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Vegas Golden Knights: Elliott could be a smart free agency pickup

By Andrew Steele-Davis

PHILADELPHIA, PA - JANUARY 18: Brian Elliott #37 of the Philadelphia Flyers makes a save against the Los Angeles Kings in the first period at Wells Fargo Center on January 18, 2020 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Drew Hallowell/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - JANUARY 18: Brian Elliott #37 of the Philadelphia Flyers makes a save against the Los Angeles Kings in the first period at Wells Fargo Center on January 18, 2020 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Drew Hallowell/Getty Images) /
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It is almost a lock that the Vegas Golden Knights will need to find a new backup goalie during the off-season, and there could be a perfect veteran option available via free agency.

Goaltending has been a huge strength of the Vegas Golden Knights since entering the NHL in 2017, thanks in large part to the elite play and heroics of future Hall of Famer Marc-Andre Fleury.

When you’ve got a three-time Stanley Cup Champion between the pipes you will win more than you lose, and that’s been the case for the Golden Knights who have rewritten the book when it comes to what constitutes as success for an expansion team.

However, as we’ve seen on more than one occasion, the cupboard is pretty bare when you take Fleury out of the equation.

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From Oscar Dansk and Dylan Ferguson to Malcolm Subban, the Knights have had a few backup goalies but none have really made the role their own.

Subban showed his talent in flashes but his inconsistency and erratic decision making saw him traded to the Chicago Blackhawks at the Trade Deadline as part of a stunning trade that saw Robin Lehner come to Sin City.

At last! The Golden Knights finally found a worthy running mate for Fleury, with the pair easily making one of the deadliest one-two goalie punches in the entire National Hockey League.

Lehner made an immediate impact too, going 3-0-0 with a stellar 1.67 Goals Against Average and a .940 Save Percentage in three starts for Vegas.

But, thanks to the NHL going on lockdown due to COVID-19, Lehner is likely to remain a three-game wonder for the Golden Knights.

A pending UFA, Lehner is likely going to want more than his current $5 million Average Annual Value, thus making him a luxury Vegas simply can’t afford.

As such, the Golden Knights will need to go on the hunt for a new backup goalie in the off-season and they should dip their toe in the free agency pool.

We have already mapped out why Boston Bruins veteran Jaroslav Halak would be a good short-term option, which you can read here, and there could be another ideal stop-gap out there too.

Step forward Brian Elliott.

The Philadelphia Flyers goalie has been acting as phenom Carter Hart‘s deputy this year and, a UFA in the summer, could be an attractive option for the Vegas Golden Knights.

Brian Elliott of the Philadelphia Flyers looks on against the Washington Capitals during the second period at Capital One Arena on March 4, 2020.
Brian Elliott of the Philadelphia Flyers looks on against the Washington Capitals during the second period at Capital One Arena on March 4, 2020. /

Why Elliott

An NHL veteran of 430 starts with a career .912 Save Percentage and a 2.50 Goals Against Average with 40 shutouts, you know what you are going to get with Brian Elliott.

The same age as Marc-Andre Fleury, he’s in the twilight of his career right now but he’s still an incredibly solid goalie in the NHL and he would be a more than serviceable backup.

Granted, Elliott’s play has regressed somewhat but he’s still capable of turning it on when required to do so.

Serving as backup to stud Carter Hart this year, Elliott went 16-7-4 in 27 starts prior to the NHL going on hiatus with a .899 Save Percentage and a 2.87 Goals Against Average along with two shutouts.

Okay, so the stats aren’t great but he did stop 716 of 796 shots faced and he stepped up when needed to after Hart went down injured for a stretch in 2019-20.

He also stayed healthy this season after missing significant time in recent years, while he also contributed 14 Quality Starts to the Flyers.

In a nutshell, Elliott is a safe option and he would also bring a wealth of experience to the Golden Knights locker room.

He would be a solid short-term option while the front office search for a long-term successor to Fleury, and the coaching staff could feel comfortable in plugging Elliott in for 25-30 starts a year as long as he’s healthy.

Elliott is also no stranger to the postseason with a career .903 Save Percentage and a 2.76 Goals Against Average in 43 playoff outings.

Then there is the price.

Currently carrying a cap hit of $2,000,000 with the Flyers, Elliott could be persuaded to take slightly less in order to go to a contender that is built to win right now.

Given that the Golden Knights will only have around $9 million in cap space if the salary cap is frozen at $81.5 million for 2020-21, they will need a cheap backup.

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Elliott could be that if he’s willing to take less for one more kick at the can and, injury history aside, the veteran netminder would be a safe short-term option for the Vegas Golden Knights while they figure out their long-term plan between the pipes.

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