Ducks still sending players Lynx's way

The Augusta Lynx are beginning to reap the rewards of their first-year NHL affiliation with the Anaheim Ducks, as several promising players already are trickling down to the minor-league ECHL squad.

The Lynx will open camp Monday, and second-year coach Bob Ferguson said the team will have more players reporting than he previously expected.

The affiliation in effect is a pipeline of players that runs from Anaheim through the Portland (Maine) Pirates of the American Hockey League.

"We've already had a first wave of players assigned to us through the affiliation, and they should fit into what we're doing here quite well," said Ferguson, who spent much of last week scouting the Pirates camp, among others in the Northeast.

"We're expecting more here in the next four or five days, which is more than we anticipated. We were originally looking at having 23 or 24 players for camp, but now it looks like we'll have about 30," he said.

Anaheim had to submit its roster to the NHL on Tuesday, and players who did not make the team were sent to Portland or claimed by other teams. The Pirates make room for those players by shuffling some to Augusta.

After Portland's exhibition game Sunday, left wings Myles Zimmer and Jarrett Robertson, defenseman Ken Scuderi, center Ryan Lang and goaltender Brett Jaeger were assigned to the Lynx.

"It should make competition for spots on our roster pretty intense because the players assigned to us are pretty good quality players," Ferguson said.

Jaeger is the only goaltender invited to camp so far, but Ferguson said there are four competing for roster spots at Portland. Former Lynx Nathan Marsters and Mike Wall are in that mix.

Augusta is expecting 22 players to report this weekend, but that number will increase throughout the week with re-assignments and other acquisitions, Ferguson said.

"The cooperation we're getting from the Ducks organization is above and beyond what we originally expected," he said. "If we get two or three quality players assigned to us, we would've thought it a bonus. But when all the dust settles, we could have as many as six or seven."

The Lynx must have a 20-man roster when they open Oct. 20 at James Brown Arena against Columbia.

"It's really starting to come together," Ferguson said. "I think the players are eager to play some games that count. We're anxious to get going, that's for sure."

In other organizations, Eric Lundberg still is in Lowell's AHL camp, and Phil Cole was reassigned to Augusta from Manitoba's camp Tuesday.

Also, defenseman Derrick Byfuglien and forwards David Klema and David Morelli have been invited to camp.

RADIO: The team is expected to announce a radio deal and host location for the Lynx Radio Hour (formerly the coach's show) before next week.