Flyers hoping Mason can start rebuilding career as backup

by Bob Herpen
Phanatic Hockey Editor

Paulie Paulie Paulie has done it again!

On Wednesday, just ahead of the 3 PM trade deadline, Paul Holmgren decided to make the goaltending situation a little bit more drama-tinged by acquiring Steve Mason from the Columbus Blue Jackets.

The same Mason who lost his starting job this season to...wait for it...ex-Flyer Sergei Bobrovsky, who has become a sensation in Columbus for seemingly coming out of nowhere to lead the club to the cusp of respectability and a playoff berth.

The price was sending little-used backup/organizational yo-yo Michael Leighton plus a third-round pick in 2015 to Ohio's capital.

Leighton, you may recall (and even if you don't, nobody would blame you) had just one start this season, a disastrous 5-1 loss at Tampa Bay on January 27 which promptly sent Ilya Bryzgalov back into the crease until Peter Laviolette tired of seeing him there.

But back to Mason for a second. He's a reclamation project who the organization, I presume, hopes to kick into gear with a little more pressure as Bryzgalov's backup for as long as he's in Orange and Black.

"I'm extremely excited, really looking forward to a fresh opportunity," Mason said in an interview with TSN of Canada upon announcement of the transaction. "I'm going to a great organization with some players I have some history with them from World Juniors. Just really looking forward to meeting the new guys and starting off fresh."

To put it another way: All in all, he's just another brick in the wall and not The Man anymore. That may be what the 24-year-old needs at this point in his career.

Mason came on like a house afire four seasons ago, earning the Calder Trophy as the league's best rookie after going for a 33-20-7 record, 2.29 goals-against average and franchise-record 10 shutouts for a Jackets club that reached the postseason for the first time.

That was under Ken Hitchcock, whose leaning on veterans to impart his message and meticulous attention to the defensive zone aided Mason's gaudy numbers. He won 20, 24 and 16 games, respectively, in the last three full NHL seasons, then only could muster a 3-6-1 mark with a 2.95 GAA and .899 save percentage in 13 appearances with Columbus this year.

Meanwhile, Bobrovsky has become a folk hero going 12-8-6 with a 2.13 GAA and a trio of shutouts -- his first in North America -- all coming in his Herculean month of March that gained him the NHL's Third Star.

Whereas Bobrovsky's lightning-quick adaptation to the NHL two seasons ago forced the club to accelerate his ascension to the spotlight, Mason's lights have long since faded, and that's OK.

Out of fear of losing valuable points in a truncated schedule, Laviolette has had to do everything but glue Bryzgalov to the posts in order for the Flyers to have chance to make the postseason in a down year.

Mason's acquisition alleviates some of that fear, but perhaps only as far as using next season as a starting point. With the Eastern Conference playoff picture still hazy, and with the Flyers teetering precariously between the final playoff berth and dead last in the conference, it may not be wise to toss Mason into the fire and see what he can do with so much pressure on the team as a whole to make it work.

Still, with Mason being a restricted free agent, how the organization feels about the playoff chase will go a long way towards determining his use. If there's postseason in the offing late into the schedule, he'll most likely get spot duty. If no late Spring hockey is in the cards, easier for him to be showcased for potential offseason deals.

"We like Steve as a young goalie," Holmgren said to a media assemblage this afternoon. "We still think there's tremendous upside there. We'll bring him in and work with him and try to help him achieve his goals of becoming a better goalie, as well."

Each game where he's the man in goal is a brick by which Mason can continue to rebuild his technical skills and his confidence. And even that's up in the air, with the sudden change from Ian Clark's influence to that of Jeff Reese, who has not exactly engendered confidence since he assumed control.

Nonetheless, professional pride and a little positive encouragement from a successful outfit like the Flyers can go a long way.