Tim Panaccio: Where Does Mason Fit Long Term?

so snider told you bryz is here for longterm and lavvy is toast after the season? i hope your right

i still see the flerz using amnesty on bryz..his contract is too long..maybe restructure shorter if possible and have mason also...that could be neat

Having a goalie in Mason who can push Bryz and shoulder 30 - 35 games of regular season play will go a long way. I like the tandem and like what I have seen from Mason so far. Last night with the cramping would have been easy to head to the bench and let Bryz play in an almost lost season. To hang in there earn the win, shows character.

If Mason can come in and get back to his rookie level of play, it would only be a good thing for the Flyers. I have no doubt that they like Bryzgalov and I wouldn't be surprised at anything that happens with Bryz, outside of him getting traded.

Probably in the net on certain given nights

Tim,
Snider's" like" or dislike notwithstanding, a decreased salary cap next season and emergent needs elsewhere in the lineup say he will be an amnesty casualty. My personal opinion is, Sure, it Behooves Snider to publicly defend the grossly overpriced acquisition/signage of Bryz....That coupled with management's even Worse jettisoning of Bob. As for Mason receiving a similar review to Bryz, my only reply to CBJ Fans reports is PRICE TAG!!! the Disparity is Huge...

Tim,
Snider's" like" or dislike notwithstanding, a decreased salary cap next season and emergent needs elsewhere in the lineup say he will be an amnesty casualty. My personal opinion is, Sure, it Behooves Snider to publicly defend the grossly overpriced acquisition/signage of Bryz....That coupled with management's even Worse jettisoning of Bob. As for Mason receiving a similar review to Bryz, my only reply to CBJ Fans reports is PRICE TAG!!!
- HigginzMask

The Flyers can buy out Briere and have adequate cap space next year.

The Flyers can buy out Briere and have adequate cap space next year.
- Jsaquella

Agreed, and I think it should happen as well, but I have this feeling he may slip through somehow..Flyers have been known in the past to show some weird loyalties, especially when one is so liked..

Agreed, and I think it should happen as well, but I have this feeling he may slip through somehow..Flyers have been known in the past to show some weird loyalties, especially when one is so liked..
- HigginzMask

Unlike Bryzgalov, the Flyers have replacements in place for Briere. Schenn's already playing 2nd line center and Couturier can play 3rd, then they have Laughton or Hall that can play 4th line.

Unlike Bryzgalov, the Flyers have replacements in place for Briere. Schenn's already playing 2nd line center and Couturier can play 3rd, then they have Laughton or Hall that can play 4th line.
- Jsaquella

I'm not in favor of buying out Bryzgalov except for the cap recapture rule. If he decides to retire or got back to Russia in the last year of his contract (because he's getting paid in peanuts by comparison), the Flyers get hit with an $8M cap penalty. That number decreases if it happens earlier or if he gets traded. It's a bad rule anyway, since it was instituted AFTER the contract was signed. Anyway, I'd keep him and Mason for 1 more year and evaluate it after that.

it was a big mistake to let a strong, productive Jagr go. With Jagr and 1 more NHL dman, Philly could've been a playoff team. Is Mason ok? (a safe fantasy pickup?)

it was a big mistake to let a strong, productive Jagr go. With Jagr and 1 more NHL dman, Philly could've been a playoff team. Is Mason ok? (a safe fantasy pickup?)
- MartysBetter88

Sure, on the nights he is gonna get the start he has looked good, providing we continue to score for him.

Sure, on the nights he is gonna get the start he has looked good, providing we continue to score for him.
- GirouxForTheShow

well he looked like he got injured in the last game..

well he looked like he got injured in the last game..
- MartysBetter88

I'm pretty sure I read dehydration somewhere. I can imagine he will still get a couple games here and there, but I wouldn't look for him tomorrow against NJ

i still see the flerz using amnesty on bryz..his contract is too long..maybe restructure shorter if possible and have mason also...that could be neat
- themik

You do realize, that by buying him out they will be paying him twice as long, only at a lesser rate?


I personally feel that if they are seriously considering getting rid of him, they should dangle him on the block for practically nothing. Hope someone picks him up... if not, then you need to keep him. You simply can't have him on the books for 16 more years (or whatever it works out to)...

Briere wouldn't be as bad, since he is a FA in 2 years... but still. They need to think long and hard about the moves, and if they do decide to get rid of them, they need to try and trade them for whatever they can get, just for the fact of losing the cap space..

Why is anyone listening to some fan from Columbus? The difference is that Mason is only 24, had a few injury issues and was stuck in Columbus. That whole "He can be great or average" from the Columbus fan could have been inserted regarding Price or Fluery in their first several years in the NHL also. We don't yet know how good and consistent Mason can be yet, but Bryz is what he is.

You do realize, that by buying him out they will be paying him twice as long, only at a lesser rate?


I personally feel that if they are seriously considering getting rid of him, they should dangle him on the block for practically nothing. Hope someone picks him up... if not, then you need to keep him. You simply can't have him on the books for 16 more years (or whatever it works out to)...

Briere wouldn't be as bad, since he is a FA in 2 years... but still. They need to think long and hard about the moves, and if they do decide to get rid of them, they need to try and trade them for whatever they can get, just for the fact of losing the cap space..
- WarriorHockey21

True that you'd still have to pay him, but no cap hit which is the important thing.

Isn't it a little early to ask this question?

You do realize, that by buying him out they will be paying him twice as long, only at a lesser rate?


I personally feel that if they are seriously considering getting rid of him, they should dangle him on the block for practically nothing. Hope someone picks him up... if not, then you need to keep him. You simply can't have him on the books for 16 more years (or whatever it works out to)...

Briere wouldn't be as bad, since he is a FA in 2 years... but still. They need to think long and hard about the moves, and if they do decide to get rid of them, they need to try and trade them for whatever they can get, just for the fact of losing the cap space..
- WarriorHockey21

If the Flyers buy out Bryzgalov as a compliance buy out, he comes off the cap completely. True they still have to pay him, but he doesn't count against the salary cap or as a contract slot.

If they trade him, and he retires in two years, they'll get hit with cap recapture penalties. That said, he's got zero trade value. The best route if they wish to be rid of Bryzgalov and open the cap room is to use a compliance buy out on him.

You do realize, that by buying him out they will be paying him twice as long, only at a lesser rate?


I personally feel that if they are seriously considering getting rid of him, they should dangle him on the block for practically nothing. Hope someone picks him up... if not, then you need to keep him. You simply can't have him on the books for 16 more years (or whatever it works out to)...

Briere wouldn't be as bad, since he is a FA in 2 years... but still. They need to think long and hard about the moves, and if they do decide to get rid of them, they need to try and trade them for whatever they can get, just for the fact of losing the cap space..
- WarriorHockey21

That's why buying him out IS so important. Cap free, no penalty but the cash.
Get rid of him as soon as you can.

I was never a fan of signing him, and said repeatedly that Bobs was the guy we had been looking for. The Breezy signing killed Bob's staying here. Breezy can be a good signing for 3 years at 3-4 million, but he does not earn his contract.

He looks weak most nights, and I don't think I'll forget the goal he ducked away from.

He has embarrassed the organization time and again, and you know when the time comes, he will just retire or not come back, and we'll get the big fine. He'll put himself first.

Does anyone here really trust him? I cringe EVERY time the opposition enters his end of the ice.

Buy him and Briere out, Pronger on LTIR and we have 17+million off the books. Plus we can have Knuble and Gagne off the books, plus Walker.

We can easily get 20 million off the cap, replace Breezy with a veteran like Dan Ellis, and see what Mason has. He will not be anymore risk than Breezy.

That's why buying him out IS so important. Cap free, no penalty but the cash.
Get rid of him as soon as you can.

I was never a fan of signing him, and said repeatedly that Bobs was the guy we had been looking for. The Breezy signing killed Bob's staying here. Breezy can be a good signing for 3 years at 3-4 million, but he does not earn his contract.

He looks weak most nights, and I don't think I'll forget the goal he ducked away from.

He has embarrassed the organization time and again, and you know when the time comes, he will just retire or not come back, and we'll get the big fine. He'll put himself first.

Does anyone here really trust him? I cringe EVERY time the opposition enters his end of the ice.

Buy him and Briere out, Pronger on LTIR and we have 17+million off the books. Plus we can have Knuble and Gagne off the books, plus Walker.

We can easily get 20 million off the cap, replace Breezy with a veteran like Dan Ellis, and see what Mason has. He will not be anymore risk than Breezy.
- meduser

I'd keep Bryz, you know he is a #1 and he has played good despite the AHL calibur D. His stats suck due to the team. Mason had a great year in columbus as a rookie, who's to say his game doesn't drop after this year? If it does, do you really think Ellis is a good replacement? Bryz cap hit is high but we should just deal with it. I'd rather have 2 #1 goalies then a 1 possible #1 and a backup.

Flyers are unlikely to get a top defenceman without dishing some prospects and current NHL roster players. A top D man is all that we need.

Seems pretty simple to me...Bryz is getting paid like an Elite top 5 goalie type when he's really more of an Average to above average goalie. It's not his fault that they threw all this money at him. However, I know the Flyers D has been a mess this year, but Bryz's stats in goals against average and save percentage are absolutely terrible. He's wildly inconsistent. Then on top of that at some point you have to factor in character. He's an amusing guy, but quite honestly in my opinion seems immature for his age, non team oriented, and prone to just say stupid things. His comments about how we 'care too much', and what he said about the possibility of being bought out that 'he doesnt care', instead of what he should have said something like I want to be here, and I want to win a championship here have really rubbed me the wrong way. Even despite that, I wouldn't care about his comments if he just was a better goalie. I'd buy him out this summer and bring in another goalie to pair with Mason, who probably will have similar stats for 4 million dollars less of a cap hit. At absolute worst I'd give Bryz one more season and then because its the last chance to amensty get rid of him or try to trade him then.

Tim Panaccio: Where Does Mason Fit Long Term?
- tpanaccio

Mason is a demonstrably terrible goalie. This is a guy who put up great numbers for barely 1/3 of a season and has been almost uninterruptedly awful ever since.

In the first 23 games of his career, Steve Mason stopped pucks at a .939 rate. In the remaining 38 games he played that season, he managed just .899, which also happens to be his average for the 175 NHL games he's played since his wildly overrated rookie campaign.

Steve Mason is not a good goalie. Steve Mason very likely never was a good goalie. He had a brief, hot run for a few months (as happens to literally every goalie who plays more than a handful of NHL games in a career), but because that run happened to occur at the very beginning of his NHL career he's maintained a reputation as a talented if inconsistent starter, long after the point where anyone watching the games or looking at the stats should be able to say, "No, he's actually just terrible."

People sitting around waiting for Mason to "rediscover" the supposedly great form of his rookie season are going to be waiting forever, because he never was nearly that good in the first place.

Mason is a demonstrably terrible goalie. This is a guy who put up great numbers for barely 1/3 of a season and has been almost uninterruptedly awful ever since.

In the first 23 games of his career, Steve Mason stopped pucks at a .939 rate. In the remaining 38 games he played that season, he managed just .899, which also happens to be his average for the 175 NHL games he's played since his wildly overrated rookie campaign.

Steve Mason is not a good goalie. Steve Mason very likely never was a good goalie. He had a brief, hot run for a few months (as happens to literally every goalie who plays more than a handful of NHL games in a career), but because that run happened to occur at the very beginning of his NHL career he's maintained a reputation as a talented if inconsistent starter, long after the point where anyone watching the games or looking at the stats should be able to say, "No, he's actually just terrible."

People sitting around waiting for Mason to "rediscover" the supposedly great form of his rookie season are going to be waiting forever, because he never was nearly that good in the first place.
- Sven22

Or he's 24.