Ranking the Philadelphia Flyers' Best Goalie Options

The Philadelphia Flyers' goalie woes have been well-documented, especially over the past two years since acquiring Ilya Bryzgalov.

But with Bryz gone, there is yet another big hole in net even with Steve Mason holding down one of the spots. 

I am not doing any speculation on my own here, instead I'm only including goalies who have actually been linked to the Flyers in one way or another. 

Here are the five goalies that have been connected to the Flyers in recent days, ranked by their fit in Philadelphia, not just how likely it is for them to join. 

5. Tim Thomas

Tim Thomas should not join the Philadelphia Flyers. Not only would he be resented by fans, but his outspoken, controversial persona off the ice would not mesh well with Philadelphia.

According to Tim Panaccio, Thomas is "intrigued" by the Flyers. Not really sure what that means, but we should all hope that it does not end with him anywhere near Philadelphia. 

4. Ryan Miller

According to Eklund over at Hockeybuzz, Ryan Miller is a possible trade target for the Flyers. While the deal itself makes sense, Miller is a UFA next year and does not want to be part of Buffalo's rebuilding. The Flyers probably want to stay away from Miller.

At 32 years old, Miller has been declining lately and, like Thomas, has a personality that I do not believe would mesh well with Philadelphia.

As a last resort and at a very reasonable price, this would be a fine trade, but it definitely should not be the primary option.

3. Evgeni Nabokov

Darren Dreger of TSN has mentioned that Evgeni Nabokov could be of interest to the Flyers, and he is the first goalie on this list that would actually make a lot of sense. 

Nabokov is 37 years old, but is still a reliable goaltender and would be the perfect stopgap behind Mason for a season or two.

Fans forget that last year's second-round pick, Anthony Stolarz, is waiting in the wings, so if they get Nabokov for a couple seasons then that could be enough time for Stolarz to come up and be the backup until he's ready to compete for the starting job.

2. Ray Emery

Dreger has also said that Ray Emery could end up being a free agent target of the Flyers. Emery has had a stint in Philadelphia before, and even though that was mostly unsuccessful, the stars are aligned for him to have a better second go-round.

At 31, Emery seems to have shed the maturity and health questions that dogged him early in his career. He's coming off a career year, going 17-1-0 with the Blackhawks en route to a Stanley Cup.

He would be a reasonably priced option who could even split time evenly with Mason, and stay around for a few extra years if need be.

1. Jaroslav Halak

Also according to Panaccio, Jaroslav Halak could be an intriguing possibility as a trade option for the Flyers. The youngest goalie on this list at 28, Halak is arguably the most talented as well.

He lost his starting job to Brian Elliot, one of the most underrated goalies in the league, and is a UFA next year, so it makes sense for the Blues to listen to offers for him.

He would push Mason for the starting job extremely hard, and would probably be the favorite if he was obtained. It depends on exactly who St, Louis is asking for in return, but Halak is their best option as of now.