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Leier intends to make impression on Flyers

Keep you eyes on left winger Taylor Leier, a fourth-round pick in 2012, at today's rookie game against Washington.

PAUL HOLMGREN remembered the pitch.

Sitting at the NHL draft table, scouts occasionally pipe up to management to advocate for a player in their region they feel strongly about who might still be available. It was scout Mark Greig, who primarily covers the Western Hockey League for the Flyers, touting left winger Taylor Leier with the 117th overall pick in the fourth round.

Greig's message to Holmgren was clear.

"This kid is going to find a way to play in the NHL," Holmgren recalled Greig saying.

That was two summers ago. The player the Flyers picked six spots ahead of Leier in that fourth round, Fredric Larsson, isn't even playing hockey anymore.

Now on the eve of his first full training camp after turning pro, Leier is poised to take the next step in his career beginning with this afternoon's rookie-camp scrimmage (3 p.m.) against the Washington Capitals at the Skate Zone in Voorhees, N.J.

The Flyers are hosting the exhibition for the first time since 2011. While a scrimmage amongst rookies may seem inconsequential in the overall aspect of the Flyers' organization, this game has been a launching point for some of their biggest players.

Claude Giroux scored a goal in the rookie game in 2007 and then played in two games for the Flyers that season. James van Riemsdyk netted an impressive four goals in 2009 and jumped to the NHL. Unheralded free agent Sergei Bobrovsky put on a Flyers jersey for the first time at the rookie game in 2010 and was then the team's starter on Opening Night in Pittsburgh less than 3 weeks later.

Leier, 20, is expected to start the game on the top line with Scott Laughton, the player drafted 97 slots ahead of him in 2012 who will steal most of the attention at forward.

"Practice is one thing. I was a good practice player, too," coach Craig Berube said yesterday with a laugh. "Then you get into a game and it changes. We want to see how guys perform under pressure. More than anything, I think, [I want] to see how their brain works. To me, when I watch a game, I can notice how smart guys are, all the little things they do . . . more so than systems or things like that."

Leier feels he is ready to make an impression on Berube and his staff. He spent the entire month of August training at the Flyers' facility with fellow prospects Laughton, Robert Hagg, Shayne Gostisbehere and Jesper Pettersson.

Leier is a traditional "late bloomer." He didn't play junior hockey as a 16-year-old. Over the last 3 years, he went from barely making the Portland Winterhawks roster to leaving last season as team captain.

Along the way, he skated in three WHL championship series, played in a Memorial Cup, shared a locker room with first-rounder Seth Jones and then represented Canada in January at the World Junior Championships. The fact that Canada nabbed him as one of its 20 best players under 20 was a "pleasant surprise" for the Flyers, Holmgren said.

His coach in Portland, Mark Johnston, was hired in June to coach Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins.

"We had a lot of success the 3 years I was in junior," Leier said. "It was an exciting time. It's easy to grow with confidence when you're playing on a team like that. I think World Juniors was a good bookmark in my career. It's something a lot of kids strive for; when I was little I would always watch the tournament over Christmas."

Today will be another "bookmark" in Leier's career. He has already impressed, Berube said, with his "speed" and "type of play that's good at both ends."

Unlike last fall, when he played in just one preseason game, Leier doesn't have the threat of being sent back early to juniors. Whether Leier can impress enough to be a factor in training camp, and to make it to that short list of call-ups during the regular season, will depend on his start today.

"It's going to be competitive," Leier said. "Everyone always wants to play their best. I'll do whatever I can to show that I'm not lazy, that I'm a hard worker and that I'm dedicated. I'm committed to doing all of the little things to play a two-way game."

Slap shots

Samuel Morin will be paired with Shayne Gostisbehere on defense to start today's rookie game against Washington. Robert Hagg will skate with Jesper Pettersson and Travis Sanheim will be with Maxim Lamarche . . . In addition to Kimmo Timonen (blood clots), the only Flyers regulars who did not participate in yesterday's informal skate were Vinny Lecavalier, Wayne Simmonds and Sean Couturier . . . Steve Mason showed off his new mask, which features zombies in the Eastern State Penitentiary. His bulldog, named "George Mason," is on the back.

Agenda

What: Flyers rookies vs. Capitals rookies

Where: Flyers Skate Zone, Voorhees, N.J.

When: Today, 3 o'clock

Live stream: CSNPhilly.com

Game is free and open to the public.

Blog: ph.ly/FrequentFlyers