Vanbiesbrouck signs with Flyers
Posted: Tuesday July 07, 1998 05:15 PM
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With great talent on offense, the Flyers hope veteran-goalie John Vanbiesbrouck is the piece that's been missing (Harry Scull/Allsport) |
PHILADELPHIA (CNN/SI) -- The Philadelphia Flyers have apparently turned to ex-Florida Panthers
goaltender John Vanbiesbrouck, a former Vezina Trophy winner, in their
never-ending quest to find stability between the pipes.
Vanbiesbrouck has struck a three-year, $11 million
deal with the Flyers. The team will conduct a news conference at its training
facility in Voorhees, New Jersey at 5 p.m. EDT, but did not disclose the
nature of the announcement, revealing only that general manager Bob Clarke
would be in attendance.
"After letting the situation fester for too long, Philadelphia finally has upgraded its poor goaltending by singing Florida free agent, John Vanbiesbrouck for $11 million over three years," said Sports Illustrated Senior Writer Michael Farber. "Vanbiesbrouck obviously didn't come cheap but he was a less costly alternative than the other two front line free agent goalies, Mike Richter and
Curtis Joseph.
"Both Richter and Joseph figure to be $5 million per year men, but it appears now that only the New York Rangers are prepared to go that high to keep
Richter or lure Joseph. Vancouver, another team in search of a goalie, is reluctant to go past $4 million per year. In this high stakes game of musical goalies, neither Richter nor Joseph will be left standing but one of them probably won't reap all the benefits of his long anticipated free agency."
The 34-year-old Vanbiesbrouck, an unrestricted free agent, won the Vezina
Trophy, given to the league's top goaltender, with the New York Rangers in
1985-86 and remained with the team until a trade to the Vancouver
Canucks in June 1993. He was subsequently selected by the Panthers in the
expansion draft and backstopped the young franchise to the Stanley Cup
Finals in 1995-96, when Florida was swept by the Colorado Avalanche.
Last season Vanbiesbrouck was 18-29-11 with a 2.87 goals-against
average and an .899 save percentage in 60 games with four shutouts. In 717
career games he is 306-285-90 with a 3.12 GAA and 29 shutouts. In 65
playoff games he has compiled a 26-34 mark with a 2.80 GAA and four
blankings.
Despite capturing the Vezina, the three-time All-Star's best statistical season
was 1996-97, when he was 27-19-10 with a 2.29 GAA. By contrast, he
was 31-21-5 with a 3.32 GAA for the Rangers when he was named the
NHL's top netminder, well before the majority of teams switched to a
defensive style.
The Flyers have been one of the league's top teams since the emergence of
center Eric Lindros and left wing John LeClair, but have been continually
undermined by the inconsistent play of their goaltenders, including Ron
Hextall and Garth Snow. Snow was dealt to Vancouver for Sean Burke for
the stretch run this season, but Burke fared no better as the Flyers were
whipped by the Buffalo Sabres in the first round of the playoffs.
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