from Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer,

Acquiring the 24-year-old Mason by sending Michael Leighton and a 2015 third-round pick to Columbus created a win-win situation, Holmgren hopes.

Seeing that someone is waiting in the wings, Bryzgalov, 32, might be more focused for the stretch run and lead the Flyers to a playoff berth.

If he does, the Flyers might decide to keep him for another year and use Mason as a relatively expensive backup next season - expensive, but someone who has the capability of moving to No. 1 if Bryzgalov falters in 2013-14.

That's one way to look at it.

Another: The Flyers, who have not gotten the return they expected when they gave Bryzgalov a nine-year, $51 million deal, can cut ties with him after the season and hope Mason, with a change of scenery and a new goalie coach, will revert back to his rookie-of-the-year form of 2008-09.

That option seems more probable.

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