Flyers Trade Michael Leighton to Blue Jackets for Sergei Bobrovsky's Backup
Last summer, Paul Holmgren traded Sergei Bobrovsky to the Blue Jackets for three draft picks. Fast forward nine months and OH MY GOD HE’S PREGNANT! Bob is second in the league in save percentage and sixth in goals against. So Homer called Columbus back… and got their now backup, former rookie of the year Steve Mason, a 24-year-old goalie with confidence issues, and sent them worthless Michael Leighton and a third-round pick.
Perhaps this is a theme this year for Homer: trade away young talent, watch them blossom with new team, and then get their lesser counterpart.
The immediate reaction on the Tweets isn’t exactly good– my favorite is from Greg Wyshynski of Puck Daddy:
I can think of no better place to nurture a young goaltender with a confidence problem than Philadelphia.
— Greg Wyshynski (@wyshynski) April 3, 2013
A few minutes later, the BJ’s got Marian Gaborik from the Rangers.
Mason has a save percentage under .900 in each of the past two seasons and, though he was rookie of the year in 2009, his career has taken a downturn and he likely isn’t a guy who will lead to Bryz being amnestied. He’s a better backup than Leighton and Brian Boucher, though. Then again, so are agile heat lamps.