VOORHEES – Like his teammates, Jordan Weal has to kick off the rust that develops over the course of an offseason. Unlike his counterparts, though, Weal has a bit more rust to rid himself of.
“I haven’t played a lot of hockey in the last year so just trying to work every day and fine tune myself to get back in motion,” Weal said.
Weal is looking to earn a spot on the Flyers opening night roster. In order to do so, he’s going to need an impressive camp. He’s already off to a good start.
“Like we said coming in, it’s going to be competitive and guys are going to have to earn their way,” Hakstol said. The head coach was impressed with a few players from Monday’s split squad game – Ivan Provorov and Philippe Myers among them – to the point he wants to challenge them with back-to-backs.
MORE: Provorov, Myers earn praise from Hakstol
Weal played 16:13, took three shots (two of which were blocked) and won nine of the 14 faceoffs he took in a 3-0 loss to the New York Islanders. His effort earned him another shot; this time he’ll get to center the top line with Brayden Schenn and Wayne Simmonds.
“They’re great players,” Weal said. “I think if I play my game, work hard, I think the three of us will work well together… if we work hard and put a lot of pressure on them and create turnovers, I think we’ll be fine.”
This could be the best opportunity Weal gets to prove his worth. The World Cup players will enter the picture shortly in terms of playing in preseason games, and once Claude Giroux and Sean Couturier get back into the picture, the top two center roles will be covered.
Weal spent much of last season in the Wells Fargo Center press box. It wasn’t a view he particularly enjoyed, which is why he’s committed to clawing his way into the lineup.
“[I’m] trying to improve every day so I can get back to where I don’t have to think too much out there, it’s just reacting,” Weal said.
When he takes the ice on Tuesday evening, he’ll be well aware that this is his time to shine. A strong performance will go a long way in making management think twice about what to do with Weal.
Kyle Phillippi is the Philadelphia Flyers beat writer for Flyzette. He also contributes Flyers content to CSNPhilly.com and Metro Philly. You can follow Kyle on Twitter,@Kyle_Phillippi.
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