Flyers looking to build goaltending depth

It is an interesting time to be a goaltender for the Philadelphia Flyers.

And we're not just talking about Ilya Bryzgalov's record-setting shutout streak, since he etched his name in the Flyers' record book with a 249-minute, 43-second flawless streak from March 6 through March 15.

That's because looking ahead to next year, Bryzgalov is currently the Flyers' only goaltender under contract next season at the NHL or AHL level.

Consider:

*  Sergei Bobrovsky, the NHL's second-highest paid backup, us set to become a restricted free agent following the 2012-1013 season.

*  AHL All-Star Michael Leighton's 2-year, $3.1-million deal expires at the end of this season. He has played just one regular-season game with the Flyers since inking that deal after the run to the 2010 Stanley Cup finals.

*  Leighton's backup, AHL veteran Jason Bacashihua, is only playing on a 1-year, two-way deal. Bacashihua, 29, earns $125,000 with the Phantoms.

*  And Johan Backlund, once thought to be part of the Flyers' future in net, is playing out the remaining games of his 2-year, $1.6-million deal in the Finnish Elite League with permission from the Flyers. Backlund earned $800,000 this season after battling injuries and finding himself the odd-man out of a three-man circus in the Phantoms' crease. Backlund, 30, will also be a free agent this summer.

Barring a trade, Bobrovsky is easily the most likely to return. But that still leaves two prime positions in the Flyers' farm system to fill. So, in turn, the Flyers have poured their resources into finding goaltending replacements.

Cal Heeter, an undrafted free agent whom the Flyers signed on March 6 after he finished his senior season at Ohio State, is expected to challenge for the Phantoms' starting job in Adirondack with Finnish prospect Niko Hovinen.

If there is one thing that Hovinen and Heeter have in common - besides the fact that their last names both begin with an "H" - it's that the Phantoms' future No. 1 and 2 are big guys. Heeter is 6-4. Hovinen is a monster at 6-7.

Hovinen, who turned 24 yesterday, has put together a tremendous season with the Pelicans in SM-Liiga, Finland's top league. He posted five shutouts in 41 appearances with a 21-12-6 record, a 2.26 goals-against average and a .921 save percentage.

Hovinen participated in the Flyers' development camp last July. Much less is known about the newcomer, Heeter.

Heeter, 23, is expected to arrive in town on Tuesday for a tour of the Flyers' practice facilities. He signed a 2-year, entry-level deal worth $70,000 in the AHL and $996,250 in the NHL, with a signing bonus of $92,500 per season.

Former Flyers goaltender Neil Little, one of the Flyers' goal-tending scouts, said he spent the last two seasons tracking Heeter's progress with the Buckeyes.

"I think there are a few things you look for in a prospect," Little said. "One is athleticism. Cal is 6-4, but he has that. He is quick, agile, he competes. And then, you spend a little more time getting to know the kid."

According to Little, the Flyers actually flirted with trying to convince Heeter to leave Ohio State after his junior year. But with the logjam in the Phantoms' net and the dialed-down level of play in the ECHL, the Flyers thought it would be best for him to finish his degree and let his game mature for another year in the CCHA.

"He is a big kid," Little said. "He's not a huge blocker, but he's got good hands. He really has a nice mixture of everything. He has good skills. He continued to impress me when I got to see him, and I think we're all excited to have him join the organization."

The Flyers have tackled the undrafted college free-agent ranks aggressively to fill all positional voids in the organization. At the ages of 20-25, it allows a surer look at a prospect instead of when they are draft-eligible at 18. Plus, the contracts are more flexible.

The Flyers also reportedly have interest in Northeastern junior Chris Rawlings. Last night, Carter Hutton - the UMass-Lowell senior who sat on the Flyers' bench during the Year of the 7 Goalies in 2009-10 - backed up Corey Crawford for the Chicago Blackhawks in Dallas. Goaltender Adam Morrison, whom the Flyers drafted in the third round (81st overall) in 2009, signed with Boston this week during his final junior season with the Vancouver Giants.

Heeter has one edge over Rawlings: He is just a few weeks away from graduating. He will focus on his classes rather than sign a tryout contract to join the ECHL's Trenton Titans for the remaining 4 weeks of the season. And unlike Hutton or many of the goaltenders before him, Heeter will seemingly finally join the organization at the right time.

"There is no doubt that there are a lot of openings," Little said. "We've worked very hard to try and gather some good young prospects. Cal will be given every opportunity to come right in and compete at the AHL level. That's a big plus for him."

Slap shots

Ilya Bryzgalov is expected to start his 14th game in the last 15 Saturday in Boston. Sergei Bobrovsky could start in the Flyers' back-to-back matinee on Sunday against Pittsburgh. Bobrovsky is 4-2-1 against the Penguins in his career, though his last loss (on Feb. 18) came when Bryzgalov made the start and was pulled after 36 minutes . . . Defensemen Pavel Kubina (upper body injury) and Andrej Meszaros (lower body) did not join the Flyers on their road trip to Boston and their status for the Penguins' game is unknown. Both players are listed as day-to-day.