There's a log jam in the Philadelphia Flyers net, and Michael Leighton is the odd man out. The Flyers have placed the goaltender on waivers today with the hopes of sending him to the AHL's Adirondack Phantoms.
Flyers Place Goaltender Michael Leighton On Waivers
Leighton is no stranger to the waiver wire. He was placed there a year ago by Carolina, when the Flyers claimed him. He then went on to backstop them to nine playoff wins, earning the team a trip to the Stanley Cup Finals.
Now, just six months later, he’s right back where he started.
It did work out for Leighton, though. His performance last season earned him a two-year, $3.1 million contract from the Flyers this past offseason. Prior to signing that contract, he injured his back, but the Flyers weren't aware of that injury until training camp. When he went down for surgery on that back, it gave rookie prospect Sergei Bobrovsky a chance to steal the starting job, with veteran Brian Boucher providing help behind him.
With that tandem, the Flyers jumped out to the NHL’s best record, a place they still stand today. A few weeks back, Leighton returned from injury, and the Flyers have held three goalies on the roster since -- until today. He started one game this past week in Los Angeles and looked shaky in the process, and that perhaps put the writing on the wall that he’d be the odd man out.
From waivers to the Cup Final and back to waivers in a year. Life’s weird, huh?
For more on the news, visit our Flyers blog, Broad Street Hockey.
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