Flyers winger Matt Read, with future at a crossroads, trying to regain his old form

Matt Read is navigating a career crossroads.

The veteran Flyers winger is coming off a dismal season and is in the final year of his contract. In addition, several younger, promising wingers — such as Travis Konecny, Jordan Weal, and Oskar Lindblom — will make it difficult for him to land a top-nine spot.

Or perhaps even a spot in the top 12.

All of which explains why Read, 31, was one of the few veteran forwards already skating at the Flyers' practice facility in Voorhees this week.

Read arrived about three weeks before veteran camp starts Sept. 15. He usually arrives two weeks before camp officially starts.

With so many young players expected to contribute this season, "the future is bright," Read said. " … It makes the older guys work harder."

Read, whose contract has a $3.625 million cap hit, knows his spot isn't guaranteed.

"Obviously, you have to earn your ice time," he said. "You're not going to be given anything in this league. If you don't perform or show up, you don't expect to get much in return. It's kind of the reason I'm here — to be in the best shape I can be and be on the ice as much as I can. From Day 1, I want to be the best I can be and hopefully be given more opportunities to succeed."

Read got off to a sizzling start last season, scoring five goals in the first five games, but managed just five goals in his final 58 games, finishing with 10 goals and a career-low 19 points. The Ontario native has a combined 29 goals over the last three seasons — a far cry from his rookie season in 2011-12, when he burst onto the scene with 24 goals and 47 points and finished fourth in rookie-of-the-year voting.

Over the last few seasons, the 5-foot-10, 180-pound Read has lost a step or two.

To counter that, he lost five pounds in the off-season and worked with a personal trainer to improve his first three steps, trying to recapture his speed.

"I tried to lose a little bit of weight to be lighter so I could be faster," he said. "These young guys come in and they're so fast and agile that you have to change with the trend so you can still fit in."

As he did last season, Read could play on any of the four lines, or he might find himself in a fight for playing time. The wing situation could be crowded if veterans Val Filppula and Jori Lehtera are shifted there from center.

"I feel like I'm a versatile player and can play on any line," said Read, who was used on both wings last year and was an efficient defensive player. " … I just have to worry about myself and to be the best I can be to make the team, and help my linemates and teammates to be the best we can be. Obviously, you want to play with [Claude] Giroux or Jakey (Voracek) and getting good offensive opportunities, but at the same time, if you're playing a shutdown role or penalty kill or power play, you take what you get and do the best you can with it."

Read likes that the Flyers will probably have several rookies on the team, including highly touted center Nolan Patrick.

"I think the way this game is trending — smaller, younger, faster — all the slower guys are being weeded out of the league," Read said, mentioning Toronto as a team that improved dramatically last year because of that philosophy.

There are strong indications that the Flyers will try to emulate the Toronto model, and Read hopes there is room for him as the team builds for the long run.