What do the Flames do in goal next season?
The quest for reliable goaltending in the Calgary Flames' crease continues.
After acquiring Brian Elliott and Chad Johnson last offseason to patch the team's most glaring undoing, the same problem pushed the Flames out of the playoffs without a single win.
Elliott has openly worn the goat horns for a troublesome sweep at the hands of the Anaheim Ducks in which he owned an .880 save percentage, and his early departure in the first period of Game 4 on Wednesday night may very well have been the final blow in his audition for a new contract with the club.
Both Elliott and Johnson are unrestricted free agents July 1, and the Flames will need to exhaust plenty of time and effort to potentially fill their voids. Here are some factors they'll need to consider:
In the system
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- Bringing back Elliott isn't out of the question, but after a disastrous start and equally disappointing close to his season, the odds of Calgary awarding the 32-year-old another contract are definitely slim.
- Retaining Johnson makes sense as a reliable backup, as he kept the Flames afloat during Elliott's swoon, and shouldn't cost too much.
- In the minors the Flames have Jon Gillies, Mason McDonald, David Rittich, Nick Schneider, Tom McCollum, and Tyler Parsons under contract, none of whom appear ready for the NHL.
The Flames are hard pressed against the salary cap, but will have some notable burdening contracts off the books come summer time.
Dennis Wideman, Deryk Engelland, Michael Stone, and Elliott coming off the books alleviates $12.65 million alone, and the only pressing contract outside the blue paint Calgary will have to deal with is Sam Bennett, who will be an RFA, but shouldn't break the Flames' bank.
The market
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In the likely event Calgary looks externally for a new No. 1, there are few notable upgrades.
Here's a look at the some options on UFA goalie list, and their stats from this season.
| Player | Team | Age | Starts | Record | GAA | Sv% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ben Bishop | Kings | 30 | 37 | 18-15-5 | 2.54 | .910 |
| Ryan Miller | Canucks | 36 | 54 | 18-29-6 | 2.90 | .914 |
| Steve Mason | Flyers | 28 | 54 | 26-21-8 | 2.66 | .908 |
None of the available options particularly instill the confidence of transforming a talented Flames' roster into a Cup contender, and Calgary won't be alone in the pursuit of a new goalie.
Dallas has long been in the market for a new netminder, and don't forget, Vegas is lurking, too.
The wound of a disappointing sweep is still fresh for the players, but you can bet Brad Treliving and Brian Burke won't waste much time this offseason in attempting to fix the reason their season ended.
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