Being three days away from free agency, the Pittsburgh Penguins might be looking into options to replace goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury.
Fleury was picked up by the Vegas Golden Knights from the Pittsburgh Penguins in last week’s expansion draft. His dismissal leaves an open spot between the pipes. Matt Murray is our starter, but who will back him up now?
Pittsburgh Penguins
Earlier this week I talked about the prospect of Antti Niemi becoming our backup goalie. Now that idea is prosperous but it may not be the best for us. Perhaps someone like Brian Elliott may be of greater assistance. Let’s take a look at why.
The Case for Elliott
Brian Elliott played spectacular in St. Louis and looked to be a promising goaltender in Calgary. Unfortunately for him, things didn’t pan out like they were expected to and his season wasn’t all that successful.
Elliott has something to prove now. After losing the #1 job, he will be looking to elevate his play again to that level. A number one job may be out of reach now though as almost all teams have a starter set. He would have a much easier time being a backup goaltender. If he was to choose a place to be a backup, why not Pittsburgh? We are hot off another Stanley Cup victory and are in need of a backup. Imagine the tandem of Murray and Elliott. The two goalies with first names as last names.
The Case Against Elliott
Elliott however, is slowing down, and his year in Calgary should be enough to prove that. At 32 years of age, he is almost well out of his prime. A long term contract would be way too risky, but a short term contract can do the job. Now the real problem is getting him to sign a short-term contract.
Maybe the risks are too much with Elliot. Maybe he won’t get better. He could be the backup we need though as Murray will get a majority of the starts. We will only be able to tell if he ends up in Pittsburgh.