Homer: Bryz will NOT be bought out this year

[JackStraw]

@AlaskaFlyerFan - I didn't take the time to actually add up the numbers, but just eyeballing the chart on capgeek all the guys coming off the cap looks like it will cut about $10M from where they are now (including the Briere buyout). That should be plenty to re-sign the guys they want and maybe sign a UFA or two.

[ruxpin]

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?

You make a cogent argument, as per usual (I didn't think we were supposed to use ridicious numbers and stats for these things. I thought we were just supposed to make **** up!). Apparently, there's a difference of the cap hit being roughly $200K less if they wait until next season, but I think that's negligible when you're talking about the numbers that you are. I guess it comes down to whether they want to save roughly $2.6 million real dollars long term or if the $200K/season means more to them.

So if he makes it past this summer, it's hard to argue that finances was the reason.

[radoran]

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.

Not saying this is what I would do, brother. But as far as what Homer and the Chipmunk will do? Doesn't anything I've said sound at least plausible for their usual level of consideration?

I've already stipulated that this doesn't preclude them from dealing for Bernier and ditching Bryz before any of this happens. But what UFA do you bring in?

Mason/Emery? Would Emery come here if he got a shot to be "the man" elsewhere?

I've gotta figure Minny Locks up Backstrom for maybe a pair given Harding's problems, but they just got another promising youngster if memory serves. I'd do Backstrom for 2-3 even at 35+ pending salary.

Tim Thomas? To mentor Mason??

Nabokov? Not a bad option. 37. 2 year deal?

Mike Smith has good numbers in Phoenix...

Theodore?

Chris Mason? Has the benefit of perplexing the fans - not knowing who to shout they want in the game. Could be hours of amusement.

Yes, Mason/Mason. Make it so.

[radoran]

@AlaskaFlyerFan - I didn't take the time to actually add up the numbers, but just eyeballing the chart on capgeek all the guys coming off the cap looks like it will cut about $10M from where they are now (including the Briere buyout). That should be plenty to re-sign the guys they want and maybe sign a UFA or two.

Offseason cap is a strange animal.

Every one-way contract applies against the cap. Non-waiver eligible two-way players. No LTIR. 10% offseason exemption. RFA tenders count against cap when made.

I haven't done the numbers and for some reason believed until now that Homer and staff had, but a legitimate cap concern could mean Bryz this year. Briere is a foregone conclusion. Low buyout, high cap hit.

But they were both (Bryz and Briere) gone as soon as the ink was dry on the two buyout clause in the new CBA.

[JackStraw]

@radoran - I'm far to lazy to do this sort of thing myself but fortunately some people are not. From a post on hfboards here is a roster someone put together buying out only Briere. Note he has also signed two expensive UFAs, Streit and Horton (I could see Streit, but probably not Horton as well).

CAPGEEK.COM USER GENERATED ROSTER

My Custom Lineup

FORWARDS

Scott Hartnell ($4.750m) / Claude Giroux ($3.750m) / Jakub Voracek ($4.250m)

Matt Read ($0.900m) / Brayden Schenn ($3.110m) / Nathan Horton ($5.500m)

Simon Gagne ($2.500m) / Sean Couturier ($1.375m) / Wayne Simmonds ($3.975m)

Maxime Talbot ($1.750m) / Scott Laughton ($1.138m) / Zac Rinaldo ($0.750m)

Jay Rosehill ($0.675m) /

DEFENSEMEN

Kimmo Timonen ($6.000m) / Luke Schenn ($3.600m)

Mark Streit ($5.500m) / Rasmus Ristolainen ($1.375m)

Braydon Coburn ($4.500m) / Nicklas Grossmann ($3.500m)

Erik Gustafsson ($0.900m) /

GOALTENDERS

Ilya Bryzgalov ($5.667m)

Steve Mason ($1.500m)

OTHER

Buyout: Oskars Bartulis ($0.100m)

Buyout: Danny Briere ($0.000m)

------

CAPGEEK.COM TOTALS (follow @capgeek on Twitter)

(these totals are compiled with the bonus cushion)

SALARY CAP: $64,300,000; CAP PAYROLL: $67,064,167; BONUSES: $3,012,500

CAP SPACE (22-man roster): $248,333

[AlaskaFlyerFan]

@AlaskaFlyerFan - I didn't take the time to actually add up the numbers, but just eyeballing the chart on capgeek all the guys coming off the cap looks like it will cut about $10M from where they are now (including the Briere buyout). That should be plenty to re-sign the guys they want and maybe sign a UFA or two.

@JackStraw,

I didn't add it up myself either. I'm looking at next year's contracts (2013-14). Before any more contracts are signed or amnestied, the Flyers are -$3,088,095. I hope you're right

[flyerrod]

how am I to know you are playing management?

Now that was just $hitty.............funny, but still $hitty....lol

Edited April 27, 2013 by flyerrod

[radoran]

@JackStraw

As usual with the widgets on websites, there is some distance between what is "possible" on a cap app and what is "possible" under the rules. And when you are thisclose to the cap carrying a $5M contract around, these things come up. In the offseason, as noted, all sorts of things count against "the cap" and there is no LTIR (while you do get an extra $6.43M in space).

I have run the numbers in past seasons, but haven't done it yet for this one and not sure I have the time.

Give what we've seen, it would not surprise me to see them deal off some defense (Meszaros, etc.) during the season to open up playing time and cap space.

[Lunatic]

At this point I think that the Flyers are playing the situation just right. They should fear not having a viable back-up. Just look at this season. So stating now that they are not going to buyout Bryz is just smart. They have four months to find another viable goalie. If they announce that they are going to buyout Brzy, at this time, the price of acquiring another viable goalie just goes up and up. I can see 29 GMs profusely drooling just waiting for Homer's call. If, and hopefully, the Flyers do find a suitable goalie during this four month period, bye-bye, Bryz. If not they have another year with no penalty associated by overpaying for Bryz's replacement and adequate goaltending next year.

[LegionOfDoom]

There are so many possibilities, that it's all fun and neat to guess what's going to go on at the start of training camp next season. But...much to do about nothing. That is what it boils down to

None of us know what is going to happen next season. Case in point the Richards/Carter trades.

We can trade up for a better draft pick, trade players this offseason and end up with both Briere and Bryz in the lineup You JUST DONT KNOW.

You don't know what conversations Paul Holmgrem has had with other GM's during the season about possible moves.

Conversations that were put on hold until the summer to see what state of affairs are present.

I know for a fact there have been talks that haven't been reported on in the past months that were under the radar.

Our Team D has to improve, and it has to some degree, these past few games.

We still could use help on D.

Ed Snider still wants to win now.There is a possibility of a three way trade that includes Briere or the youngins.

You don't have to buyout your biggest contracts, they can possibly be moved or have NMC waived ala' Gagne.(hated that wave.)

Bottom line we will all be responding to a new thread starting training camp, while we'll have more interesting topics than the sad to say Philly beat writers.

[aziz]

Back on the phone, so stat referencing isn't gonna happen, but......here's my take.

Bryzgalov is aweful. Like, terrible. He can't control pucks in front of him, is a poor skater, can't stretch, can't recover. Fundamentally, he is a disaster. And that reality projects forward into the team in front of him. If it isn't Chris Pronger and Scott Niedermeyer (on phone, shut up about the spelling) in front of him, that projection encourages panic and overpaying

[aziz]

Back on the phone, so stat referencing isn't gonna happen, but......here's my take.

Bryzgalov is aweful. Like, terrible. He can't control pucks in front of him, is a poor skater, can't stretch, can't recover. Fundamentally, he is a disaster. And that reality projects forward into the team in front of him. If it isn't Chris Pronger and Scott Niedermeyer (on phone, shut up about the spelling) in front of him, that projection encourages panic and overplaying pucks. Assignments get lost in the chaos of compensating for a goalie who can not be trusted to keep up with the play. That isn't to take the defence off the hook for this season's mess, but I don't see much changing so long as bryzgalov is taking a majority of starts. Unless yandle and weber are brought in over the off season.

I get the idea of bryzgalov as security blanket, in so far as him providing cover for mason to find his game , but to me, that means one more season of essentially the same crap, regardless of draft picks or offseason acquisitions. Mason doesn't need to be handled like a rookie, he needs to be treated like a goalie with some 200 nhl starts under his belt, and sink or swim. A bernier as a fall back is appropriate, not a once over hyped known disaster.

[terp]

.......so why rush it when you can always buy him out next year.

For real, teams can buy out a player after this coming off season? Just want to be sure there is something to hope for if it doesn't happen this off season.

[trevluk]

Nearly 7m in a goalie combo is not reasonable...

Well we differ in opinion there but I would guess that 7 mil for your 2 goalie combo is close to the league average. Certainly I wouldnt choose to have my back up goalie make 5+mil per year but if Mason takes the number one spot and Bryz rides the pine for the next year, I dont see the problem. Even if we were to unload Bryz and have another inexpensive goalie along with Mason and end up saving a couple million in cap space, do you really think that would make the difference in aquiring a game changing player?

[off_the_post]

Whatever they do I think we all need to understand that after the 13-14 season Giroux is a RFA and Read is a UFA. They are both in line for a big raise. I hope they plan accordingly. If that means Bryz is bought out this or next season, then so be it.

[flyercanuck]

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.)

Luongo is ranked 14th in GAA and Bryz 36th. Luongo is 22nd in save percentage and Bryz 44th.

If Luongo and his horrible contract are immoveable...

[JackStraw]

For real, teams can buy out a player after this coming off season? Just want to be sure there is something to hope for if it doesn't happen this off season.

Yes, for real. Teams get two buyouts which they can use either this year or next year.

[brelic]

Whatever they do I think we all need to understand that after the 13-14 season Giroux is a RFA and Read is a UFA. They are both in line for a big raise. I hope they plan accordingly. If that means Bryz is bought out this or next season, then so be it.

Giroux will absorb almost all of Timo's freed up space. I expect Giroux to be making $8M per season, so at least that's covered by Timo retiring.

Read is probably a $3.0-4.5M player. Hopefully we can get him on the low end but he may push for the high end.

[trevluk]

Luongo is ranked 14th in GAA and Bryz 36th. Luongo is 22nd in save percentage and Bryz 44th.

If Luongo and his horrible contract are immoveable...

good point. Bryz would really have to light it up to generate any interest, in which case, Homer would probably want to keep him.

[radoran]

good point. Bryz would really have to light it up to generate any interest, in which case, Homer would probably want to keep him.

And Bryz has full control over where he goes (aside from a buy out). Homer tacked a No Movement Clause onto that monster.

[flyerrod]

Homer tacked a No Movement Clause onto that monster.

Like he really had to do that........ <_<

[off_the_post]

Giroux will absorb almost all of Timo's freed up space. I expect Giroux to be making $8M per season, so at least that's covered by Timo retiring.

Read is probably a $3.0-4.5M player. Hopefully we can get him on the low end but he may push for the high end.

Understood. But the problem is then there is now $6m the flyers can not pay for defense. I think in order to pay for the contract a young forward like Read or younger forward like Couts will need to be traded. This is assuming Bryz is bought out and some of his money is used to give an extension & increase to Mason and the rest is used for a verteran back up goalie.

[brelic]

Understood. But the problem is then there is now $6m the flyers can not pay for defense. I think in order to pay for the contract a young forward like Read or younger forward like Couts will need to be traded. This is assuming Bryz is bought out and some of his money is used to give an extension & increase to Mason and the rest is used for a verteran back up goalie.

We also have Meszaros' $4M coming off the books at the end of next season, if he lasts that long in Philly.

And I'm convinced Bryz will not be wearing a Flyers uniform after next season, so like you say, we can use that money for Mason and backup.

[radoran]

And I'm convinced Bryz will not be wearing a Flyers uniform after next season, so like you say, we can use that money for Mason and backup.

Unless Bryz has played well enough that flyercanuck, flyerrod, aziz and jammer2 are leading the advocacy for him to remain, Bryz will be gone after next season.

[flyercanuck]

@radoran

LMAO!!!