Flyers activate Mark Streit, waive Boyd Gordon

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VOORHEES, N.J. – Defenseman Mark Streit has been reactivated off long-term injury and will play Saturday afternoon for the Flyers in Boston.

He has missed 13 games rehabbing a sprained left shoulder. In order to accommodate the move under the salary cap, the club waived forward Boyd Gordon ($950,000).

“It’s not a move we necessarily wanted to make but we needed to make a move and felt this was the best option,” general manager Ron Hextall said. “I like what Boyd’s done, he’s a good person and works his butt off but it’s the best move for the hockey club right now.”

Hextall said he could have sent Roman Lyubimov to the Phantoms but likes what he brings to the club.

Gordon, who was signed in the offseason to help cut down Claude Giroux’s ice time by subbing for him on the penalty kill and select defensive draws, spent most of this season out of the lineup.

Gordon missed 18 games with back issues and even when activated couldn’t crack the lineup, missing 10 of the last 14 games as a healthy scratch. He played 13 games and scored the club’s first goal this season. It was his only goal, too.

“He’s been boxed out,” Hextall said of Gordon. “When you look at Belly [Pierre-Edouard Bellemare], he played a little higher in the lineup. If you have Belly in the middle and Gordon on the checking line, it’s different but when Belly is back down with Vandy [Chris VandeVelde] taking a lot of the PK minutes, it just hasn’t work out in Gordo’s favor.”

Streit was injured on Dec. 11 in the third period at Detroit. Flyers coach Dave Hakstol said he will monitor his minutes against the Bruins.

“When a player comes back in, No. 1 you just have to look for strong, basic play and that’s where we start and then read the game from there,” he said. “Mark is a great veteran. We’ll gauge it and go from there.”

The goal is at least 16 minutes of ice time from him. Streit was paired with Radko Gudas at Friday’s practice.

“I felt pretty good out there,” Streit said. “It’s a team sport. I don’t think one guy can make a difference. It’s the whole team. Everybody needs to be on the same page. I’m happy to be back. I missed close to a month. I just want to keep it simple out there.”

Hextall said earlier that the club has missed Streit’s veteran presence.

“I’m one of the older guys,” Streit said. “I have a lot of experience and try to bring leadership in the room and on the ice. When you missed quite some time, you can’t play where you left off but you want to be out there and play within the system.”

Loose pucks
Michal Neuvirth appears to be the starting goalie and said he could play both games. He was off the ice first. … Hakstol said he would not rule out one goalie playing both games and again reiterated how impressed he was with Neuvirth coming in cold to slam the door on Vancouver in the Flyers' shootout win on Thursday. … Matt Read did not practice because of a minor skate cut but is expected to play Saturday at Boston.

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