The Philadelphia Flyers placed Michael Leighton on waivers today and, in the process, reminded us that every popular trend has its unpopular side effects.
When the Chicago Blackhawks and Flyers rode Antti Niemi and Leighton respectively to the Stanley Cup Finals, it was seen as a paradigm-shifting moment for the NHL: The era of the superstar goalie with the salary to match had been replaced by frugality between the pipes and high salaries on defense.
The postscript to that theory is the inevitable truth about goaltending-on-a-budget: That these keepers, no matter their postseason heroism, are utterly disposable when conditions change.
The Blackhawks' loyalty waned when Niemi's contract demands (and arbitration reward) loomed too large. The Flyers showed Leighton loyalty in signing him to a 2-year, $3.1 million deal after the playoff run. But conditions changed, and now he's either on his way out or a third-stringer in the AHL.
From the DelCo Times, however, there might a chance for Leighton to return:
Ultimately, at this point, the plan is to go with red-hot Brian Boucher, who improved to 7-1-1 in his last nine starts Sunday with a 3-2 win in Detroit on his 34th birthday, and rookie Sergei Bobrovsky, who has been dealing with confidence issues since his red hot start to the season.
Boucher is in the last year of his deal and Leighton is signed for next year. Likely, Leighton will spend the rest of the year with the Phantoms and then be brought back as a backup to Bobrovsky next season as Boucher becomes an unrestricted free agent after the season.
Broad Street Hockey's take on the decision:
It had been working so well that the Flyers are the best team in hockey today, and that's without Leighton. That's why this move makes so much sense. It's likely not about the recent results. Yes, Leighton looked horrible in the LA game, while Boucher looked fantastic against Detroit on Sunday. That's not what triggered this move.
Looking at Boucher's body of work, Bob's body of work, and the fact that the Flyers are the best team in hockey without Leighton has to be what spurned this move. Combine that with the fact that the team couldn't be happy that Leighton hid an injury from them at the start of this past offseason and that Boucher is a much better locker room guy/mentor to Bobrovsky than Leighton and, well... there you go.
And there goes Leighton, at least for now.
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