Carter picked up where he left off last season. A 48-goal scorer in 2008-09, Carter had two goals in the first 10 minutes of the scrimmage.

Daniel Briere, limited to 29 games last season with groin and abdominal injuries, said he feels "the best I have in four years. I have the explosiveness I didn't have when I came back for the playoffs," he said. Most NHL veterans do not live for the preseason, but Briere can't wait. "It feels like I didn't play last year," he said. "That's probably why I'm so excited."

A familiar surname is in Flyers camp: Tomas Sinisalo, the son of longtime Flyer and current team scout Ilkka Sinisalo, is here on a tryout. Asked if he is at camp because of his connection to the franchise, Tomas said, "I feel I'm here on merit. I played in the Finnish Elite League the last four years." However, the younger Sinisalo is happy to be where he lived the first five years of his life before his family returned to Europe. "This sort of feels like home."

Simon Gagne, who suffered a groin injury at Team Canada orientation camp last month, is back to practicing and is one of 35 players on the Flyers' three-game road trip to start the exhibition season. The team plays in Detroit on Wednesday, against Toronto in London, Ontario (NHL Network broadcast) on Thursday and in Toronto on Saturday. Among the big names on the trip: Pronger, Coburn, Carter, Richards, Hartnell, Timonen, Briere, Emery and top prospect James van Riemsdyk.