VOORHEES, N.J. -- In the wake of the Flyers' sending defenseman Sam Morin back to the Phantoms on Wednesday, there’s still the question of which blueliner goes once rookie Ivan Provorov officially makes the roster next week.



It seems fairly obvious, it won’t be Andrew MacDonald this time.



He was a salary cap casualty last fall, but this season the Flyers have enough space to afford him and Provorov. And the fact is, MacDonald has earned his spot outright.



“I wanted to have a good camp, be well prepared and I feel I’ve done that,” MacDonald said.

People forget just how effective a defensive pair MacDonald and Shayne Gostisbehere were last season when MacDonald joined the club as an injury replacement for Michael Del Zotto.



And don’t underestimate the premium the Flyers place on players who have the flexibility to play multiple spots. MacDonald can play either side and has looked good lately with Provorov on the left side and him on the right.



“Mac has had a really good camp,” coach Dave Hakstol said. “He’s played a lot of hockey and he’ll get tomorrow [at Rangers] off. He’s been excellent.



“Whether he has been on right side or left side or whatever partner he was with, I think he has had an excellent camp. … He’s been versatile, which is a key strength of our team.”



MacDonald began camp still dogged by being a cap casualty — $5 million salary — last season and spending the majority of the season with the Phantoms.



“It’s just the way the business goes,” he said. “I’m going to approach it as a new season and a fresh slate. Last year [I] was kinda taken by surprise in camp.



“They made the decision and I had to deal with it. It was a real good hurdle of adversity to try and get over. This year, mentally, I am stronger for it.”



While it’s true he also had some defensive issues to work out last fall, it’s equally true he worked hard to overcome the kinks in his game.



“Last year, I regained my confidence,” he said. “The first full year being here wasn’t very good for me and going into camp last year, I was kinda thinking it be a new year, and then [being sent down] happened.



“It was a big setback. Being able to come back here last year and establish myself, I think it went a long way. I am definitely a more confident player than I was at this point last year. I want to build on last year.”



With MacDonald and "Ghost" or MacDonald and Provorov, the Flyers have more blueliners who can move the puck quickly up the ice.



“Being able to move the puck, well instead of being a huge asset before, it’s pretty much obligatory now,” MacDonald said. “That’s definitely one thing everyone has do at this point.



“It’s pretty crucial in today’s game whether it’s transition or making that first good pass. Making smart plays is really important. It feeds into systems and allows coaches to do a little more with guys.”



The Flyers have eight defensemen left and one has to go. Brandon Manning, who has played sparingly in camp because of an unknown injury, skated prior to practice. He appears to be the candidate to go.



Given Manning's $975,000 salary, he could be plucked off the waiver wire, whereas no one will touch MacDonald’s contract. That was the thinking a year ago.



Yet, the Flyers have a plethora of defensemen at the Phantoms now and more on the rise. They can afford to take a gamble losing a player on waivers.



While Hakstol said he could see a scenario in which they keep eight defensemen, general manager Ron Hextall doesn’t like having young players being healthy scratches over long periods.



The final roster is due next Tuesday at 5 p.m. and the Flyers plan to carry 23 players.

Loose pucks

In addition to Morin, the Flyers also sent forward Taylor Leier to the Phantoms and assigned veteran Colin McDonald to Lehigh Valley as well. McDonald was placed on waivers Tuesday with the intent of being sent to the AHL. The Flyers' roster now stands at 28.