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Bye-bye Bryzgalov: Flyers will use compliance buyout

Philadelphia Flyers v New Jersey Devils - Game Four

NEWARK, NJ - MAY 06: Ilya Bryzgalov #30 of the Philadelphia Flyers pauses during the closing minutes of a 4-2 loss to the New Jersey Devils in Game Four of the Eastern Conference Semifinals during the 2012 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Prudential Center on May 6, 2012 in Newark, New Jersey. The Devils defeated the Flyers 4-2. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

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The Philadelphia Flyers are parting ways with Ilya Bryzgalov.

After just two seasons in the City of Brotherly Love, Bryzgalov has been informed the Flyers will use a compliance buyout on his contract.

The club made the news official on Tuesday with a statement from GM Paul Holmgren:

“I met with Ilya this morning and informed him that we are going to exercise a compliance buy out of his contract.

“This was a very difficult business decision to make for us and we want to thank Ilya for his time here and wish him all the best moving forward.”

Bryzgalov signed a nine-year, $51 million deal with the Flyers in 2011.

Buying him out will save Philly $5.66 million in cap space for the next seven seasons, but the club also has to pay him $23 million over the next 14 years -- two-thirds of the remaining $34.5 million on Bryzgalov’s contract, over twice the remaining years.

So yeah, the Flyers will be paying him through 2027.

With the move, Philadelphia has also used up all its compliance buyouts. The club has already announced it’ll be buying out the deal of forward Daniel Briere.

The move to get rid of Bryzgalov isn’t surprising, though it will raise some eyebrows given what Bryzgalov’s agent, Ritch Winter, said last week.

“Paul Holmgren told me they have no current plans to buy out Ilya Bryzgalov,” Winter explained.

“I’ve had numerous conversations with Paul Holmgren and he’s told me Ilya Bryzgalov is not the problem, he was not the problem last year and he was one of their top three players.”

In case you’re wondering how Bryzgalov is taking the news...

I phoned Bryz a second time to ask about #flyers buying him out. He said he doesn’t want to talk and hung up on me again.

— Randy Miller (@RandyJMiller) June 25, 2013

I phoned Bryz a second time to ask about #flyers buying him out. He said he doesn’t want to talk and hung up on me again.

— Randy Miller (@RandyJMiller) June 25, 2013