Homer: Bryz will NOT be bought out this year

[trevluk]

If you and Jack think a 5m per year backup is smart then OK but to me it makes no sense. Bryz is either the started or he is bought out. If Mason starts the season as #2 and then wins the job OK... but Bryz should be the starter on day 1

Another way to look at it though is that the combined salary of Mason/Bryz is actually pretty reasonable for starter/backup combo, so what does it matter who the actual starter is? If we're paying 7.5 mil for our 2 goalies but our expensive goalie is on the bench, I got no problem with that. Also, Bryz's value has never been lower, but if he manages to have a big bounce back year next year, more options open up - if he is playing REALLY well, then myabe keep him, if he is playing well enough to attract interest from another team, then move him. (Obvioulsy I have zero faith that this scenario would actually take place, but it is possible.)

Edited April 26, 2013 by trevluk

[murraycraven]

The reason we got rid of Bob is BC he was making 1.5m and we needed the cap space. Whether you want Bryz gone or both I see no reason whatsoever keeping him around as #2 at nearly 6m per year. Nearly 7m in a goalie combo is not reasonable... use the money elsewhere

[murraycraven]

Number one) I WANT BRYZ GONE! I am only trying to reason out how it makes any sense to keep him as management keeps saying they are going to. His stats say he is a poor back up at best. His play on the ice thus far for the flyers leans to the he is outta here. Bryz should not be the starter from day one unless he somehow figures out how to stop a breakaway.......and it is management that would keep him around as a back up at 5 mil, not me.....

I am only responding to what you actually wrote rod... how am I to know you are playing management?

[Cheesesteak]

Number one) I WANT BRYZ GONE! I am only trying to reason out how it makes any sense to keep him as management keeps saying they are going to. His stats say he is a poor back up at best. His play on the ice thus far for the flyers leans to the he is outta here. Bryz should not be the starter from day one unless he somehow figures out how to stop a breakaway.......and it is management that would keep him around as a back up at 5 mil, not me.....

As far as I can tell the only reason to keep him around for one more season is because I think you can only amnesty one player this year and it may make more sense to unload Briere to save more cap room and by the time next summer rolls around, they unload Bryz at a lower yearly cost or trade him if he looks any good next season....I'd start Mason

[murraycraven]

You can amnesty two players this year...

[radoran]

Bryz has a No Movement Clause.

There are two buyouts that can be used at the same time if wished.

Nearly 7m in a goalie combo is not reasonable... use the money elsewhere

Once you get past the teams that are going primarily with a young pair of goalies (and in no way saying the Flyers c/shouldn't have done the same), $7M is not at all unreasonable for teams with an "established" goalie. For example:

Pittsburgh: $7M

Rangers: $8.175M

Montreal: $7.675M

Minnesota: $7.9M

Vancouver: $9.3M

Carolina: $7.1M

Anaheim: $7.275 (3 goalies)

Islanders: $8.691M (includes 35+ Thomas lol - but BOS did play last season with $8.5M in goalies)

There are many good, valid reasons to get Bryz out of here. The mere fact of spending $7M on goalies isn't one of them. Locking up $5.6M in a middling goalie for the next seven years

certainly is.

If he doesn't come out as the Second Coming of Ken Dryden next year, he's gone.

[JackStraw]

@murraycraven - I didn't notice the stipulation that he would be a backup. If they plan on making him the backup next year then it probably doesn't make sense. But I'd bet a humungous big bet that he will be the starter. Mason hasn't proven nearly enough to be given the starting job. He would probably have to outplay Bryz for a few months next season before they'd make him the #1. And even then he'd probably be on a short leash. I would get ready for a good old fashioned goalie controversy next year.

[ruxpin]

@flyerrod

What does that matter? No cap hit to it, so why is it a motivating factor?

Plus, any years bought out will only cost 66 cents on the dollar. I don't remember what bryzgalov's cash salary is next season, but why pay all of it when you can only pay two thirds?

The *only* reason to not by him out this summer is if management is entertaining the idea of not buying him out at all.

Was that a serious question? It matters because we're talking about a real company with a real budget, real balance sheet, and real P&L. We're talking about a real company with all of those things paying someone a very large amount of money to do absolutely nothing. If they can wait another season and reduce that amount a little bit, I would fully expect that to be their course of action.

This is not just about salary cap, although I know fans like to pretend it is.

[AlaskaFlyerFan]

I don't see how you can keep him for another year. The Flyers are already $3mm over next year's cap. They're more than likely going to amnesty Briere. That gets them $3.5mm below the cap with 3 RFAs to tender and probably 2 UFAs they will keep. There is no cap space to do anything else. IMHO, they have to amnesty both Briere and Bryz this off season if they are going to improve the team.

Edited April 26, 2013 by AlaskaFlyerFan

[murraycraven]

Jack... well said... made me laugh!

My entire point is that if Bryz is a backup at 6m a year then we are idiots...

Rad... looks the teams you listed... all, mostly, are all very good teams that do not need nearly what we do...

[ruxpin]

As far as I can tell the only reason to keep him around for one more season is because I think you can only amnesty one player this year and it may make more sense to unload Briere to save more cap room and by the time next summer rolls around, they unload Bryz at a lower yearly cost or trade him if he looks any good next season....I'd start Mason

You can amnesty two in aggregate over the next two offseasons. So two this year and none next year OR none this year and two next year OR one this year and one next year. Some of the Philly writers are having a difficult time with the concept and have made it pretty confusing.

[ruxpin]

@murraycraven - I didn't notice the stipulation that he would be a backup. If they plan on making him the backup next year then it probably doesn't make sense. But I'd bet a humungous big bet that he will be the starter. Mason hasn't proven nearly enough to be given the starting job. He would probably have to outplay Bryz for a few months next season before they'd make him the #1. And even then he'd probably be on a short leash. I would get ready for a good old fashioned goalie controversy next year.

Nicely said. I was thinking much along those lines, but you said it better than I would have.

[murraycraven]

And I think it is fair to say that Bryz will not , is not and will never ever be close to sniffing the jock of Dryden.

[ruxpin]

And I think it is fair to say that Bryz will not , is not and will never ever be close to sniffing the jock of Dryden.

Because I really needed the visual image that beautiful little post created.

[aziz]

Was that a serious question? It matters because we're talking about a real company with a real budget, real balance sheet, and real P&L. We're talking about a real company with all of those things paying someone a very large amount of money to do absolutely nothing. If they can wait another season and reduce that amount a little bit, I would fully expect that to be their course of action.

This is not just about salary cap, although I know fans like to pretend it is.

sure, it was a serious question. specifically because it is a real company with a real budget, real balance sheet, and real P&L. now that i'm in front of a computer and not on my phone, bryzgalov's salary next season is $8mil. pay him full price next season and then buy him out the summer after, total cost: $25.649 million. buy him out this summer, total cost: $22.998 million. next season is the most expensive season of his contract after the first one. from a business perspective, if you are going to get a 33% discount on some of his contact, you'd want to make sure you acted to include that year in the reduction, no?

playing an game of wait and see when the writing appears to be very much on the wall doesn't make business sense to me. if Holmgren and Snider are sitting there going, "well, we're probably going to buy him out this summer or next, but let's just wait and see what happens, no need to rush," they are contemplating throwing $2.6mil of good money after the bad. if we're talking P&L, buyout this summer seems the most effective choice.

[aziz]

Bryz is a security blanket for Mason.

with all due respect....what? bryzgalov is a security blanket? he of the 6th worst save percentage in the league is important to keep around...as a security blanket?

[JackStraw]

I don't see how you can keep him for another year. The Flyers are already $3mm over next year's cap. They're more than likely going to amnesty Briere. That gets them $3.5mm below the cap with 3 RFAs to tender and probably 2 UFAs they will keep. There is no cap space to do anything else. IMHO, they have to amnesty both Briere and Bryz this off season if they are going to improve the team.

The RFAs are Gus, Manning, and the Great Dane; none of them will command much in salary. Gags, Feds, Walker, Shelley, Huskins, Knuble, and Foster all come off the cap. Gags will sign for less than his current $3.5M cap hit. I would guess $1M less. The Flyers should actually have plenty of cap space, assuming the Briere buyout.

[toughfighter83]

with all due respect....what? bryzgalov is a security blanket? he of the 6th worst save percentage in the league is important to keep around...as a security blanket?

you want michael leighton as a backup again and have mason your starter, if mason sucks big time, then what's your backup plan? if there's no one to rely on, then you have to play mason 82 games and have another season go down the toilet, bryz is not the best goalie but he's not michael leighton either.

Edited April 26, 2013 by toughfighter83

[aziz]

@toughfighter83

bryzgalov is certainly no "backup plan". I mean, really. "wow, mason is sucking, lucky we have this brutally terrible guy to fall back on."

http://www.capgeek.com/free-agents/?year_id=2013&team_id=-1&position_id=G&fa_type_id=2

there is the list of goalie UFAs this summer. half of them are better backup plans.

[JackStraw]

with all due respect....what? bryzgalov is a security blanket? he of the 6th worst save percentage in the league is important to keep around...as a security blanket?

You do know that last season's Conn Smythe winner and Vezina finalist has a save pct a whooping .002 higher than Bryz, right? While playing on a team with an actual NHL defense? Bryz is a security blanket. Maybe not one of those nice plush Hudson Bay blankets from LL Bean, but one that should at least keep you from freezing to death.

[radoran]

with all due respect....what? bryzgalov is a security blanket? he of the 6th worst save percentage in the league is important to keep around...as a security blanket?

Mason doesn't have any pressure on him. If you ditch Bryz and make Mason the starter, all the pressure is on Mason. If you sign/trade Bernier and keep Mason, all the pressure is on Mason.

There is no pressure on Mason next season. We've seen how he's done with essentially no pressure this season.

Bryz getting the majority of the starts will give the team the chance to evaluate - in, say, 30 starts - how Mason projects. If Mason blows the doors off, decision made and you need to find a young backup (Stolarz?) for Mason. If Mason is promising, he's had a chance to play with the team and there is more comfort in a "competition" with, say, Brian Elliott (picked up as an RFA for a cup of coffee (conditional pick/AHLer) and the rights to Chris Pronger, who then retires a Blue).

Bryz is bought out after next season in either scenario.

"Security blanket"

[radoran]

Oh, and there is always the chance that Bryz finds some form and puts up respectable numbers next season.

His primary problem is consistency.

Stranger miracles have happened.

[aziz]

Sorry, jack, can't go with you there. Statistical things aside, we've both seen how he plays, and have both seen how the team plays in front of him. If the flyers have to fall back on bryzgalov, then they are done. Freezing to death and all.

[JackStraw]

Sorry, jack, can't go with you there. Statistical things aside, we've both seen how he plays, and have both seen how the team plays in front of him. If the flyers have to fall back on bryzgalov, then they are done. Freezing to death and all.

Well, I saw him be about the only thing that kept the team in games for the about the first half of the season. So I guess what we see depends on what we're looking at. I know that I can't remember seeing a goalie get hung out to dry as often as Bryz did this year. I'm starting to wonder if the team's recent improved play as made some people forget how absolutely gosh-awful they were for most of the season.

[AlaskaFlyerFan]

The RFAs are Gus, Manning, and the Great Dane; none of them will command much in salary. Gags, Feds, Walker, Shelley, Huskins, Knuble, and Foster all come off the cap. Gags will sign for less than his current $3.5M cap hit. I would guess $1M less. The Flyers should actually have plenty of cap space, assuming the Briere buyout.

@JackStraw,

The RFAs alone are going to eat up $2.5mm of the cap space the Flyers gain by dumping Briere's salary. Gus & Manning wil get almost $1mm a piece. Even if Gags signs for $1mm, that eats up the rest of the cap space. I also think they will try to sign Huskins. I'm not seeing plenty of cap space.