Philadelphia Flyers: Trading for Ilya Bryzgalov's Rights Leads to More Questions

Many people have started to express their opinion on the Flyers trading for the rights of Ilya Bryzgalov, however, the reality is that the trade has raised more many questions than it has potentially answered.

So with that in mind, here is a list of issues that I feel need to be addressed before determining if the trade was a good move for the team.

Will the Flyers be able to sign Bryzgalov?

The most obvious question is sometimes the most important. The Flyers gave up a third-round pick for the right to negotiate with Bryzgalov until July 1, 2011. He is rumored to be asking for a contract in the range of five years/$30 million which would put him among the top five goaltender salaries in the league.

It can be argued if he even belongs in that category; however, when you see that Niklas Backstrom and Jean-Sebastien Giguere are currently making $6 million a year, it’s hard to argue that he’s not.

That being said, there are also rumors circulating that Bryzgalov is asking to be the highest-paid goalie in the league, and that honor currently belongs to the Rangers’ Henrik Lundqvist, who has a $6.875 salary cap number.

The Flyers have to hope those initial demands were to make it clear that he did not want to re-sign with the Coyotes, who are currently owned by the NHL and could be moving to another city next season.

However, if Bryzgalov is actually asking for, say, seven years and $49 million, then the Flyers should let him become a free agent. That contract is way big for a goaltender that hasn’t played well in the playoffs since 2007.

What will the terms of the contract be?

I’m not worried that Bryzgalov, who will turn 31 this month, will underperform on his contract in the latter years. Many NHL goaltenders are still productive well into their mid 30s and beyond, as Tim Thomas and Dwayne Roloson have proven this season.

However, I am concerned that the Flyers would not have the ability to sign players in other areas. If Bryzgalov’s annual salary cap number is $6 million, the Flyers will have over $50 million committed to just 11 players in the 2012-13 season. That total does not include Matt Carle, Braydon Coburn, Kris Versteeg or James van Riemsdyk, who would all be free agents.

Flyers GM Paul Holmgren has made a habit of trading high draft picks for players and negotiating rights, and it has been a relatively successful strategy. However, the lack of draft picks also means a decreased likelihood that young players on the team will have the ability to outperform their contracts which, in turn, means an increased dependence on overpaying in free agency. 

Who will the Flyers trade to accommodate Bryzgalov’s salary?

The Flyers are always hovering around the salary cap limit so, even with a significant increase to the league salary cap maximum, the signing of Bryzgalov would necessitate moving a player on the current roster.

Anyone who has read my articles knows that I wouldn’t mind seeing Jeff Carter traded. I have never felt that he meshes with the Flyers philosophy, and he is highly regarded around the league, so the Flyers could receive some much-needed prospects and draft picks in return.

Other than Carter, I think Carle or Versteeg would be good candidates if Holmgren wants to avoid messing with the core of the team. They both have two years left on their contracts at a salary cap hit between $3-3.5 million and enough upside to make them movable.

If no one from the Flyers core is traded, does that mean Ville Leino will not be re-signed?

They may be able to add Bryzgalov if they trade Carle or Versteeg, however, that would also likely result in not being able to re-sign Leino. As I have said before, I would sign him at the right price, $2-2.5 million per year; however, he is rumored to be asking for $3 million plus per season.

That number does not seem possible if the Flyers sign Bryzgalov unless they trade Briere, Richards, Carter or Timonen, who all have a cap number in excess of $5.2 million next season. I know the fans love Leino but the risk is too high for a late bloomer that faded in the second half of the season.

What would Bryzgalov’s signing mean for Sergei Bobrovsky?

Bobrovsky still has two years at $1.75 million per year left on his contract, and that’s a little steep for a backup goaltender in today’s NHL, especially if they will play 15 to 20 games a season. I think Bob would benefit from having a Russian counterpart at his position, and it sounds like that is Holmgren’s plan, but how long can you keep him happy in a backup role when he was a starter this season?

Bobrovsky does have value and the Flyers, believe or not, have other highly regarded goaltending prospects in their system, so a trade could be a possibility, although I would hate to see them give up on a 22-year-old that has shown so much potential.

What are the alternatives for the Flyers to take if they don’t sign Bryzgalov?

Do they turn their attention to Tomas Vokoun, who would likely request a similar salary? I’d also imagine that his asking price would go up if the Flyers were unsuccessful in signing Bryzgalov.

Or with the lack of any other high-end free agent alternatives, would they attempt to sign a guy like veteran Roloson to carry the load for a year or two and give Bobrovsky time to develop?  

Or do they stick with Bobrovsky as the starter and give him a better veteran backup such as Chris Osgood, Ty Conklin or Johan Hedberg in case he falters?

I would like to see them go with the last option if Bryzgalov doesn’t sign. Something needs to change in net for the Flyers, and perhaps a more reliable backup would be the best and most cost effective move.