How the Flyers hacked down to 29 players

VOORHEES What was announced as 35 is really 29.

In the matter of a couple days the Flyers went from 62 players in training camp to having only six cuts to make.

Chris Conner, Tim Brent, Aaron Palushaj, Davis Drewiske and Jason LaBarbera will all be put on waivers Friday, when the waiver period opens for the NHL, and will be sent down to the American Hockey League if and when they clear. Defenseman Christian Marti, a free-agent signee this offseason from Switzerland, will have to stick around a while longer. Shoulder surgery has him on the shelf until mid-November, but he’ll eventually be with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, too. For now, he’ll start the season on the non-roster/injured list.

“Anybody that’s here right now has somewhat of a shot,” general manager Ron Hextall said. “I don’t know where our numbers are going to go. If something happens, if someone gets hurt, who knows what happens?”

Wednesday was a buzzkill for anyone hoping for one of the Flyers’ young players to make a splash. The last three first-round picks — Travis Konecny, Travis Sanheim and Ivan Provorov — were all sent back to their junior teams.

“To put an 18 year old kid on an NHL roster, it’s dangerous and he’s got to help make you a better team and our assessment is that none of those three guys were going to,” Hextall said. “It’s one thing now, it’s another thing in November, December and January. This is what’s best for the kids.”

So now becomes a question of who is left and where they fit. The Flyers have been rolling five offensive lines, one too many. Michael Raffl, Claude Giroux and Jake Voracek are untouchable as the first line. The second line Thursday had R.J. Umberger, instead of Matt Read, centered by Sean Couturier with Wayne Simmonds on the right wide. Read skated with Vinny Lecavalier and Sam Gagner. Chris VandeVelde, Ryan White and Pierre-Edouard Bellemare all played together last season and are reunited.

The final line looks displaced, like it may not be a real consideration for the NHL roster as-is: Chris Porter, Scott Laughton and Brayden Schenn.

“I think each of the combinations that we have potentially could play on opening night,” coach Dave Hakstol answered.

While Laughton drew big praise from Hextall, Schenn doesn’t seem to be pulling his weight. He came to the Flyers a natural center and was moved to the right wing last season. He’s potted a couple of goals in two games, but both were on the power play.

“Brayden’s been OK,” Hextall said. “It’s training camp. It’s early. … I think we all know where he is and what is and that he prefers to play the right side. We’ll see where it goes.”

With 17 forwards in camp — Colin McDonald and Nick Cousins are still around too — the Flyers may have to find new homes for some players. With a $2.5 million salary cap hit and in the last year of his contract, it would appear Schenn is a trade candidate.

“Our numbers are significantly different than they were a couple days ago,” Hakstol said. “I think we’re gonna let everybody’s performance dictate how quickly we’re gonna get down to the final number, but we’re gonna keep working towards that.

“The sooner we get to a lower number, the more it allows us to prepare, but we’re not going to just race toward that number.”

There’s others knocking on the door, too, that weren’t here last season so their good first impressions are having a big impact.

“Porter and McDonald, they’ve battled,” Hextall said. “They’ve worked hard. They’re obviously different players, but they’ve worked hard and earned the right to stay until this point.”

Dave Isaac; (856) 486-2479; disaac@gannettnj.com .