Flyers' Cousins centers Laughton, Weise as camp begins

In what could be their third line this season, Nick Cousins centered left winger Scott Laughton and right winger Dale Weise on the first day of the Flyers' training camp Friday in Voorhees.

"They're three guys that are pretty tenacious, and there's speed on both wings there," coach Dave Hakstol said. "And Cousins distributes the puck pretty well."

Matt Read was frequently on a line with Laughton and Cousins last season. Weise, who scored 14 goals for Montreal last year and signed as a free agent this summer, will have a chance to play in Read's old spot.

"It was our first day, but I think we had instant chemistry," said Cousins, who, along with Laughton, worked hard to improve his speed in the off-season. "If we can build off that and the preseason [games], I think we'll be fine."

Laughton played mostly center last season, but Hakstol views him as a left winger "at this point in time. That's where he's played his best."

In the summer, Laughton "worked a lot at wing, just in case I played there. I worked out with a group of guys in Toronto and the Leafs' skills coach. He helped me a lot in my game, picking pucks off the wall and stuff like that."

German Rubtsov, the speedy center who was the Flyers' No. 1 draft pick in June, reportedly suffered a foot injury and is sidelined from his Russian team in the KHL. The Flyers did not have an update.

Hakstol said that there was "quite a bit of good pace for Day 1" of camp, and that Read, who is coming off a disappointing season, "looks like he's in great shape. I thought his practice today was quick, it was fast, it was sharp." . . . Defenseman Radko Gudas said his injured right wrist was "getting better every day." He tried to take a few slap shots at practice but eased up because he felt some discomfort. "But I should be ready sooner rather than later," he said. . . . Michael Del Zotto is 100 percent recovered from wrist surgery, Hakstol said. . . . Moorestown's T.J. Brennan, who will probably start the year with the Phantoms, said signing with the Flyers "created balance" in his life because he is near family and friends. "I feel very lucky to get a contract here," he said, "and now it's time to start climbing the mountain." . . . One of the Flyers' groups will be on the Voorhees ice at 9:45 a.m. Saturday. The other group will take the ice at 1:15 p.m. Sessions are open to the public and free.