Filed under: Flyers, NHL Injuries
Stop me if you've heard this one before, but goaltending could be an early season issue for the Philadelphia Flyers. Starting netminder Michael Leighton is expected to miss at least a month with a bulging disk in his back, according to general manager Paul Holmgren. Leighton, of course, was claimed off waivers by the Flyers last season, and then proceeded to take over the No. 1 job as the team made an improbable run to the Stanley Cup Final after sneaking into the playoffs on the final day of the regular season. Leighton's performance was good enough to earn him a two-year contract worth just over $3 million this offseason.
The 29-year-old Leighton is currently in his second stint with the Flyers, and has bounced around the league, making brief stops with four teams throughout his six-year career. After a slow start with Carolina last season, Leighton posted a .918 save percentage with the Flyers, winning 16 games in the regular season. He posted an 8-3 mark in the postseason to go with a .916 save percentage.
In his absence, the Flyers will turn to backups Brian Boucher and Johan Backlund. The good news for the Flyers is the makeup of their team is based around the strength of their defense, much like it was a year ago when they had the exact same trio of netminders.
No comments:
Post a Comment