Rewind the clock 3 or 4 years ago, and you would hear Ilya Bryzgalov's name and you think tank. When he was in Phoenix, he was the face of the team, seeing as how the only reason why most games were within reach was because of him.
You can see that in his final year in Phoenix, that he was posting fantastic numbers and was almost identical to his previous year. In 2009-2010, he had a record of 42-20 with a 2.29 GAA and .920 SV%, he was ranked 3rd in the league overall in goaltenders that year.
Now fast forward to 2012-2013 and the only things you should picture is a bear, and the Flyers being one of the biggest jokes in the NHL because of horrendous goaltending. He went 19-17 with a 2.79 GAA, and .900 SV%. Needless to say, Philly was disappointed when they went out and signed him.
You can see that in his final year in Phoenix, that he was posting fantastic numbers and was almost identical to his previous year. In 2009-2010, he had a record of 42-20 with a 2.29 GAA and .920 SV%, he was ranked 3rd in the league overall in goaltenders that year.
Now fast forward to 2012-2013 and the only things you should picture is a bear, and the Flyers being one of the biggest jokes in the NHL because of horrendous goaltending. He went 19-17 with a 2.79 GAA, and .900 SV%. Needless to say, Philly was disappointed when they went out and signed him.
There's a lot to be said about the Edmonton Oilers, after having some very big name draft picks and yet still seeing them at the bottom of the standings. With Jordan Eberle, Taylor Hall, Justin Schultz, Nail Yakupov, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, how is it that this team still isn't able to piece together a playoff team? Last season they fired GM Steve Tambellini, named George MacTavish GM, and recently named Eakin's head coach. Some can call it growing pains, but at what point do you stop trying and start making big changes. The Oilers lack depth all around in defense and goaltending.
This season has been proof that, signing Jason LaBarbera and Richard Bachman wasn't going to get the job done. While veteran Devan Dubynk has been awful, sporting a 3-7-1 record with a 3.82 GAA, and even uglier .878 SV%. So was this a good move by Edmonton to go sign a goalie who's last season was one of the biggest disappointment's and was bought out of his contract because of his lack of play? Let's look at the trade:
This season has been proof that, signing Jason LaBarbera and Richard Bachman wasn't going to get the job done. While veteran Devan Dubynk has been awful, sporting a 3-7-1 record with a 3.82 GAA, and even uglier .878 SV%. So was this a good move by Edmonton to go sign a goalie who's last season was one of the biggest disappointment's and was bought out of his contract because of his lack of play? Let's look at the trade:
To make cap room to sign Bryzgalov, the Oilers dealt defensemen, Ladislav Smid and prospect to the Calgary Flames and in return received forward, Roman Horak, and goalie Laurent Brossoit. Some people disagree with this completely after seeing what happened when Bryzgalov was taken out of a very strong defensive zone structure and was put into a more free flowing offense and lack of zone coverage. It wasn't good. The Oilers already lack grit and a solid blueliner as they're seeing Justin Schultz isn't panning out. So to lose more options in the back that they already lack, it could turn out to be even uglier to sign a hail mary free agent who hasn't played in the league all year.
As you can tell from Ilya's stats above, with each year in Phoenix it seemed he almost improved and fed off of such a stingy defense but when put into a new system, the structure didn't favor him. His first season in Philly wasn't as bad as his last, but you can see that over time, his numbers progressively declined. So was it age that slowed his progress or was it the switch in teams and structures? At best he was a mediocore goalie, that when placed into a defensively sound team, he flourished, but was quickly cut down when out of his element.
As you can tell from Ilya's stats above, with each year in Phoenix it seemed he almost improved and fed off of such a stingy defense but when put into a new system, the structure didn't favor him. His first season in Philly wasn't as bad as his last, but you can see that over time, his numbers progressively declined. So was it age that slowed his progress or was it the switch in teams and structures? At best he was a mediocore goalie, that when placed into a defensively sound team, he flourished, but was quickly cut down when out of his element.
The Oilers are taking a huge gamble signing him, but at the same time, it could pay dividends. If it works out, then they may have found the experience they need to backstop a young and talented team to a playoff birth in god knows how long. Or, this could be a horrible move by losing depth on the blue line while not even exploring the possibility of some better options. Case in point. Why sign a goalie who was bought out of his contract and had a horrible attitude and relationship with his teammates? Why not deal one of your prior draft picks who have under performed or a veteran who could fetch you something a little more credible? Let's say, oh I don't know, Ales Hemsky, Sam Gagner, or Nail Yakupov? So was this a move to show the dedication, that management won't quit, even though their team's record is saying other wise? Or was it a last ditch effort to try and salvage a disappointing start that no matter who's in net, they simply need to make a move before March?