They can keep him another season and still use a compliance buy out on him. The NHL made the compliance buy outs available in 2013 and 2014.
- Jsaquella

I would buyout Bryzgalov now (once Finals are done). I'm taking no chances being stuck with that contract if he is injured. The Flyers can get the same production from Mason for a quarter of the price. Let Mason grow with the team.

Go stick with your team, because you're clueless! If a goalie can't stop routine shot's it doesnt matter who the friggin coach is!
- twpguy

Speaking about Bryz?
If so, please find-show me a routine shot he didn't stop this season..

Honestly if bryz weren't Russian I'd say stick with him for another year. The combo of if he gets a major injury next year, if he were to up and retire and go play in the khl Bc mason became the clear #1. There are too many plausible scenarios where the flyers would get stuck with this contract for the duration and it is too scary.

Regarding cloutier's blog. I would think something could get worked out if it's b schenn they want with the #7 overall. I would think about couturier for #7 and klefbom

I would buyout Bryzgalov now (once Finals are done). I'm taking no chances being stuck with that contract if he is injured. The Flyers can get the same production from Mason for a quarter of the price. Let Mason grow with the team.
- stveshdy

My biggest worry all along is that if you amnesty Bryzgalov this summer then you either have to replace him with an average Ufa signing or trade an asset like Schenn or read for a Bernier with the hope it works out. I think that's nonsense. Fixing the d is a priority. Use the Schenn or reads to address this our biggest area of weakness. If mason turns out to be solid then amnesty bryzgalov next summer. At that point we will have a larger sample size for him, and should have fixed the d. I just don't want to see plus deplete the young forward corps too much and then have to sign an older Ufa or two to replace them.

The Flyers will hold onto Bryz unless one of two things happen. One, they find a taker, even if it is nearly zero compensation coming back. Two, they need his cap money to sign an upper echelon defenseman. If neither happens they will hold him and play him this season with the hopes that he comes around and increases his value. Either way he will be traded or bought out by next summer. Coming into the 2014 offseason there are a bunch of names (Giroux, Shenn, Couturier, and Timonen) that need to be signed and/or replaced and the cap will be too tight to continue paying a goalie 5.6m to be average.

I doubt Kimmo will be back for the 14-15 season.

Bill Meltzer: Meltzer's Musings: Bryzgalov and Bernier
- bmeltzer

Hey Bill!!!

How's your baby girl doing???? Can we get an update on how her first months have been?

My first born is almost 6 months old now. He's actually as big as a 1 year old so he already fits into the official Reebok NHL Flyers jersey I bought him! Did you know they made them in Infant size?

The Flyers will hold onto Bryz unless one of two things happen. One, they find a taker, even if it is nearly zero compensation coming back. Two, they need his cap money to sign an upper echelon defenseman. If neither happens they will hold him and play him this season with the hopes that he comes around and increases his value. Either way he will be traded or bought out by next summer.
- ICUBB

Trading Bryzgalov, while likely impossible, also still leaves the door open for cap recapture penalties.

Let's say they trade Bryz to Phoenix, for example, this summer. He goes there and is off the cap. But say he retires early. The Flyers face a cap penalty.

If he retired in the summer of 2017 in this scenario, they Flyers would have a cap penalty of $1,722,222 per year for 3 years.

If the Flyers are going to go get anyone from LA, it should be Voynov IMHO. (not that they would give him up) But he would be the kind of defenseman addition that is needed.

Bill - Here's a question - though teams can't circumvent the compliance buyout rules, what kind of market will there be to trade someone like a Bryz to a team that won't use their buyouts, and then have that team buy him out? Does this violate the spirit of the compliance buyout rules? (obviously that team would also have to get something back to do this) Just wondering.....

If the Flyers are going to go get anyone from LA, it should be Voynov IMHO. (not that they would give him up) But he would be the kind of defenseman addition that is needed.

Bill - Here's a question - though teams can't circumvent the compliance buyout rules, what kind of market will there be to trade someone like a Bryz to a team that won't use their buyouts, and then have that team buy him out? Does this violate the spirit of the compliance buyout rules? (obviously that team would also have to get something back to do this) Just wondering.....
- caniac11

Voynov would be a great addition. But LA's not going to move him.

There is nothing in the CBA to prevent a team from trading a guy to another team and then having that team buy him out. However, the NHL has a history of punishing teams for violating the spirit, if not the letter, of the law.

I say you jettison Ilya now, there are too many variables to contend with him going forward. Even if he has a bounce back season does that instill confidence in him going forward when this team should/will really need him? I don't take that chance you end up with a Pronger issue or a 'Baby' issue where he runs off ala Thomas. There are a good bit of #1's looking at UFA status come 2014 ( Miller, Hiller, Crawford, Hank, Halak, etc... ) granted most should be signed by then but some will probably be out there. I vote make the deal, bring in Bernier, walk away from Bryz and let's move forward, again.

Honestly if bryz weren't Russian I'd say stick with him for another year. The combo of if he gets a major injury next year, if he were to up and retire and go play in the khl Bc mason became the clear #1. There are too many plausible scenarios where the flyers would get stuck with this contract for the duration and it is too scary.

Regarding cloutier's blog. I would think something could get worked out if it's b schenn they want with the #7 overall. I would think about couturier for #7 and klefbom
- Just5

Just read Cloutier's blog. It makes sense to me if that trade went down, but I think he may be undervaluing Cooter. I'd say we'd need another asset to come back. Just because they would both be top ten picks doesn't make them equal. One would be potential and the other would be going into his 3rd year in the NHL having shown definite flashes of being a great two way centre. Also, I think the Flyers need a Dman that can step right in. I don't expect anyone other than Jones to be able to do that at this point which means we will need to make a trade for an established player and would need to use Cooter or Schenn for that.

If Bryzgalov tested free agency the year they signed him, who else would have offered on him?

Vokoun got 1 year, $2 mill. Could they have gotten Bryzgalov for half of what they signed him for if they just waited?

The Flyers will hold onto Bryz unless one of two things happen. One, they find a taker, even if it is nearly zero compensation coming back. Two, they need his cap money to sign an upper echelon defenseman. If neither happens they will hold him and play him this season with the hopes that he comes around and increases his value. Either way he will be traded or bought out by next summer. Coming into the 2014 offseason there are a bunch of names (Giroux, Shenn, Couturier, and Timonen) that need to be signed and/or replaced and the cap will be too tight to continue paying a goalie 5.6m to be average.
- ICUBB

Your second point is very valid IMO. If we make a trade for a guy with a huge cap hit, he may have to go now. I just hope to God we don't gut the young forward corps of Read Schenn and Couturier in one fell swoop to get the dman and a Bernier. We just gave up Carter and Richie to have this solid young nucleus and don't wanna start over again. My concern is, Amnesty Bryz, fine, replace him with a UFA backup to Mason and what if he flops? What a hot mess that'll be.

any comprehensive analysis of the bryz situation must take into account the recapture clause of the CBA. even if you're on the fence about a CBO after reading Bill's blog, this one factor could move the needle in favor.

in business, one axiom that i remember goes something like this: if you want to do the right thing, but you're not exactly sure what that is, you can at least stop doing the wrong thing. i think this one applies to the flyers in spades, from the top of the org on down thru the coaching ranks. i think it also applies to the bryz situation.

any comprehensive analysis of the bryz situation must take into account the recapture clause of the CBA. even if you're on the fence about a CBO after reading Bill's blog, this one factor could move the needle in favor.

in business, one axiom that i remember goes something like this: if you want to do the right thing, but you're not exactly sure what that is, you can at least stop doing the wrong thing. i think this one applies to the flyers in spades, from the top of the org on down thru the coaching ranks. i think it also applies to the bryz situation.
- isaiah520

Does it really matter whether it's this summer or next for the amnesty other than the fact that he might get hurt?

I say you jettison Ilya now, there are too many variables to contend with him going forward. Even if he has a bounce back season does that instill confidence in him going forward when this team should/will really need him? I don't take that chance you end up with a Pronger issue or a 'Baby' issue where he runs off ala Thomas. There are a good bit of #1's looking at UFA status come 2014 ( Miller, Hiller, Crawford, Hank, Halak, etc... ) granted most should be signed by then but some will probably be out there. I vote make the deal, bring in Bernier, walk away from Bryz and let's move forward, again.
- jtb3rd

Agreed. Hypothetically, if Bryz plays well this upcoming year, what do you do? Chance keeping him for the duration of his contract? Wasn't there speculation of him being a locker room cancer or maybe not to that degree? Why would you want to keep that around your young core of players moving forward anyway? Let the young team grow without the distractions and bad habbits that it sounds like Bryz brings to the table.

Hey Bill!!!

How's your baby girl doing???? Can we get an update on how her first months have been?

My first born is almost 6 months old now. He's actually as big as a 1 year old so he already fits into the official Reebok NHL Flyers jersey I bought him! Did you know they made them in Infant size?
- Coburns_Nose

Thank you. She's doing great! Sleeps well, smiles a lot, fusses her fair share but that's par for the course.

My four-year-old son is getting into sports. Right now, he likes soccer more than hockey but he likes hockey, too. A few months ago, he informed me that "Goalies wear masks. They have different sticks. They skate slow.... but they are POWERFUL. They talk to the shooter."

any comprehensive analysis of the bryz situation must take into account the recapture clause of the CBA. even if you're on the fence about a CBO after reading Bill's blog, this one factor could move the needle in favor.

in business, one axiom that i remember goes something like this: if you want to do the right thing, but you're not exactly sure what that is, you can at least stop doing the wrong thing. i think this one applies to the flyers in spades, from the top of the org on down thru the coaching ranks. i think it also applies to the bryz situation.
- isaiah520

I'm not so worried about cap recapture as a factor this offseason because the Flyers can have another season to decide on a compliance buyout (eliminating any potential future cap recapture penalty as a factor) if they so desire.

Thank you. She's doing great! Sleeps well, smiles a lot, fusses her fair share but that's par for the course.

My four-year-old son is getting into sports. Right now, he likes soccer more than hockey but he likes hockey, too. A few months ago, he informed me that "Goalies wear masks. They have different sticks. They skate slow.... but they are POWERFUL. They talk to the shooter."
- bmeltzer

Good to hear. my boy does the soccer/hockey thing too. He might say he likes soccer better but I can't tell when he's on the ice.

I'm not so worried about cap recapture as a factor this offseason because the Flyers can have another season to decide on a compliance buyout (eliminating any potential future cap recapture penalty as a factor) if they so desire.
- bmeltzer

if bryz is injured, the flyers are SOL. and frankly, given all of the weaknesses you cited and locker room /temperament issues that are apparent, i'm surprised that you didn't nail down a position or preference on this one. there's are bit of a circus here that the flyers don't need. it feels forced to carry on with this situation, especially in light of the # of workable alternatives available. clearly the contract was a mistake and the risk/ benefit going forward is one i'm not comfortable with.

Whether they buy out bryzgalov or not the soap opera in net will never stop for this club. Carry on.

Does it really matter whether it's this summer or next for the amnesty other than the fact that he might get hurt?
- Hextall271

the injury factor is big for me, but if the idea is that the CBO is going to happen, then the nxt question is "what are the alternatives now and going forward?". i think there are options this summer that make it worthwhile for the flyers to move on now and not risk a poor goalie mkt nxt off season.

if bryz is injured, the flyers are SOL. and frankly, given all of the weaknesses you cited and locker room /temperament issues that are apparent, i'm surprised that you didn't nail down a position or preference on this one. there's are bit of a circus here that the flyers don't need. it feels forced to carry on with this situation, especially in light of the # of workable alternatives available. clearly the contract was a mistake and the risk/ benefit going forward is one i'm not comfortable with.
- isaiah520

2nd that!

I know Bill stated that stats are not the tell all, but 35th in save percentage.

Granted, the onus isn't all on him, he's just not worth the $$$ moving forward

Just hope they have a backup plan in place, when/if the first one fizzles

Whether they buy out bryzgalov or not the soap opera in net will never stop for this club. Carry on.
- JoeRussomanno

What do you mean? This guy said "NEVER AGAIN". Good to see the duration of that statement lasted two years. The goaltending situation with this franchise is a farce.