Well as I was writing that last article I suddenly got new on this.
NHL NEWS – The Philadelphia Flyers’ quest for a goaltender might be coming to an end.
According to a Twitter report by CSNPhilly, the club will re-sign Michael Leighton, who backstopped the team for most of its run to the Stanley Cup Final, and give him a chance to again be the team’s full-time No. 1 goaltender.
Leighton’s arrival on waivers from Carolina in December sparked their recovery from the Eastern Conference basement, going 16-5-2 with a 2.48 goals-against average. He was in goal for the final 2 1/2 games of the Flyers’ historic comeback from down 0-3 in the second round against Boston, and had three shutouts in four wins against Montreal in the Eastern Conference Finals.
However, he was pulled twice during the six-game Cup Final against the Chicago, and allowed Patrick Kane’s sharp-angle goal in overtime of Game 6 to give the series to the Blackhawks.
The Flyers had received permission to speak to impending unrestricted free agent goaltenders Evgeni Nabokov and Marty Turco, but deals for those veterans were unlikely to be completed prior to the opening of free agency at 12:01 p.m. ET Thursday. It is unclear how a potential Leighton signing affects those discussions.
The Flyers also have Brian Boucher signed for one more season, and rookie Johan Backlund just signed a two-year contract.
Well that should answer all questions as to who our goalie will be next year. Now I fully expect the Flyers to go out and find a #2-3 top tier defender.
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