Despite Schenn's success in minors, Flyers in no hurry to bring him up

Center Brayden Schenn, acquired as part of the blockbuster trade that sent Mike Richards to Los Angeles last summer, is playing like he wants to be promoted to the Flyers.

Schenn, 20, has four goals and seven points and is plus-three in four games with the AHL Adirondack Phantoms.

"I just want to make a good impression," Schenn said the other day. "You don't want to be down here for long."

The Flyers, however, have a roster logjam and are in no hurry to promote Schenn. He is refining his game by playing in all situations for the Phantoms.

That said, the Flyers have placed Blair Betts ($700,000) on the long-term injured reserve list, giving them nearly enough cap space to recall Schenn when the need arises.

"When it's the right time, he'll be here," general manager Paul Holmgren said on Sunday. "He'll continue to play for the Phantoms for a little bit, anyway. I'm not sure, lineup-wise, where he'd fit in with the Flyers right now."

The Flyers have $1,166,667 in cap room. But after enforcer Jody Shelley finishes his five-game suspension following Tuesday's contest in Ottawa, they could send Zac Rinaldo ($544,444 cap hit) to the Phantoms.

That would give them $1,711,111 in cap room, just enough to recall Schenn ($1.69 million cap hit), if they felt inclined.

The Flyers would want Schenn to play on one of the top three lines so he would get enough minutes. If they decided to recall him, one of the options would be to place him or talented rookie center Sean Couturier at wing on the third line and move winger Matt Read, another impressive rookie, to the fourth line.

Read has a goal and an assist and has been used on special teams during the Flyers' 3-0-1 start.

In that scenario, fourth-line winger Andreas Nodl or Shelley would be the extra forward.

"Sometime down the road, I expect Brayden to get a look," Holmgren said. "Right now, it's important for him to continue to develop and play on a full-time basis" with the Phantoms.

In the preseason, some publications predicted Schenn would be the NHL's rookie of the year.

As for Couturier, based on the way he has played, he appears he will stick with the Flyers. If he plays in a 10th game, this season will count as one of the three on his entry-level deal, so he has five more games on his "tryout." Couturier counts toward the 50-player contract limit if he plays in his 11th game.

"He's starting to show more confidence with the puck and [is] making more plays," Holmgren said, "and we like the job he's doing on the penalty kill."

Breakaways. The Flyers play the struggling Senators in Ottawa Tuesday, then host Washington on Thursday. . . . Danny Briere, Jakub Voracek, Braydon Coburn, and Andrej Meszaros lead the Flyers with plus-3 ratings. . . . Holmgren has been cleared to fly in a plane for the first time since he was badly injured in a bicycle accident in Avalon about six weeks ago. He will accompany the team to Ottawa. . . . The Phantoms are 3-1 and have scored 19 goals. . . . The NHL did not discipline Rinaldo for his Saturday hit on the Kings' Drew Doughty.