Bob being shopped

[flyersfan4706]

Sources say Flyers shopping goalie Bobrovsky | Philadelphia Daily News | 07/08/2011

Yesterday in Denver, more than halfway across the country, the Avalanche welcomed goaltender Semyon Varlamov to Colorado with a news conference.

Varlamov just as easily could have been Sergei Bobrovsky.

YONG KIM / Staff photographer
Sergei Bobrovsky seems destined to be a backup, if not a former Flyer.
Flyers prospect camp Jagr through the years 2010-2011 Flyers fights According to sources, the Flyers began to shop Bobrovsky - the man they called "the goaltender of the future" as recently as May - to all suitors once they struck a 9-year deal with Ilya Bryzgalov on June 23.

General manager Paul Holmgren vehemently denied it when asked whether Bobrovsky had been involved in trade talks.

The Flyers, though, couldn't get the exact asking price they hoped for when shopping Bobrovsky's services on the open market. Varlamov, a fellow Russian only 5 months older than Bobrovsky, netted Washington a first- and second-round pick in a July 1 trade.

It's plain to see that Bobrovsky - without the first-round pedigree and nearly 3 full years' worth of experience in North America - would not garner as much as Varlamov on the market. The Flyers would have pulled the trigger at that price.

Then again, it isn't every day that 22-year-old goaltenders are able to make a starting impact in the NHL. Bobrovsky played 54 regular-season games for the Flyers last season as a rookie. Varlamov has only 59 regular-season games under his belt over parts of three seasons.

While rosters have begun to fill out since free agency commenced on July 1, just because Bobrovsky is here now does not mean he will remain the Flyers' backup come Opening Night on Oct. 6.

Why?

The Flyers will continue to look to move him if the price is right. Bobrovsky, with a $1.75 million salary next season, will become the second-highest paid backup in the NHL on a team that usually spends to the limit.

Bryzgalov, who hasn't played fewer than 65 games in each of the last three seasons, is a workhorse. While few say Bryzgalov would be a bad mentor for his fellow Russian, Bobrovsky would be cut from 60 appearances last season (including playoffs) to nearly 20 next season. Few experts would go out on a limb and say that would not stunt Bobrovsky's development.

It's not as if Bobrovsky, who would be 31 at the end of Bryzgalov's deal, will be waiting in the wings for the term of Bryzgalov's contract as the supposed "goaltender of the future."

Starting in October, Bobrovsky will need to clear waivers to get in more work with the Phantoms - something he won't do without being claimed.

The Flyers' goaltending situation got a little murkier yesterday when they signed free agent Jason Bacashihua, a former first-round pick, to a 1-year contract. The Flyers had not announcedthe deal last night, which was circulated in an NHL Players Association memo as being worth the minimum $525,000 in the NHL and $125,000 in the minors.

While Bacashihua, 28, has 38 games of NHL experience on his resumé, he is a longshot to see any time in a Flyers uniform - short of another Year of the Seven Goalies.

In front of him on the depth chart are Bryzgalov, Bobrovsky, Michael Leighton and Johan Backlund. The final year of Leighton's $1.55 million salary can be stashed in Adirondack, off the salary cap, as it was for the bulk of last season. This season, however, Backlund's contract converts to a one-way NHL deal worth $800,000.

Between the Flyers and Phantoms, only four roster spots are available - two starters and two backups. That means one of those five goaltenders will be without a spot. Or if you're putting two and two together, one of them will be dealt before the season.

It's important to keep in mind that the Flyers are not unwilling to go into the season with Bobrovsky on their roster. To think that Holmgren will move Bobrovsky without a solid return is foolish. It would be better to keep him than to give him away.

Besides, the Flyers will have a T-shirt bonanza next season if their duo is Bryzgalov and Bobrovsky. It will be the Flyers' version of the old hammer and sickle Communist logo.

Even 35 years after pounding the Soviet Red Army team, who would have seen that coming?



Read more: Sources say Flyers shopping goalie Bobrovsky | Philadelphia Daily News | 07/08/2011
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[flyersfan4706]

Ah yes, let the Stamkos rumors come raining down on us yet again

 

[mall3013]

Read this earlier. No surprise here. However the Flyers should keep Bob as long as they need unless a team offers a crazy deal. We are comfortably under the cap. No need to trade him just to trade him.

 

[flyersfan4706]

My thoughts exactly. We have Simmonds signed, and are not dieing for cap space. Keep him, Bryz might get injured.

 

[awaz]

problem is they're at 50 contracts now, which is the max.. nobody else can come in, nhl or ahl, without moving someone via trade

potential people coming in would include couturier.

 

[soulxflare]

My thoughts exactly. We have Simmonds signed, and are not dieing for cap space. Keep him, Bryz might get injured.

Agreed. I'd only consider moving Bob if we got into cap trouble.

We've got a full roster and $1.5M in space -- there's no reason to trade him now.

 

[soulxflare]

problem is they're at 50 contracts now, which is the max.. nobody else can come in, nhl or ahl, without moving someone via trade

potential people coming in would include couturier.

Then you let Leighton go LONG before Bob.

Edit: According to capgeek, we only have 48 contracts, 22 roster and 26 non-roster players.

 

[banditshcky11]

I will be extremely upset if they trade Bob. He has that "it" factor that could make him a top 5 goalie in the league someday. Plus, according to capgeek Bryz does not have a NTC so if I were management there is no way I would trade Bob(barring maybe a Bob & Harts for Stamkos deal). Give the kid 25-30 starts this season and see what he does. Maybe having someone who speaks russian around may actually help him develop, who would of thought that

 

[flyersfan4706]

I will be extremely upset if they trade Bob. He has that "it" factor that could make him a top 5 goalie in the league someday. Plus, according to capgeek Bryz does not have a NTC so if I were management there is no way I would trade Bob(barring maybe a Bob & Harts for Stamkos deal). Give the kid 25-30 starts this season and see what he does. Maybe having someone who speaks russian around may actually help him develop, who would of thought that

The lack of NTC/NMC makes me confident we keep him. We all no in 5 years Bryz will suck, so just waive him and Bob takes the reign.

 

[banditshcky11]

The lack of NTC/NMC makes me confident we keep him. We all no in 5 years Bryz will suck, so just waive him and Bob takes the reign.

Truth is when we get to that point he'll probably be ready to bolt to the KHL to make more $ anyway.

 

[ProppRules]

I would love to keep Bob, and I think keeping him this year since we have cap space is a good idea. But to think he would sit for 5 years as a back up, making back up money and not want to be moved is asking alot of the guy.

 

[awaz]

Then you let Leighton go LONG before Bob.

Edit: According to capgeek, we only have 48 contracts, 22 roster and 26 non-roster players.

capgeek doesn't have kalinski signed, which i've been told has happened, he's at least been extended a qualifying offer (which would count as a contract)

and they dont have bacashihua on there

those 2 make 50

 

[flyersfan4706]

Bacashihua was always the goalie in NHL 06 who was a free agent.

 

[soulxflare]

capgeek doesn't have kalinski signed, which i've been told has happened, he's at least been extended a qualifying offer (which would count as a contract)

and they dont have bacashihua on there

those 2 make 50

Gotcha -- that would explain it. Still, I'd let Leights (or even Backlund) go first. I'd keep Bob, at the very least, for this season -- just in case Bryz blows a gasket.

 

[awaz]

Gotcha -- that would explain it. Still, I'd let Leights (or even Backlund) go first. I'd keep Bob, at the very least, for this season -- just in case Bryz blows a gasket.

oh i agree with you.. but leighton and backlund would have to have a pick tied to them for another team to take them.. it would have to be like leighton and a 4th for a 6th.. nobody wants either of them, and they would have no incentive to take them

i'd want to keep bob at all costs.. have a good safety blanket.. and a couple years down the road when he's ready, if bryz is still playing well, we have a great problem

 

[awaz]

oh i agree with you.. but leighton and backlund would have to have a pick tied to them for another team to take them.. it would have to be like leighton and a 4th for a 6th.. nobody wants either of them, and they would have no incentive to take them

i'd want to keep bob at all costs.. have a good safety blanket.. and a couple years down the road when he's ready, if bryz is still playing well, we have a great problem

alright so at all costs would be an exaggeration.. but i would like to keep bob