Flyers Send 3 More to Phantoms

It's getting down to the nitty gritty for the Flyers' front office and deciding exactly who will be in Boston next Wednesday for the regular season opener.

The roster became a little clearer with three cuts. Tough guy Zack Stortini, 29, was waived for the purpose of loaning him to the AHL's Lehigh Valley Phantoms. He'll be going down with two young players that will someday be a big part of the big club. Center Scott Laughton, the team's 2012 first-round pick and crafty defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere, the third-round choice in 2012, were loaned to the Phantoms.

Many people thought that Gostisbehere should have made the Flyers' final roster, but GM Ron Hextall saw no reason to rush the 5-foot-11, 170-pound blueliner. In three preseason games, the Pembroke Pines, Fla. native scored two goals and notched an assist. No doubt Gostisbehere is the kind of puck-moving defenseman the Flyers need on their roster, the front office just decided he needs more seasoning instead of jumping from Union College directly to the NHL.

Laughton being sent down is less of a surprise. As a center, the Flyers seem to have a logjam with Claude Giroux, Vinny Lecavalier, Sean Couturier and Pierre-Edouard Bellemare in the mix with guys who can play center on the wing in Brayden Schenn and R.J. Umberger. Laughton will likely be the top-line center with the Phantoms instead of sticking around with the Flyers, playing a lesser role and maybe getting 7 minutes per game. In four preseason games, Laughton had a goal and two assists.

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the cuts is that they don't include