REPORT: Ilya Bryzgalov Agrees to PTO with Minnesota
Former Minnesota Wild goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov has agreed to a professional tryout (PTO) with the Wild, according to Michael Russo of the Star Tribune.
Sources: Ilya Bryzgalov has agreed to a pro tryout with #mnwild. Will arrive tomorrow. 7-1-3, 2.12 GAA down stretch with Wild last season
— Michael Russo (@RussoHockey) September 17, 2014
If you haven’t been glued to Twitter for the last 24 hours you may be asking yourself, What the hell? And you wouldn’t be wrong to. Even if you’ve been glued to Twitter for the last 24 hours you might be asking yourself that.
Here’s the breakdown: It was reported last night that Josh Harding was injured and was seen on crutches. He was allegedly injured in an “altercation” with a teammate, according to the Star Tribune. Darcy Kuemper and the Wild have still not come together on a contract with multiple sources reporting that Kuemper’s agent is requesting a one-year, one-way deal and that the Wild have countered with a two-year deal that is two-way in the first year and one-way in the second. On Tuesday TSN’s Bob McKenzie reported that Kuemper’s camp was asking for $850K on the one-year deal.
This evening the Wild announced that Harding has a fractured toe and McKenzie is reporting that Harding will be out for months.
With Kuemper un-signed and Harding out for “months,” the Wild need someone to be in net when training camp opens on Thursday (on-ice Friday).
Enter Bryzgalov.
Bryzgalov will join Niklas Backstrom, John Curry, Johan Gustafsson, Alexandre Belanger, and invitee Brandon Whitney as the goaltending Medussa to open camp. According to the Wild’s Twitter feed, they expect Bryzgalov to be on-ice Friday when camp opens.
As much as Bryzgalov is a character off the ice and has a checkered history on the ice, he was solid for the Wild down the stretch last year when they needed him. Over 12 games played he went 7-1-3 with a .911 save percentage and a 2.12 goals against. Those stats were dragged down a bit by his only loss in the final game of the year after the team had already clinched a playoff berth. That game was a complete train wreck.
In the playoffs he had struggles, but was serviceable for most of the run.
Are they serious about signing Bryzgalov or is general manager Chuck Fletcher playing hardball with Kuemper and his agent? Tune in for tomorrow’s episode The Bold & The Beautiful: St. Paul.