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Flyers rookie line generating excitement

Scott Laughton, Taylor Leier, Nicolas Aube-Kubel. They may not make much of an impact with the Flyers this season, but the three forwards - players who have been on the same eye-opening line during rookie camp - could be household names down the road.

Flyers center Scott Laughton. (Julio Cortez/AP file photo)
Flyers center Scott Laughton. (Julio Cortez/AP file photo)Read more

Scott Laughton, Taylor Leier, Nicolas Aube-Kubel.

They may not make much of an impact with the Flyers this season, but the three forwards - players who have been on the same eye-opening line during rookie camp - could be household names down the road.

That's the Flyers' hope, anyway.

The three players will be among the prospects on display when the Flyers and Washington Capitals meet Tuesday in a 3 p.m. rookie game in Voorhees.

"You don't want to get carried away, but you look at that line, and there's a lot of things that happen," Flyers scouting director Chris Pryor said. "They all have speed. They all can think. They've got some skill, and they're competitive. It's kind of fun to watch. There's a lot of complements there, and it'll be interesting to see how they look in the game."

Leier, a 20-year-old winger, has opened eyes with his speed.

"I'm just going to work my hardest and see where it takes me," he said.

Leier was selected in the fourth round of the Flyers' impressive 2012 draft class, one that includes Laughton (first round), goalie Anthony Stolarz (second round), highly regarded defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere (third round), and defenseman Reece Willcox (fifth round), who is at Cornell.

The Laughton line applied lots of pressure in a scrimmage Monday.

"They're easy to play with, and we're building a little chemistry, and hopefully we can take it into Tuesday's game," Leier said.

"They're good veterans, and they have lots of experience in camps," said Aube-Kubel, 18, a strong skating winger who needs to sharpen his defensive skills. "I'm just trying to do the same as them."

Laughton, 20, has the best chance to make the big-league team of all the rookies in this year's camp.

After Monday's practice, Laughton said his linemates were "really fast and kind of hard to keep up with."

"They can move the puck and move up ice really quick," he said. "And 'Kube' has a really good shot and good speed, and he's good wide off the wing. I really like our line."

Leier, a 5-foot-11, 177-pound winger, had 37 goals and 79 points in 62 games with Portland in the Western Hockey League last season.

Aube-Kubel, drafted in the second round in June, is coming off a season in which he had 22 goals and 53 points in 65 games in the Quebec Major Junior League.

Breakaways. Stolarz will be playing his first game since hip surgery. "I just want to show I'm 100 percent and that I'm back," he said. . . . The 5-11 Gostisbehere and 6-7 Sam Morin are expected to be paired together on defense. . . . With added muscle and summer work with his skating coach, Laughton said he feels better going into corners and "coming off checks and protecting the puck. That's huge."