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Flyers bolster goalie depth by signing Johan Backlund to 2-year extension

Image (1) Backlund-thumb-250x166-8749-thumb-250x166-8750.jpg for post 2079

He’s not a big name goalie and he contributed little to their unexpected run to the Stanley Cup finals, but Johan “don’t call me Bob” Backlund - not Michael Leighton - is the latest goalie to sign with the Philadelphia Flyers. TSN reports that the Flyers extended the contract of the Swedish goalie (who managed to start one game this season thanks to the team’s goalie apocalypse) for two years.

There is one paragraph from that TSN story that I think is a little bit confounding.

Backlund is expected to serve as the Flyers main backup next season. Who he will be backing up remains to be seen as both Michael Leighton and Ray Emery are set to become unrestricted free agents on July 1st.

Odd, I was under the impression that the resilient Brian Boucher would be the team’s go-to backup while Philly sorts through Emery (unlikely), Leighton (somewhat unlikely) or Free Agent Goalie X. Unless, of course, the Flyers go even more against public opinion/rational thought and roll with a Boucher-Backlund duo as their goalie tandem ...

That actually brings me to another question: is this deal a two-way contract? Perhaps I’m a little rusty on the age limits for this type of contract (at 28, is Backlund too old to be eligible?) but if not, I’d assume the Flyers would prefer some minor league maneuverability with such a “green” goalie.

If it’s a two-way deal, then I’d say it’s an OK move by the Stanley Cup runners-up. They learned last season that they need plenty of depth in net.

My guess is the next couple of weeks will be heavy with contract extensions, rumors about negotiations and - of course - the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. Keep checking Pro Hockey Talk for the latest news regarding the always-busy month of June.