Lack of Movement May Have Doomed Flyers

Ray Emery was brought in to be the goaltending answer in Philadelphia.  How things change in just a few months.

Emery signed a deal on July 1 by the Flyers for one year, spelling the end for former Flyer goalies Martin Biron and Antero Niittymaki, whose contracts had let out on the same day.  The Flyers then signed Brian Boucher as a back-up, so it was apparent that the team was ready to commit to Emery as the starting goalie.

But things have not worked out as general manager Bobby Clarke has hoped.  It was announced just before the trade deadline that Emery has a degenerative bone disorder and may never play hockey again.  That leaves the Flyers with the tandem of Mike Leighton (claimed off re-entry waivers from Carolina in December) and Boucher.  While Leighton has played well enough the past few games to keep Philadelphia in the playoff picture, it keeps the Flyers goaltender depth very low compared to the rest of the league.

Rumors circled that there were certain goaltenders available on deadline day.  These included Cary Price of the Canadiens, Marty Turco of the Stars, Tomas Vokoun of the Panthers, and both Dwayne Roloson and Martin Biron of the Islanders.  A deal could have been worked out for one of these goaltenders.  Panthers' GM Randy Sexton put price tags on almost all of his players, and Vokoun could have been had for some picks and some offensive help.  The Islanders were also in the market for a goaltending change too.  Recently activating oft-injured Rick DiPietro off injury-reserve, the team probably wanted to move one of their goalies due to their over-abundance in the position. 

Another option was acquiring someone who has been a backup but could fit as a starter.  Someone who fits this description would be someone like Vesa Toskala.  Its obvious this guy was up for grabs, since he was dealt from Anaheim to Calgary for Curtis McElhinney.  Toskala's .870 GAA with Toronto this season was nothing exciting, but he has been a starter in the past and has filled in during key situations with the Maple Leafs and the San Jose Sharks.  Toskala would not be the solution in the long term, since he becomes an unrestricted free-agent on July 1.  This would be a perfect situation for the team, so that they can assess Toskala's play over the playoff stretch and then make a decision over the summer.

Leighton has played well as of late, but he is not a playoff goaltender.  The guy has been regarded as a career-backup, playing on four NHL clubs and also for numerous AHL teams.  His .908 save percentage and 2.71 GAA have been impressive thus far, but it is unlikely this style of play will continue for the 28 year old goaltender.  There is a reason that one of the worst teams in the Eastern Conference put him on waivers.

Bobby Clarke should have been as aggressive in finding a goalie as he used to be on the ice.  His Flyers are sixth in the Conference with 72 points, but are just a few losses away from being ousted from the top eight teams.  Being just six points ahead of the ninth-place Rangers, the playoff hunt may be a little more exciting than the Flyers want it to be.

The team will have to focus on their offense putting numbers on the board because they cannot rely on their goaltender stealing a few games down the stretch.