Michael Leighton

43-Year-Old GoalieG
 Free Agent  
2024 Fantasy Outlook
There was no outlook written for Michael Leighton in 2024. Check out the latest news below for more on his current fantasy value.
$Signed a contract with the Canucks in February of 2019.
Announces retirement
GFree Agent
October 7, 2019
Leighton will hang up his skates and call it a career, Scott Powers of The Athletic reports.
ANALYSIS
Over the course of his 18-year career, Leighton split time between the NHL and AHL, but did appear in 110 NHL games with Philadelphia, Carolina, Chicago and Nashville. In those outings, the netminder went 37-43-14 with a .900 save percentage and four shutouts.
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Veteran backup goalie Leighton barely played in 2012-13 due to a finger injury and will likely begin the year in the AHL.
Leighton saw the majority of starts with Adirondack (AHL) in a three-goalie rotation last year, posting a .918 save percentage on his way to becoming an AHL All-Star. He's the likely candidate to back up Ilya Bryzgalov this season despite no time with the Flyers last year, after re-signing with the organization in July. Leighton is just two years removed from guiding the Flyers within two games of the Stanley Cup.
After seeing some time between the pipes in 2009-10, Leighton managed to play in just one regular season game for the Flyers last season due to a back injury that required surgery. More recently, he's added a hip ailment to his injury problems and with Ilya Bryzgalov now in the fold, it would appear that Leighton is in line for another year of sparse work. He's also behind Sergei Bobrovsky on the depth chart, though there have been some rumblings that Bobrovsky could be dealt, clearing the way for Leighton to be the primary backup for Philly. However, the Flyers do have a few more younger netminders in the system that Leighton would have to fight off.
Leighton will miss the first month of the season with a bulging disc in his back. It could also set him back in the race to earn starts for the Flyers as one of the other netminders could use that month to establish himself. The Flyers did invest in Leighton with a two-year deal this summer, so he's certainly in the mix, injury or not.
Leighton’s workload decreased once head coach Paul Maurice took over for Peter Laviolette in the 2008-09 season. When the season wrapped up, his final stats included a .292 goals against average and .901 save percentage with six wins and seven losses. Cam Ward is the main man stopping pucks in Raleigh, so Leighton will continue to work part-time between the pipes.
Of all the players in the Carolina system who aren't established in the NHL, Leighton has the greatest potential for a breakout in 2008-09. That's because he's playing behind Cam Ward, who notoriously slumps several times a year. Leighton will eventually be given a shot to tend the Carolina net, and if he responds with a couple of good games (or if Ward gets hurt), it's eminently foreseeable that Leighton could wrest the No. 1 job away.
Leighton will be the presumptive starter at AHL Albany, and will probably be the first callup in the event of an injury to Cam Ward or John Grahame.
Leighton figures to spend a lot of time in the AHL this season, until the Ducks decide to part ways with J.S. Giguere or Ilya Bryzgalov. Unless one of the aforementioned netminders suffers an injury, stay away from Leighton on draft day.
Leighton was and now is the teams number two goalie. He has shown that he is a good goalie in the minors, but not yet in the NHL, although he did not have much in front of him in 03-04. Leighton was the first Blackhawk goalie to log a shutout in his pro debut.
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Signs, lands on waivers
GVancouver Canucks  Free Agent
February 19, 2019
The Canucks inked Leighton to a contract Tuesday after playing with Utica, Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press reports. He has also been placed on waivers with the intention of sending him to AHL Utica.
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Returning to action in minors
GPittsburgh Penguins  Free Agent
March 9, 2018
Leighton (undisclosed) will suit up for AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Friday versus Binghamton.
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Dealing with injury
GPittsburgh Penguins  Free Agent
Undisclosed
December 28, 2017
Leighton is day-to-day with an undisclosed injury, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
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Traded to Pittsburgh
GPittsburgh Penguins  Free Agent
December 19, 2017
The Coyotes traded Leighton and a 2019 fourth-round pick to the Penguins in exchange for Josh Archibald, Sean Maguire and a 2019 sixth-round pick Tuesday.
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Shuffles back to minors
GArizona Coyotes  Free Agent
December 14, 2017
Leighton was reassigned to AHL Tuscon on Thursday.
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