With the free agent frenzy reduced to almost an idle, there are only speculative rumors about which remaining available players will go where. With the premium placed on goaltending, Ilya Bryzgalov has to be on the radar of some teams with net minding issues.
He may not be a candidate for the Vezina Trophy but he’s a better option than some teams currently have on their roster. One month removed from celebrating his 33rd birthday by getting bought out by the Philadelphia Flyers, Bryzgalov still has plenty left in the tank. Ironically, there are a few teams that could use his services but have spent themselves out of his price range. I’m looking squarely in your direction Tampa Bay.
Bryzgalov was the whipping boy in Philadelphia, and bore the brunt of fan blame and hatred for the Flyers playoff failure in 2012 and postseason absence in 2013. While he wasn’t as sharp and showed lapses in his focus, it’s quite obvious that Bryzgalov’s best days were behind him or ahead of him in another city. Here are five places that I can see the awesomely peculiar goaltender land.
1. Colorado Avalanche
It makes sense on almost every level. The Avalanche have the cap space to sign him to a one-year, no risk deal and have a young roster that surrenders a ton of shots. Bryzgalov was used to getting peppered in Philadelphia with the Flyers porous defense and will embrace any and every change of scenery. The only negative I see is that Patrick Roy is the coach. I can’t even imagine how obnoxious it would be to play with that guy looking over your shoulder.
2. Winnipeg Jets
The Jets have done virtually nothing in free agency so far and could use a competent keeper to push their incumbent starter Ondrej Pavelec. The Jets were pretty close to being a playoff team and have a solid young core in place. Even if Bryz platooned with Pavelec, he could get legitimate playing time and audition for another long-term deal for next year. The downside is that Bryzgalov has already commented on how cold Winnipeg is in the winter. CLIP
3. New York Islanders
I love everything that the Islanders have done over the past 24 months to build their team for the future. About the only thing that I don’t agree with is the premise that Kevin Poulin is their goalie of the future. I don’t feel like Bryzgalov is in a position to demand a long term deal, but a one or two year deal laden with incentives could work in case the Isles soon-to-be 38-year old Evgeni Nabokov breaks down this season.
4. Buffalo Sabres
Stay with me now, because if you follow the Sabres you might think I just ate a box of Crazy Flakes. Adding Bryzgalov to compete with Jhonas Enroth for the starting gig and then trade Ryan Miller to dump that salary. Not so crazy huh? It’s time for Buffalo to get out from underneath that deal, and Miller has shown that he isn’t the shutdown keeper he used to be. Enroth looked really good at the end of this year and it has to be only a matter of time before Miller is a “former Sabre”
5. Calgary Flames
With Bryzgalov already stating that the Canadian winters remind him of Siberia, Calgary might be a long shot like Winnipeg. The Flames do need a starter with the retirement of Miikka Kiprusoff and that could lure the fuzzy Russian to Alberta. The Flames are in full rebuilding mode and could hire Bryzgalov to be a punching bag to give some of their younger goalies a break from the shell shock.