The Lehigh Valley Phantoms roster started to take shape recently when 22 players were sent to Lehigh Valley in two separate rounds of cuts from the Flyers training camp. Most of the moves were expected, although the early timing on a couple of moves seemed interesting.

Sam Morin was sent back to the Phantoms, in what is the most surprising of the early moves. The Flyers drafted the 20-year old defenseman with the 11th overall pick in the 2013 Draft.Of the players sent to Lehigh Valley, 16 played for the Phantoms at least for part of the team's inaugural 2014-2015 season. The list includes forwards Brandon Alderson, Cole Bardreau, Nick Cousins, Taylor Leier, Danick Martel, Derek Mathers, Jay Rosehill and Petr Straka. Defensemen Mark Alt, Shayne Gostisbehere, Robert Hagg, Mazim Lamarche, Nick Luuko, Jesper Pettersson and goaltenders Martin Ouellette and Anthony Stolarz also were sent down.Ouellette played for the Phantoms for part of last season, but spent most of the year with the Reading Royals. He returned to Lehigh Valley as part of the Flyers team that faced the New York Islanders in a preseason game on Sept. 12 and is hoping to call the PPL Center home."This is a great facility and the fans here are passionate and loud," said Ouellette. "To play in a place like this is one step below the NHL and you've got the added bonus of the building and the atmosphere that makes it special."Cousins led the Phantoms with 56 points last season and finished second in goals with 22, while Rosehill led the team with 219 penalty minutes. Stolarz was 9-13 in 31 games with the Phantoms, posting a 3.28 goals against average behind starter Rob Zepp, who has still not signed with a team after becoming an unrestricted free agent during the offseason. Gostisbehere played in just seven games last season before suffering a torn ACL, but he reports that the knee is completely healed and hasn't given him any problems in the preseason. He scored three goals in three games while in camp with the Flyers.Among the new faces sent to Lehigh Valley were forwards Tyrell Goulbourne, Pavel Padakin, Michael Parks, defensemen Logan Pyett and goaltender Connor Knapp, who played for the Reading Royals of the ECHL last season.PHANTOM FACTS: The Flyers open their regular season Oct. 8, but hope to have their roster set before their final preseason game Friday, which would help to round out the Phantoms and Royals rosters. The Phantoms open the season Oct. 10 at home against the Syracuse Crunch ... The Phantoms were the most penalized team in the AHL last season and were criticized by then coach Terry Murray - not for the number of penalty minutes but for too many "stupid" penalties ... This season is the 20th season for the Phantoms franchise, which has played in Philadelphia and Adirondack, New York prior to landing at the PPL Center in Allentown for the 2014-2015 season.