OILERS TRADE SMID TO FLAMES, REACH AGREEMENT WITH BRYZGALOV
The Edmonton Oilers have a verbal agreement in place to sign goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov to a one-year contract, the team announced.
Bryzgalov’s deal was contingent upon the completion of the Oilers’ trade with the Calgary Flames that cleared defenceman Ladislav Smid’s US$3.5-million cap hit off the books. It was not immediately clear what Bryzgalov’s contract was worth, but a source said recent negotiations involved talks about a pro-rated US$3-million salary.
The Philadelphia Flyers bought out of the final seven years of Bryzgalov’s $51-million, nine-year contract last off-season. The 33-year-old goaltender went to training camp with the ECHL’s Las Vegas Wranglers on a tryout but never signed a deal with that club.
Bryzgalov went 19-17-3 with a 2.79 goals-against average and .900 save percentage last season for the Flyers. The Oilers are in Philadelphia to play the Flyers on Saturday, and while Bryzgalov still lives in the area it was not clear if he would start or be in uniform.
To set up the signing, the Oilers began their shake-up by sending Smid and goaltending prospect Olivier Roy to Calgary in exchange for centre Roman Horak and goaltending prospect Laurent Brossoit.
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=436181