The Philadelphia Flyers traded away their top two forwards, at least in part, to create salary cap space for Ilya Bryzgalov.
It worked.
On the same day they sent captain Mike Richards to the Los Angeles Kings and Jeff Carter to the Columbus Blue Jackets, the Flyers agreed on a nine-year, $51 million deal with Bryzgalov, according to TSN.ca.
Philadelphia acquired Bryzgalov's negotiating rights from the Phoenix Coyotes earlier this month and needed to finish a deal with him before July 1, or he'd become an unrestricted free agent.
Bryzgalov, 31, was a Vezina Trophy finalist in 2009-10, and went 36-20-10 with a 2.48 goals-against average and seven shutouts last season. He'd serve as an answer to the Flyers' longstanding goaltending issues.
Despite 106 points and an Atlantic Division title, Philadelphia stumbled in the postseason and used three goaltenders -- Sergei Bobrovsky, Brian Boucher and Michael Leighton -- along the way. After surviving a seven-game series vs. Buffalo in Round 1, the Flyers were swept in the second round by the Boston Bruins.
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