Two seasons into his nine-year deal with the Philadelphia Flyers, it is apparent that 33-year-old netminder Ilya Bryzgalov has yet to be comfortable in the orange, white and black jersey.
In his first season with the club, Bryzgalov had an inconsistent regular season and was shaky in the post-season. This past season, he was once again shaky between the pipes and missed the playoffs for the first time since the 2010-11 season when he was with the Phoenix Coyotes.
It was announced today that the team will buy out Bryzgalov. The team already bought out forward Danny Briere’s contract last week so the club is definitely cleaning house.
Here are four teams that might be a good fit for the Russian masked man:
Phoenix Coyotes
With current Coyotes’ netminder Mike Smith’s status up in the air due to the team’s ownership obstacles and his impending unrestricted-free-agent status, the No. 1 goaltending role might open up for Bryzgalov.
Prior to signing with the Flyers in the 2011 off-season, Bryzgalov starred between the pipes for the Coyotes for four seasons. In those four seasons, Bryzgalov won 130 games, put up terrific goals against averages and save percentages and got his team into the post-season two out of the four years he was there.
In Phoenix, the media would not be all over him, which would allow Bryzgalov to be more relaxed between the pipes and potentially help him to get back to playing the way he did a few seasons ago in Arizona.
Columbus Blue Jackets
The Blue Jackets may have this year’s Vezina Trophy winning goaltender in Sergei Bobrovsky but right now, no one knows if Bobrovsky is going to stay in the NHL next season as he is being courted by the Kontinental Hockey League.
Like Phoenix, the Blue Jackets do not get a lot of media attention, which would allow Bryzgalov to focus on his game. In Columbus, Bryzgalov would also be able to pick the brain of John Davidson, team president of hockey operations and a former NHL goaltender who has had years of experience playing the game, analyzing the game and now, being an executive in the game.
Getting Bryzgalov could be a smart move for a team looking to make the playoffs for the first time since the 2008-09 season.
Calgary Flames
With Miikka Kiprusoff leaning towards retirement, the Calgary Flames may need to find themselves a No. 1 goaltender.
If Kiprusoff retires, that will leave the Flames with Joey McDonald and Karri Ramo to man the pipes. While McDonald is an experienced NHL backup and Ramo has had a lot of success overseas, who knows if either one of them can be the main man in goal for the Flames next season.
Calgary could end up being a good option for Bryzgalov.
New York Islanders
After making the post-season last year for the first time since the 2006-07 season, it is apparent that the Islanders are more than just an up and coming hockey club.
With that said, their goaltending is quite set in stone. No one knows whether or not the team will re-sign Evgeni Nabokov or whether back-up Kevin Poulin has the goods to get the job done in the NHL.
The team does not get anywhere near the media attention that the New York Rangers do and with Garth Snow at the helm, it could be a chance for Bryzgalov to show a former professional netminder that he has plenty left in the tank and plenty talent left to be a successful goaltender in this league.