Leighton's Future With Flyers Undecided

Although I'm sure it wasn't their intention, the Philadelphia Flyers proved this year that a team in the NHL does not necessarily need an elite-level, high-priced goaltender to take a run at the Stanley Cup. The Flyers had a rotating door of goaltenders this season and managed to make it all the way to the finals with the work of two goalies - Brian Boucher and Michael Leighton. Leighton received most of the starts and was the hot hand the Flyers rode all the way to the end once he took over for Brian Boucher, who started the postseason for Philly but relinquished the starting role upon getting injured during the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
At the price of about $183,000, Leighton was clearly a steal for Philadelphia. They were able to cought up that pro-rated portion of his salary after claiming him off re-entry waivers from Carolina in December. That's a very light price to pay a goaltender that manages to backstop a team all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals. With Leigton heading into the summer free-agent eligible once July 1 rolls around, one would believe that general manager Paul Holmgren would make it a priority to get him inked for 2010-11 and immediately grant him the team's No. 1 spot.
That is not necessarily the case, though. According to the Associated Press via ESPN.com, there's some hesistation. Holmgren is not ready to commit to Leighton because he's not entirely sold on Leighton as a starter to this point. When questioned about his view on Leighton as a starter, Homgren replied:

"You can't argue with his record and numbers when he had an opportunity to play."

Not quite a ringing endorsement.
Additionally, while it's difficult to not be impressed by Leighton's strong play when he was on his game, it's also hard to turn a blind eye to his poor play when he wasn't on:

"I think we've got to be careful there in how we view him," Holmgren said.

Again, not exactly a strong vote of confidence from the general manager. But really, this level of uncertainty from Holmgren is not uncalled for. Leighton might be a playable NHL goalie that got really hot at the right time this postseason, but there's a reason he's largely been a journeyman goaltender through his career - playing for four teams in a six-year NHL career where he's seen action 20 or more games just twice. Frankly, Leighton is a good option at backup. But at 29 years old, it's hard to imagine he's suddenly blossomed into a 70+-game, 35- to 40-win goalie.
It's also not as if Leighton is going to come as cheaply to the Flyers as he did last season. Not only will he earn more than the measly sum ponied up by Philly last year, but he's also going to come at a higher pricetag than the $600,000 he earned overall. It's hard to speculate exactly how much he wants or what teams are willing to pay for him. But I doubt $3 million or more is out of the question as an asking price. That's not a lot for a true starter. But for a glorified backup goalie, it might not be worth it. And Holmgren must assess if it's worth the risk to throw that money out to guy in hopes that he can continue playing like he did when he was good during the playoffs.
Leighton is not the only one on the fence here, either. He wants to remain in Philly, but will go elsewhere if necessary. To him, the ball is in Holmgren's court:

"I enjoyed my time here, I enjoyed the guys and the organization," Leighton said. "It's kind of up to the team. I've still got to talk to Homer and talk it out."

The Flyers currently have Boucher locked up for one more season at $925,000, and recently re-signed 28-year old Johan Backlund to a two-year contract. Additionally, Ray Emery might get another look by the Flyers after suiting up for 29 games with them before left hip surgery took him out for the rest of the season. Emery's injuries were the reason the Flyers ended up snagging Leighton.
Perhaps the Flyers should hold onto their cash, let Leighton walk if he demands too much and pull their efforts into acquiring whichever Montreal Canadiens netminder goes on the block, a strategy the team tried to follow during the season. There's a lot more certainly in Jaroslav Halak and plenty of time to reverse the downward spiral Carey Price succumbed to.
Giving Leighton starter money for what could easily resort to the backup play he's exhibited through most of his career is not worth the risk. It might sound harsh, but Leighton-type goalies are a dime a dozen. And an out of the ordinary showcase during the playoffs, which included several instances of bad play as well, should not cloud Holmgren's judgment in assessing the future of his most pressure position at this point.