It's plain to see that Bobrovsky - without the first-round pedigree and nearly 3 full years' worth of experience in North America - would not garner as much as Varlamov on the market. The Flyers would have pulled the trigger at that price.
Then again, it isn't every day that 22-year-old goaltenders are able to make a starting impact in the NHL. Bobrovsky played 54 regular-season games for the Flyers last season as a rookie. Varlamov has only 59 regular-season games under his belt over parts of three seasons.
While rosters have begun to fill out since free agency commenced on July 1, just because Bobrovsky is here now does not mean he will remain the Flyers' backup come Opening Night on Oct. 6.
Why?
The Flyers will continue to look to move him if the price is right. Bobrovsky, with a $1.75 million salary next season, will become the second-highest paid backup in the NHL on a team that usually spends to the limit.
Bryzgalov, who hasn't played fewer than 65 games in each of the last three seasons, is a workhorse. While few say Bryzgalov would be a bad mentor for his fellow Russian, Bobrovsky would be cut from 60 appearances last season (including playoffs) to nearly 20 next season. Few experts would go out on a limb and say that would not stunt Bobrovsky's development.
It's not as if Bobrovsky, who would be 31 at the end of Bryzgalov's deal, will be waiting in the wings for the term of Bryzgalov's contract as the supposed "goaltender of the future."
Starting in October, Bobrovsky will need to clear waivers to get in more work with the Phantoms - something he won't do without being claimed.
