Bryzgalov signs nine-year contract worth $51m with Philadelphia Flyers

Russian goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov, who spent his last three seasons with the Phoenix Coyotes, has signed a contract with Philadelphia Flyers.

The agreement between the 31-year-old goalkeeper and his new club will be effective for 9 years. The total contract amount is $51 million, according to TSN.

Thus, Philadelphia have managed to sign the agreement with the player before July 1, when he would become an unrestricted free agent and would be able to hold negotiations with any clubs.

At the beginning of June, the Coyotes have exchanged Bryzgalov to Philadelphia. In order to sign the Russian, who will now earn about $5.7 million a year, the Flyers had to clear up their payroll sheet to avoid exceeding the salary cap. Shortly before Brygalov’s signing, the Flyers exchanged two highly paid forwards to other clubs: their captain Mike Richards joined the Los Angeles Kings and forward Jeff Carter went to the Columbus Blue Jackets.