Flyers Hope Shake-Up Proves Prelude to Cup Run

They were atop the Eastern Conference, featured a deep, talented group of forwards that filled the nets and had a six-man defense corps that was the envy of most teams in the NHL League. If you looking Free NHL Picks here…

After a 4-2 win at the New York Rangers on Feb. 20, the Flyers had 83 points and a six-point lead in the East. However, they went 8-8-7 the rest of the way, and while they still finished second in the conference, something had changed, and it manifested during the Flyers’ second-round playoff loss to the Boston Bruins.

Bryzgalov signs long-term deal with Flyers

The Philadelphia Flyers’ busy Thursday continued when they signed goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov to a contract reportedly worth $51 million over nine years, not long after trading centers Jeff Carter and Mike Richards.

The Flyers acquired the rights to negotiate exclusively with the 31-year-old goaltender from the Phoenix Coyotes last week, and they made sure they signed Bryzgalov before the free-agent signing period began July 1. Bryzgalov averaged 33 victories a season the past four seasons with the Coyotes in NHL free picks.

About an hour before the Bryzgalov signing was first reported, the Flyers traded Carter to the Columbus Blue Jackets for Jakub Voracek and a first- and third-round pick in the 2011 draft and Mike Richards to the Los Angeles Kings for Wayne Simmonds, Brayden Schenn and a second-round pick. The Flyers were close to the salary cap ceiling, and those two blockbuster trades gave the Flyers the necessary money to lock up Bryzgalov.