"One day before the Flyers must turn in their roster, the club made a couple of surprising waiver moves.

Both Oskars Bartulis and Matt Walker, who were fighting for the seventh and final defensive spot, were waived along with veteran center Blair Betts.

The only non-surprise was the Flyers loaning injured Brayden Schenn (shoulder) directly to the Phantoms, where he will start the season. He did not incur physical contact with his shoulder in recent practices with the team.

"At the end of the day, he needs to play a little bit here," general manager Paul Holmgren said of Schenn, who appeared in four exhibitions. "I don't know how long that is going to be. He's healthy now and ready to take part in things. We got to get him playing.""