Michael Leighton hated his short stay with the Adirondack Phantoms earlier this season. He better get used to it, now. The goalie has cleared waivers and will report to Glens Falls, where he could suit up as early as tomorrow night against Albany. He was seen packing his bags in the locker room after practice today.
Leighton will still get paid his full salary, but he’s removed from the Flyers’ capped payroll. With Erik Gustafsson back on the Phantoms, and assuming Leighton is officially assigned before 5 p.m. today, the Flyers are actually just barely under the salary cap by $4,262 per day, according to our Geoff Detweiler.
Leighton cannot be called up to the Flyers without being subject to re-entry waivers, which in a nutshell means he likely won’t ever be a Flyer again (until three seasons from now when the claim him on waivers again…). The only way, it seems, for him to make it back to the Flyers would be during training camp next year when waivers do not apply. That is, if he’s not traded or claimed in re-entry or retired because the Phantoms make him miserable before then.
Meanwhile, in Philadelphia, it leaves the Flyers with two goaltenders: Sergei Bobrovsky and Brian Boucher.
