Leighton on re-entry waivers
Daily News Flyers blog
Leighton on re-entry waivers
OTTAWA -- Michael Leighton could be back in Philadelphia soon.
How soon?
As early as Wednesday at noon. The Flyers put Leighton on re-entry waivers on Tuesday at noon, giving 29 other clubs a crack at him for half of his $1.55 million salary. The Flyers would be required to pay the other half. Leighton still has one year remaining on his deal that he signed last summer, after the Flyers bowed out of the Stanley Cup Finals.
The Flyers would like to have Leighton available for the playoffs if need be, and re-calling him now - as opposed to when there is an injury - would make it easier to have him on the roster.
If the Flyers had an injury in the playoffs, teams - even those not even participating in the playoffs - would be more likely to place a claim to put the Flyers in a tough spot.
Leighton, 29, has helped carry the Phantoms out of last place in the AHL. He has posted a 14-12-2 record with a 2.22 goals against-average and .926 save percentage.
Leighton has 5 shutouts this season - including back-to-back shutouts in the last 2 games - which gives him 5 more shutouts than the Flyers’ entire team. Leighton even posted 3 shutouts in the postseason last year for the Flyers, where he also had a 8-3 record.
Even though any team can claim Leighton, they would not be able to use him in the playoffs this season since he was not on their 50-man roster by the Feb. 28 trade deadline.
SLAP SHOTS: The Flyers can clinch their first Atlantic division title tonight since 2004 with any kind of win and any Pittsburgh non-win ... Sergei Bobrovsky will start for the Flyers tonight against last place Ottawa. We made a case in today's paper for why Bobrovsky should be one of the three Calder Trophy finalists for Rookie of the Year ... Blair Betts, Danny Briere and Nick Boynton did not make the trip with the Flyers to Ottawa. That means Ben Holmstrom, Andreas Nodl and Danny Syvret will be in the lineup ... Jody Shelley is on the trip but has not been cleared yet to return from a fractured orbital surgery.
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moron, it's nothing to do with how they feel about their current goaltenders. it's being done in case one of them gets hurt in the playoffs. then they don't have to go through this waiver process during the playoffs, when even teams out of the playoffs could claim him. read the article, let it sink in...idiots.— spittooncj- This is actually a very smart move by Holmgren. By calling him up now, he reduces the chances someone might claim him. you can bet that if we are in the second round and boucher or bob goes down and we try to recall him, someone will claim him just to block us. This is when this had to be done and he made a smart move. if someone claims him, then oh well. its worth the shot.— jsavino
- Best news I've heard in a long time....now just clear waivers. Feel much better with Leights and Bob....bring back the magic!— philly thug
- Can't make this stuff up! Like a soap opera. Sure does a lot for the confidence of Bob and Boosh!— dogman5
- Holmgren just did something really clever. If someone claim Leighton they can't play him in this year's playoofs so they are unlikely to do so. And if both Bob and Boosh go down with injuries he's better than any other option we've got. Anybody who watched the Ranger game will agree that Bob won us a point. The skaters were completely outplayed with the exception of a few minutes after they tied the score at two. Ever since the Capitals game the goal tending has been strong. The offense and the defense, not so much.— Al Wilson
- debbyt - Rangers or Red Wings? Are you kidding? The Rangers have Lundqvist as their starter and Marty Brion as their backup, and both have had great seasons in their roles. The Red Wings have Howard and MacDonald who have led the team to the Central Division lead - and they have some other guy named Osgood (who has 2 Cup rings) standing by in case of emergency. Leights will likely clear waivers as no other team can add him to their active roster until next season, unless they simply want to block the Flyers.— CTL
- BOUCHER SHOULD BE THE PLAYOFF GOALIE, HE'S BEEN GIVEN THE SHAFT BY LAUGHEY....— Howard32
Extremely risky move to attempt to get Leighton through re-entry waivers. I hope he clears, if for no other reason than he will be available for next season. I don't see the Flyers making Boosh or Bob walk the plank at this stage of the season, and certainly not in the playoffs.- CTL- No not kidding. Osgood is done. He is about 50 and just had major surgery which he is having a hard time recovering from. Biron, is a little better off but Leighton will be cheaper. Although, his back issues may be the only reason he may clear. I highly doubt that he will though. Too good of a bargain still for some teams to pass up. Ok if you don't like those 2 choices How about the Islanders or the Avalanche— debbyt
- GreenOrangeRedBlueBlood: Maybe, but the last time we brought him into the playoffs in desperation, he rattled off a shutout in his first appearance, followed by 4 consecutive wins, leading the team in one of the greatest playoff comebacks in NHL history. So if anyone can come in and step up, he has proven that he can do so.— snipesmorris
- This clearly shows the reason we are defintely done with our (partial) season tickets: The Flyers have not prioritized the most important position since the late 1980s. Bob could turn out to be a top-notch goalie but he's raw and the team has been very lucky that he and Boosh have played as well as they have.— VicM
- All of those that are saying Leighton is just there to watch...I bet he gets a start. He is playing so well right now, why not bring him up and keep him on a roll. This is the best move of the season, and one that I have been waiting for, for a long while. The timing is right with Bobrovsky. You don't want to bring up competition when he is struggling, but now, there is no time for struggle. As much as many people on here hate Michael Leighton, I think this renews my hope in the Flyers chances to win the Stanley Cup. This shows that the organization will try any, and all options!— Hexy4GM
- I agree completely with the logic of giving Leighton a shot (assuming, please, please, that he clears re-entry waivers) but I honestly can't see Flyer management putting two taps in the back of the head of either Boosh or Bob at this stage.
- I think they can give him the last start of the season. If things don't go well, they can use the reasoning that they were trying to protect their starters to make sure neither one was hurt going into the playoffs. At the very least, they can show that they are a franchise that respects its employees. Leighton has been great this year. He deserves to be with the team that he accomplished so much for last season, or if someone plucks him off the wire, he deserves to be in a situation where he could win a job. The Flyers have always treated their players well, and that is why guys like Carter sign contracts for less money than they would be able to get on the open market. — Hexy4GM
- Anyone who thinks Leighton will get a start outside of injuries or horrible play by Bob or Boosh is crazy. He will be watching from the Press Box unless any of the aforementioned situations happen. That's if he even clears waivers, which I doubt he will.— Flyers2822
