The take from Philly on Mrazek

•  In his last 10 appearances for the Red Wings, Mrazek has posted a 5-2-2 record with a 2.01 GAA and .937 save percentage.

• In total this season, he has an 8-7-2 record with the Red Wings while posting a 2.89 GAA and .910 save percentage.

• His most successful season came in 2015-16 when he posted a 27-16-6 record in 54 games to go along with a .921 save percentage and 2.33 GAA.

• He helped lead Detroit to the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs where he appeared in three games, posted a one shutout and a 1.36 GAA and .945 save percentage in a First Round loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning.

• Overall, Mrazek has an NHL record of 72-58-20 with a career goals-against average of 2.60 and .912 save percentage.

• He won a Calder Cup Championship with Detroit’s AHL affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins in 2013 when he went 15-9 with a 2.31 GAA and .916 save percentage.

• Internationally, Mrazek was named the Best Goaltender in the 2012 World Junior Championship tournament where he posted a 3-3-0 record with a 2.31 GAA and .928 save percentage, seeing a total of 208 shots in those six appearances.

• Also in the same year as the World Juniors, he was a member of the Czech Republic team that won a Bronze Medal at the 2012 World Championships.

  NBCS Philly’s John Boruk weighed in…

“We’re excited to have obtained Petr Mrazek. Petr is a proven NHL goaltender and given the situation we’re in, we needed a proven goaltender and we got one,” said Hextall.

Hextall confirmed if the Flyers make the playoffs and Mrazek wins five regular season games, the 2018 fourth-round pick becomes a third rounder. If the Flyers advance to the Eastern Conference Finals and Mrazek wins six playoff games, the third-round pick then becomes a second rounder. If the Flyers re-sign Mrazek for next season, then the Red Wings would also get the Flyers’ third-round selection in 2019.

“Quite frankly when I look at this deal, I think it’s a fair and reasonable deal for both sides,” Hextall said. “If Petr performs, we pay more and Detroit gets more. I like the makeup of this deal. I think it’s a fair deal and I think both teams got what they wanted.”

Hextall had reportedly turned down Mrazek for a third-round pick last week, according to Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press, but that was prior to Neuvirth’s injury Sunday against the Rangers. Hextall also announced that Neuvirth is out “long term” meaning weeks and not days, and quite possibly the remainder of the regular season.

As a backup to Jimmy Howard, Mrazek has appeared in 18 games this season with an 8-7-3 record, a 2.89 GAA and a .910 save percentage. In January, Mrazek posted back-to-back shutouts against the Blackhawks and the Devils before the Flyers snapped Mrazek’s shutout streak at 145 minutes and five seconds in a 3-2 overtime loss.  The Red Wings will retain half of Mrazek’s $4 million salary in the deal, leaving the Flyers with a reasonable $2 million cap hit. He’s a restricted free agent at the end of this season.

Since Dec. 4, the Flyers are 21-8-3 and have jettisoned up the Metropolitan Division standings where they’re currently tied with the New Jersey Devils for third place with 70 points.

“This is a sign that our players have done a really good job,” Hextall said. “They’ve worked extremely hard. We’re in a tough situation. You lose your two goalies when you’re fighting for a playoff spot and our players have worked hard for a long time now. I didn’t feel like it was fair to not have a proven NHL goaltender for this team.”

Mrazek is expected to join the Flyers for Tuesday’s morning skate.

As did the Philladelphia Inquirer’s Sam Carchidi…

 

“Petr’s a proven NHL goaltender, and given the situation we’re in, we needed a proven goaltender,” Hextall said.

Brian Elliott is out for at least another month after having abdominal surgery, and Michal Neuvirth will miss weeks, according to Hextall. “It is longer term and not shorter term,” he said of Neuvirth’s status.

Hextall did not give up too much for a veteran who can stabilize the Flyers’ shaky goalie situation and keep the team buzzing along.

Mrazek, 26, is a 6-foot-2, 181-pounder who is 8-7-3 with a 2.89 goals-against average and .910 save percentage for a mediocre Detroit team.

In 166 career games, he is 72-58-20 with a 2.60 GAA and .912 save percentage.

The Detroit Free Press reported that a few days ago, Hextall rejected a deal for Mrazek for a third-round pick this year. But Hextall circled back and got the deal done.

Detroit retains half of Mrazek’s $4 million salary, according to CapFriendly.com. TSN reported the conditions of the deal: Detroit is guaranteed no less than a fourth-round pick, which could become a third- or second-rounder depending on how well the Flyers and Mrazek perform. The third-round pick in 2019 is conditional only if Mrazek re-signs with the Flyers.

If the Flyers make the playoffs and Mrazek wins at least five regular-season games for them, the fourth-rounder this year becomes a third-rounder. If the Flyers advance to the conference finals and Mrazek wins six playoff games, the third becomes a second.

And the Courier-Post’s Dave Isaac:

“No. 1, he was available,” Hextall said of Mrazek, who has a 2.89 goals-against average and .910 save percentage in 22 games this season for the Red Wings. “He was the available guy that really intrigued us. We know how capable he is and obviously his experience in the National Hockey League and playing in a high-pressure market in Detroit went into our decision. We felt like we had to get a guy who has a proven track record.”

The cost could be steep depending on a couple of things, but the terms were announced as a conditional fourth-round pick in 2018 and a conditional third-rounder in 2019. The third-round pick in 2019 is only included if the Flyers re-sign Mrazek, which Hextall said, “I have no idea” if he’ll do considering Neuvirth and fellow injured goalie Brian Elliott are under contract next season.

The fourth-round pick becomes a third if the Flyers make the playoffs and Mrazek wins five regular-season games. It could also be a second-round pick if the Flyers win two playoff rounds and Mrazek wins six playoff games.

Mrazek, 26, is in the last year of a two-year contract that carries a salary-cap hit of $4 million, but the Red Wings have agreed to eat half of that on the books. He is set to be a restricted free agent after this season, but it had been reported that the Red Wings were not going to give him a qualifying offer, which would make him unrestricted and free to sign anywhere on July 1.

In the meantime, he’ll split the net with Alex Lyon, who got his first NHL win Sunday in relief of Neuvirth and made 25 saves on 26 shots. He figures to get the start Tuesday against the Montreal Canadiens, but the Flyers expect Mrazek to make it to Philadelphia in time for the morning skate.

“(Mrazek)’s played extremely well over the last month,” Hextall said. “He’s had some times in his career where he’s been a very good goalie and he can be a difference maker. What we need from Petr and Alex is solid goaltending. We’ve got a good team. We’ve played well. We’ve played pretty well defensively. Offensively, we’ve scored enough goals. We need our goaltenders to give us solid efforts every night. We felt like Petr could certainly add to Alex there.”

Hexy said he felt he needed someone with “a proven track record.”

— Sam Carchidi (@BroadStBull) February 20, 2018

Hexy says he has “no idea” whether he will try to sign Mrazek after the season.

— Sam Carchidi (@BroadStBull) February 20, 2018

Hexy says this is a sign that “the players have done a great job and worked hard and I didn’t think it was fair not to have a proven NHL goalie for this team”

— Sam Carchidi (@BroadStBull) February 20, 2018

With the salary retention on the Mrazek deal, Red Wings can retain salary on two more trades this season, per @CapFriendly. Assuming Mike Green will have salary retained too. That leaves one more.

— Craig Custance (@CraigCustance) February 20, 2018