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The Flyers have acquired top goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov from the Phoenix Coyotes, and traded away captain Mike Richards and star center Jeff Carter in two other deals to clear cap space for their new netminder. The Flyers have signed Bryzgalov to a nine-year, $51 million deal, and also gotten back younger stars and draft picks in the Richards and Carter trades.

Richards was sent to the Los Angeles Kings for 19-year-old Brayden Schenn, Wayne Simmonds, and a second-round pick. Carter goes to the Columbus Blue Jackets for 21-year-old forward Jakub Voracek, the eighth-overall pick in this year’s draft and a third-round choice.

Despite losing two stars, Flyers coach Peter Laviolette thinks his team will be better overall after the moves. “It’s always difficult to talk about it because you trade a couple of players who have been in the organization for a long time,” Laviolette said. “We’ve got a goaltender … a little bit bigger on the wings and picked up draft picks. … We still have got a really good, really talented hockey team. It’s just a different team. I think there’s still lots of offense on our team. I think we got a little bit stronger, a little bit more physical, and a little bit younger.”

Voracek and Simmonds both scored 14 goals last season. Schenn has been a dominant scorer in junior hockey, piling up 315 points in 224 games.