Bryz a Free Bird

So two days ago, catching many off-guard, the Flyers announced that they would buy-out Bryzgalov.  Much speculated but never certain, the Flyers decided to plow ahead.

My read was that the Flyers wanted to buy out Bryz, but would not do so this offseason until they had an alternative locked up.  Even if they want to give Mason significant playing time, they still need another goalie, and Bryz is still a decent quality goalie.

No need to beat dead horses, but Bryzgalov is coming off a decent season from a purely performance standpoint.  The problem is his contract and his attitude.  He has not been a difference maker, and no one wants to tolerate that circus for 7 more years of decent-but-not-great goaltending.

Then when you see quotes as in this piece, Bryzgalov seemed to be accelerating his own departure.  He obviously hates the media here (with some justification), and he just doesn't want to fight the fight anymore to succeed here in a system of play that does not complement his skills well.  All in all, even though I have been somewhat of a Bryz apologist, and recently wrote about the benefits of buying him out next summer, this is not a bad solution.

I also might feel slightly bad for Bryz, getting run out of town and the Flyers making the biggest buyout in NHL history to rid themselves of him, but consider he will effectively be paid $40m for 2 seasons by the Flyers.  Even if he never plays in the NHL again, worse things could happen to someone.

Another factor I did not consider previously was the effect of carrying Bryz this season on the Flyers "tagging space".  The issue there is that a team cannot exceed the present season's salary cap with contracts committed to the following year.  If Bryz was still on the team, his cap hit would be "tagged" to next season's payroll, taking up space the Flyers might otherwise wish to allocate to new deals for Giroux, Couturier and Schenn.  As it stands now, with Mesz and Timonen likely leaving, Bryz and Briere bought out, the Flyers only have $39m committed to the 2014-15 season, and thus have plenty of space to get those guys resigned during this coming season and protect themselves from RFA offer complications.

Goalie Alternatives

Now that the Flyers have a spot to fill, the fun part is evaluating replacement candidates.  The presumption I will make for this analysis is the Flyers want to bring him above simple backup quality, and who will be capable of carrying the load if Mason sputters.

Luongo - The biggest name, first it needs to be said that trading for Luongo is a terrible idea.  He has 9 seasons left at a cap hit of $5.33m.  Giving up assets for the privilege of that contract is insane.  If however the Canucks buy him out (which they clearly don't want to do, but may have no other choice), the Flyers may look into an opportunistic signing.  If you could sign him for a relatively cheap and short contract (say $8m over 2 years), that could really pay off.

Nabokov - This name always seems to come up on my blog.  It appears he will not resign with the Islanders.  Now 37, he had a pretty good season for the Isles but a disappointing playoffs.  A good option, if available for cheap.

Miller - Soon to be 33, a few seasons ago he seemed like a golden boy.  I think his play slipped last season, and he appears to have worn out his welcome speaking his mind in Buffalo.  He's got a big cap hit next season, and then will be a free agent.  If I were the Flyers, I would not trade anything of value for another outspoken goalie who will be a free agent soon.

Emery - Another name that has been on this blog several times before.  A free agent who did not play in the playoffs for the champion Hawks, a regular season line of 17-1, .922% and 3 SOs seems to confirm he is back from his injury concerns.  Again, if cheap and brief, he might be a good signing and a good partner with Mason to compete for job.

Thomas - I'm not 100% sure what his contract status his after sitting out last season, but presuming he is a free agent, and one year deal for him would certainly be interesting.  Now 39, he is only 2 years removed from a historic season, winning the Vezina, Conn Smythe and Stanley Cup.  With he and Mason, the Flyers would certainly have a lot of athleticism in the crease.

Smith - He had a phenomenal season 2 years ago, but that appears to be an anomaly.  Also, we've seen that a goalie succeeding on Phoenix may not mesh well under Laviolette's system.  Pass.

Clearly the common theme among the candidates is that Flyers should be opportunistic, and not commit too many resources to the goaltending situation this offseason.  Let Mason or someone else win the job, rather than chasing a white whale.

Bryz buyout? But when?

Bob McKenzie ‏@TSNBobMcKenzie8 JunIt's not carved in stone, but in spite of what has been said in past, I expect PHI is likely to use compliance buyout on Ilya Bryzgalov. 

Bob McKenzie ‏@TSNBobMcKenzie8 JunAlso, PHI is in market for D and may be willing to move one of their young centres - B Schenn or Couturier - for the right deal.

And with that, a whole new round of discussion began.

I've already written that a Briere buyout is likely, but I have not written anything about use of the second buyout. I think most fans want to see it used on Bryzgalov, which may be a good idea.

Bryzgalov has 7 years left at $5.66 cap hit. At this point, it's not the cap hit that's the problem, it's the contract length. That is the 9th biggest cap hit among NHL goalies, and very close to the new contracts signed by Quick and Howard. Bryz hasn't been great, but he hasn't been terrible either, and paying an experienced goalie that number isn't unreasonable. If he had a year or two left at that number, you just let him play it out.

The problem is, I don't think the Flyers want to hitch their wagon to him for the next 7 years. He hasn't been a difference maker, has problems with the local media, and perhaps his teammates. Also, no one will take that contract in a trade, leaving a buyout the only option.

(For the purposes of this post, I am going to assume the Flyers have the financial means and will to pay Bryz to go away, which would be about $1.5m/year for about a dozen years)

If the Flyers decide to buy him out, they need another goalie. Handing Mason the starting job right now would be foolish.

As far UFAs go, this offseason Nik Backstrom, Evgeni Nabokov, Mike Smith, Ray Emery and Tim Thomas are available. Next offseason, potential options might be Lundqvist, Miller, Hiller, Halak, Vokoun and Crawford. Guys like Vokoun, Nabokov, Backstrom and Thomas are old and might be available at a reasonable cap hit on a short term deal. Lundqvist and Crawford could cost a mint (if even available).

The other option is a trade. There's already some talk about the Flyers' interest in Bernier in LA. My biggest concern with that route is that the Flyers don't have too many tradeable assets, and an asset used acquiring a goalie cannot be used to acquire a defensemen. Therefore I'm not crazy about the idea of trading Read to LA, as has been floated.

I think the Flyers should give Mason a full season to see how much resources they should devote in terms of cap space and trade assets to solidify the goalie situation. if he stinks, then you do what you gotta do, but if he seizes the job, problem solved. Therefore I lean towards buying out Bryzgalov next offseason, not this offseason.

The only wrinkle to that is the Flyers want to try Nabokov short term (who is is still an above average goalie), or roll the dice with Thomas or Emery. (Hey, this discussion of Emery (1, 2) and Nabokov sounds familiar...).

So my bottom line is, I'd probably buy out Bryz next summer, but not this one.

Next up, McKenzie's second tweet....

Sitting Ducks in Shootout

Thankfully, the Flyers have spared their fans the pain of seeing their team feebly lose shootouts much this season.  They've only had 3 this year, and predictably lost all three.  How bad are the Flyers in shootouts?  The numbers are below.  Keep in mind that, leaguewide, goalies make the save 67.4% of the time.

-This year, Bryzgalov is 0/5 in shootouts (dead last in NHL by percentage).  Bobrovsky is 1/3 (51st out of 54 in the NHL, by percentage).

-All time, the Flyers are dead last in shootout wins, with 19 (in 56 games).

-All time, Flyers shooters score 28.7% of the time (25th).  Flyers goalies make the save 56.9% of the time (dead last).

Looking at Bryzgalov's futility this season, it made me wonder if wearing a Flyers uniform somehow makes goalies do terribly.

-Bryzgalov; as a Flyer 0% (0/5), as a non-Flyer 66.0% (103/156)

-Bobrovsky; only as a Flyer 45.0% (9/20) -- this is the worst of any individual goalie in the NHL with a minimum of 10 attempts

-Boucher; as a Flyer 55.5% (15/27), as a non-Flyer 53.8%(7/13)

-Biron; as a Flyer 51.4% (19/37), as a non-Flyer 60% (18/30)  -- at 55.2% all time, Biron is second worst of any individual goalie in the NHL with a minimum of 50 attempts

-Emery; as a Flyer 77.8% (7/9), as a non-Flyer 55.8% (24/43)

-Nittymaki; as a Flyer 67.6% (46/68), 81.5% as a non-Flyer (22/27)

Those individual numbers show that, for the most part, the Flyers simply employ goalies who are awful at shootouts.  Bryzgalov's awful numbers this year are just another indication of how terrible a year he is having.  Say what you will about being victimized by deflections this year, or adjusting to a new defensive system--the shootout eliminates all of those variables.  He is simply playing very poorly right now.

And I'll say it again---it is simply a miracle the Flyers won a playoff spot 2 years ago by winning a shootout against the Rangers on the last day of the season.  For point of comparison, Henrik Lundqvist, is the all time leader in shootout wins with 39, and has a 76.4% save percentage.

The Goalie Options

I've made clear my opinion that the Flyers must do something to stabilize their goaltending this offseason.  They have basically no cap space to work with, so sacrifices will have to be made.  Either way, here are the options (name, age, last season's numbers)

The most proven options

-Tomas Vokoun, 34, 22-28-5, 922 save percentage, $5.7m cap hit

Vokoun has consistently performed well for several season, compiling an impressive 924 save percentage over 4 years in Florida.  The thing is, he has been toiling for mediocre teams for years, so he's never seen the second round of the playoffs, so he may be an unproven commodity in the playoffs.  He likely will take a pay cut, but he will still cost you.  The Flyers would have to dump salary elsewhere to compete in the bidding for him, but it's doable without taking a hammer to the nucleus of the team.

Ilya Bryzgalov, 30, 36-20-10, 921 save percentage, $4.25m cap hit

-Bryzgalov is, in my opinion, the only real number one goalie available in the sense that he will command a long term, high salary contract, and should be entering the prime of his career.  Unless the Flyers move a Richards or Carter, they can't compete with those offers.  If there was no salary cap he is the guy I would target (I'm not troubled by his poor postseason this year), but that's not the world we live in.

Wild cards

-Dwayne Roloson, 41, 24-25-5, 913 save percentage, $2.5m cap hit

Roloson is old, and he looked like a career backup when he was 30.  He blossomed in Minnesota, and he keeps defying expectations, particularly this season with the Lightning.  He's got to retire sometime, but I suspect he'll keep playing as a long as teams will give him one year offers.  His price should be reasonable, and offering him a short term contract would work well for the Flyers if they want to leave the door open for Bobrovsky to seize the job in the next year or two.  This is assuming of course that the Lightning don't resign him, who may be eager to reward one of the catalysts for their season.

-Evgeni Nabokov, 35, 2010 numbers-44-16-10, 922 save percentage, $5.375/570k

Nabokov is a very interesting option.  One of the top goalies in the league for years, he recorded three straight 40 win seasons (only the 2nd time in NHL history someone has done that), then left for Russia last season.  He came back at a cut price with Detroit, but the Islanders claimed him and he didn't report.  There is some question about his contract status, but it appears the Isles will have him at their disposal this season at an appallingly low price of $570k, who presumably will be fielding offers from teams exactly like the Flyers.  Unless you think his skills fell apart by one year off, or that he is lazy and worthless, there is no doubt that he is a premium NHL performer.  The Flyers also reportedly made their best effort to sign him at the last draft, but Nabokov decided to go back to Russia, as presumably the Flyers didn't have the cap space to meet his demands.  All in all, I think the Flyers would be crazy not to take a stab at a goalie with his track record and at a price that would make him one of (if not the absolute) lowest paid goalies in the entire league.  There's also the Russian factor, being an experienced Russian-speaking NHL player for Bobrovsky to lean on.

Ray Emery, 28, 7-2, 926 save percentage, $500k

-Three years ago it was his attitude, and last year it was a career threatening hip injury (think Bo Jackson).  No one really doubts his ability, but there's always been something holding Emery back.  His comeback was impressive this season for the Ducks, though such a limited audition will mean he likely won't be able to command big dollars or a long contract.  This puts him in within the reach of the Flyers.  Are the Flyers up for another ride with Ray?  They were reportedly one of 3 teams Emery was negotiating with this spring, as discussed here.

Fading stars

-J.S. Giguere, 33, 11-11-4, 900 save percentage, $6m cap hit

Seems like a long time ago Giguere was a playoff hero for the Ducks (leading to that huge contract, which is finally expiring).  He's not that old, but hasn't performed at that high level in a few seasons.  I don't think he'll regain that form (which hasn't been seen for 3 years), and I think he should be no better than plan E or F for the Flyers.

-Marty Turco, 35, 11-11-3, 897 save percentage, $1.3m cap hit

Had several good season in Dallas, but a spotty playoff record there and is coming off a very disappointing year for Chicago.  He was supposed to be a bargain at that price--instead he lost the job to a rookie (who admittedly turned a lot of heads in the playoffs).  I see him in a similar light to the prospect of signing Giguere.

-Jose Theodore, 34, 15-11-3, 916 save percentage, $1.1m cap hit

Coming off a strong season, but nowhere near the goalie that won the Vezina in 2002 with a gaudy 931 save percentage, as that season has proved to be an anomaly.  Personally, I don't think very highly off him and feel comfortable just saying "no thanks."

-Pascal Leclaire, 28, 4-7, 908 save percentage, $3.8m cap hit

He was supposed to be a star for Columbus, being the #8 pick in 2001.  For a while he seemed on that track, but he lost his job to rookie phenom Steve Mason (who has himself faded).  He was shipped off to Ottawa with hopes of claiming the #1 job there long term, but disappointed.  The mediocrity of his last few seasons are probably enough to keep the Flyers away, though I wouldn't be shocked if he has a career revival.  I'm not really interested in the Flyers having another "hope-and-pray" goalie though.

Conclusion

I don't really like any of the fading star options, and I think the first options for the Flyers should be Roloson and Nabokov.  Both are proven winners (though aging), and both are affordable and will be on short term contracts that fit in with the Flyers hopes for Bobrovsky to be the long term solution.  Nabokov even has the Russian intangible in his favor.

If I were the Flyers, I'd be pushing hard for a trade with the Isles.  The Flyers don't have many prospects to deal to a young Isles team, but Matt Carle would be a start in trade discussions.

If the Flyers can't trade for Nabokov or the Lightning re-sign Roloson before he hits the market, I would sniff around Vokoun or consider Emery round 2.  Obviously the Flyers still like him somewhat based on their interest in February.

Lastly, the Flyers could trade from someone like Cory Schneider in Vancouver who looks very good but is likely stuck behind a big star for playing time, but that opens a can of worms of candidates and the trade assets required to complete a trade, so I won't go into that.

Division Clinched

It was by the skin of their teeth, but the Flyers clinched the division for the first time in 6 years last night.

A playoff atmosphere at the arena last night and a perfect start before the Flyers found themselves down 4-3. I guess the Flyers should just take the win and move on. Very fitting however, that the line of Leino-Briere-Hartnell plus 4 points from Andrei Meszaros carried the day. Those are the guys that have been there doing it all regular season, and it wasn't Richards or Carter or came through with the big plays when the team needed them today.

So now that the Flyers are in the playoffs, the Flyers have about 4 days to answer some questions.

The issues;

-Zherdev. This one's pretty easy--he stays in the lineup. As long as he's not hurting the team with turnovers or bad penalties or the like, the team could use his stick skills and shooting.

-Briere. Seems to be healthy. Thank god.

-Richards & Carter. No injuries this year, time for Carter to be a go-to scorer in the playoffs. It hasn't been a terribly impressive regular season for Richards, but he should turn it up in the playoffs.

-Pronger. No way to really know what's going on with his injury, but I'd very surprised if he doesn't play in game 1 of the playoffs (with significant minutes).

-Power play. Still looking pretty scattershot.

-Goalies. Alas, the million dollar question, as it has been all season.

So, Goalies

All the indications the past few weeks were that Bobrovsky was Laviolette's guy, and he confirmed as much this week. A while back I decided that my preference was Boucher.

I see Bobrovsky and I see a goalie who hasn't figured it out yet. Regardless of what he is capable of long term, right now I see 3 major holes; 1) gets small and scrunchy on long shots, 2) has developed a disturbing tendency to have a gaping five hole when moving laterally on breakaways, and most importantly, 3) still loses track of the puck often and is caught unaware with traffic and when the puck is jammed in around the crease. The way he was pulled yesterday was very ugly for a goalie who is supposed to carry the load in the playoffs. Honestly, it reminds me of 1997, when in the final game of the season, Hextall was pulled after giving up 4 goals, and the team rallied behind Snow paving the way for Snow in the playoffs.

Given my lack of faith in Bobrovsky, is Boucher any better? Maybe, maybe not. I think if Boucher can stay 'quiet' in the crease, he's the better option. He's not really much more than a mediocre NHL goalie, but he should be mostly reliable.

Honestly I kind of wish Leighton had gotten a game, but I suppose Laviolette was trying to give the keys to his guy, and the Flyers had no breathing room to give Leighton a trial game anyway. Truthfully Leighton is just another not-quite-good-enough goalie on the Flyers payroll, but I do think his play the last few months of last season was better than what Boucher and Bobrovsky are providing right now.

Also, for anyone keeping score, Ray Emery was called up by the Ducks last month and finished the season 7-2 with a 926 save percentage. So much for the Emery as a low-risk high-reward signing, but it's hard to blame the Flyers for not carrying 4 NHL goalies in their ranks.

No matter who's in net, the Flyers inability to lock it down (read, the only NHL team without a shutout this year), is likely going to be their doom this year.

Stumbling to the Finish

A little while ago, Matt Carle made a comment about how every season has its ups and downs, and those momentum swings don't change in a day. The good news is that the Flyers seem to be crawling out of their lull, picking up 11 out of 14 possible points and notably playing with more passion the last two games.

The bad news is the goaltending. Surprise!! Who would've ever guessed entering the season with two career backups and a 22-year old rookie who went 9-22 in Russia last year might cause some problems??

I said in the past that I was looking for shutouts this season as a sign when a goalie is putting in extraordinary performances. Well, as of now, the Flyers are the only team in the league without a shutout this season. Because everyone is thinking it, only twice have teams won the cup without earning a shutout, both coming during the high-scoring 80s.

I keep wanting to support Bobrovsky, seeing his abilities, but too often he looks a little overwhelmed in there, reacts slowly and has bad stretches during games. My initial thoughts on him, that he gets 'small' on long shots and is uncomfortable with the puck in close and around the net, haven't changed since October.

Then there's Boucher. A vet who is capable of playing great for stretches of a few weeks, he still tends to get overactive in net and is prone to the bad goal. If I had to choose a goalie for the playoffs right now, Boucher would still be my guy, though it appears Laviolette has been leaning towards Bobrovsky. I also have to admit that Boucher's performance in the shootout last night was maybe the worst I have ever seen (it's miraculous that the Flyers entered the playoffs last year based on a shootout victory with Boucher in net on the last day of the season).

While the Flyers goalies flail, two other names have to be mentioned.

-Ray Emery just was just named one of the 3 stars of the week, winning two games and giving up one goal in each. I previously wrote he could have been a low-risk, high-reward gamble for the Flyers.

-Michael Leighton's stats seem to indicate that he is playing well in the AHL. He is 9-11 with a .921 save percentage (his teammate, Johan Backlund, is 8-15 with a .886 save percentage).

So should the Flyers recall Leighton now? I wouldn't rule it out, but it's not going to happen yet. Calling up Leighton would be an act of desperation and giving up on either Bobrovsky or Boucher. The Flyers will give them at least a few more starts, but then the question has to be asked, will it be too late to get Leighton into the team for the playoffs? Maybe.

I am under no delusions about Leighton being more than a journeyman goalie, but that doesn't mean he's not the best of the 3 poor options. What is certain right now, is that neither Boucher's nor Bobrovsky's current level of play is good enough to sustain a deep playoff run.

A case of the mondays

A few tidbits today.

-It's now expected that Emery will sign with the Ducks, then spend a few weeks on their AHL team.

-The top scorers for the Flyers' opponents are dropping like flies. It's expected that today the Bruins will announce Savard as done for the year. Malkin is likely out for the year, and Crosby is still out indefinitely (though I would expect for the playoffs, no doubt). Good news for the Flyers I guess.

-Tim Panaccio reports that the Flyers have two options on the table for Ville Leino.

Several sources tell CSNPhilly.com that the Flyers are offering a three and four-year contract worth between $9 million and $12 million, depending upon length.

At least one prominent executive in the Flyers organization believes the 27-year-old right wing won’t get a better deal in unrestricted free agency this July than what the Flyers are offering.

Bill Zito, the agent for Leino, said he remains optimistic that an agreement will be reached before free agency. Zito would not comment on the two proposals or why his client hasn’t accepted one yet.

Others believe Zito wants to wait out the season and see how Leino’s numbers stack up against other players in free agency, and what his overall impact was on the Flyers.

Today, incidentally, is the one-year anniversary of Leino becoming a Flyer.

Leino said he remains optimistic on re-signing. On Friday, Leino said no formal offer has been presented to him.

As I understand it, the Flyers can't sign Ville Leino until after the season because that would put next year's payroll over the current cap, even if they expect the cap to go up next year. I previously calculated the Flyers have roughly $2.5 million in contract space to sign Leino without making other sacrifices. I think that's still more or less accurate. As Leino carried on at almost a point/game pace this season, however, I began to wonder if that would be enough.

It's good to see both parties want to make a deal. I'm sure the Flyers love how Leino fits this roster so perfectly, and honestly it's the perfect place for him to flourish. That said, if Leino has another big playoffs, other teams might be willing throw money at him as an UFA and it's hard to walk away if a significantly larger bid comes in. Personally, I will be nervous about Leino staying with the Flyers until the ink is dry on his new contract.

Emery?

Building off reports by Dreger about the Flyers being in the running for signing Emery, you really didn't think I'd entirely refrain from comment, did you?

First, the latest:

Our daily update on Ray Emery's future presents a challenge for the veteran goalie.

Emery, admittedly, needs conditioning time in the American Hockey League. The problem is, if he negotiates and accepts a one-way contract, his conditioning stint can't be longer than two weeks without having to go through waivers.

If Emery agrees to a two-way contract, because of his age and experience, he would also have to clear waivers to remain with the team he originally signed with.

Emery needs to decide whether he can pull his game together in the AHL with a 2 week stint, or face the risk of being claimed by another NHL team.

The possibility of Emery signing with the Flyers is a tough one to measure up.

First of all, no, I would not have predicted the Flyers would make much of a play for him. Second, I think the Flyers are willing to go with Bobby Boucher into the playoffs, but are nervous about it.

The risk of signing Emery depends on your perspective. On one hand, he is high risk because questions about his volatile personality were never entirely put to rest, and he hasn't played in a year because of a career threatening injury. On the other hand, he is low risk for the Flyers because he will sign for a low amount that can be fit under the cap without making other moves, and can be stashed in the AHL.

Dreger provides good info about Emery's waiver wire exposure. If the Flyers could've signed Emery on a two-way contract, and kept him in the AHL indefinitely with no waivers complications, the signing would have been very low risk. Even as it is, if I were the Flyers, I wouldn't let the chances of him being claimed on waivers prevent you from even trying to make a move that would help the team. I guess you could make the point that it hurts the confidence of Bobby Boucher if the Flyers publicly try to get another goalie but then are 'stuck' with the guys they have, but I don't buy that (Boucher's had plenty of ups and downs in his career, and Bob seems level-headed).

I'd peg the chances of Emery signing with the Flyers low, but realistic. If they can sign him as an insurance policy with no guarantees of him seeing NHL time, there may not be much harm in signing him. In the somewhat unlikely case that he is 100% physically and mentally, I think he offers the Flyers more in net than either Boucher or Bob. If he doesn't perform in the AHL, the Flyers just never call him up the NHL. Given that Emery is still in "comeback" mode, I think he is prepared for that possibility to be in the mix for a Stanley Cup contender.

Of course Michael Leighton is also somewhat of an insurance policy. He is currently 2-7 on a dreadful Phantoms team with a .912 save percentage (for point of comparison, Johan Backlund is 6-12 with an .883 save percentage).

I think we'll see one way or the other by Monday.

Bracing for the stretch run

It has been widely reported recently how the Flyers have the best record they have had at this point in the season in quite a while. I don't have the exact numbers in front of me, but their record so far is on the same pace with the mid-70s cup teams, and the mid-80s teams that were so good. Better than any of the 90s Lindros teams.

Looking at the roster it shouldn't be surprising. I still say their defense is the best in the league quite confidently, and their forward depth is really up there. The Flyers don't have a number one line, but they have three lines teams have to worry about. In Carter, Briere, Richards and Giroux, the Flyers have 4 centers who would be a top-2 center on nearly every team in the league. Having team captain Mike Richards on what could almost be considered the 3rd line (with Nodl and JVR) is an incredible luxury. Best group of skaters I have personally seen on the Flyers, hands down.

This season, the Flyers may not always looks invincible, but they are never out of it and just keep piling up the points. Honestly I think Bobby Boucher's stats flatter their play, but that just speaks to how few breakdowns the Flyers have. Otherwise it's hard to find many faults with this team. A mediocre and inconsistent powerplay is all I can come up with. There is every reason to think the Flyers will keep it up for the rest of season despite last night's stinker (the Flyers have had 2 long breaks this season, and have been blown out in 3 of the 4 games framing those breaks...go figure).

Of course with the defense and offense so solid, the goaltending questions never really go away. Darren Dreger, a VERY reliable source of information around the league, reports the following;

February 1:

Veteran goaltender Ray Emery will be ready to return within the week. Emery's agent, JP Barry says there are three NHL teams with interest and after some fine tuning this week, expects Emery will be ready to consider offers and a temporary assignment to an AHL team. Emery has spent months rehabilitating a rebuilt hip. Unlike Evgeni Nabokov, Emery will not have to clear waivers as he did not play in Europe or have an existing contract at any point this season.

February 3:

At least three NHL teams have expressed interest in goaltender Ray Emery.

Sources have confirmed both the Anaheim Ducks and Philadelphia Flyers are in the mix as two of the three teams, however neither team is at a point where they're prepared to make an offer to sign the unrestricted free agent. Although, the expectation is teams will make their move on Emery within the next 48 hours.

Former Ottawa Senators goalie coach, Eli Wilson has been working with Emery, focusing on the technical side of his game following extensive hip surgery.

This morning, Wilson proclaimed his client is good to go, "he's ready now!"

Emery fully expects to start his comeback in the American Hockey League which may be enticing for teams willing to take a chance, while looking to add goaltending depth to their organization.

"Ray feels great and wants to be playing next week. We are now exploring all possibilities and will have to make a decision relatively soon," said Emery's agent, JP Barry.

I shall make no further comment and leave it at that.

Flyers reunion

A practice I wouldn't want to miss.

Says ESPN:

Emery's comeback

An update on a story I wrote earlier this season on the amazing comeback attempt of Ray Emery. His four-month rehab stint is nearly complete, his agent J.P. Barry told ESPN.com Friday. Barry said Emery is very close to getting the green light to return. What appears likely is a return to the AHL at first to prove himself. Guess who's been pelting him with shots lately to get him ready? None other than Eric Lindros.

Two of the more infamous (and difficult) Flyers find each other. Touching.

Other things:

-Can anyone remember the last time Mike Richards passed on a 2-on-1? I know he's scored a bunch of toe-drag goals on such breaks the last few seasons, but c'mon Mike.

-Little Danny Briere the new NHL badboy? Another fine for punching from the bench? He's not exactly up to Claude Lemieux levels yet, but surprising. I'm all for it, if it that testiness keeps him producing offense like he has so far this season. Video: