The Tampa Bay Lightning have signed goaltender Brian Elliott to a one-year, $900,000 contract.
Veteran goalie Brian Elliott is signing with the Tampa Bay Lightning to backup Andrei Vasilevskiy.
One year, $900,000 sources tell ESPN.
— Emily Kaplan (@emilymkaplan) July 28, 2021
Brian Elliott Signs With Tampa Bay
The 36-year-old goaltender is on his way to his 16th NHL season and will likely be Andrei Vasilevskiy‘s backup. Elliot was a part of the Philadelphia Flyers from 2017 to 2021, becoming an unrestricted free agent when the past season ended.
Even though Elliot’s golden years are already past him, he posted a 15-9-2 record in 30 games this past season. The Canadian goaltender was supposed to be Carter Hart‘s backup this year. However, with the youngster struggling, he ended up taking over the net for the majority of the season. Elliot posted a 3.06 goals-against average and a .889 save percentage, his lowest save percentage in his career. Throughout his career, he has a 256-155-49 record with a 2.53 goals-against average and a .910 save percentage.
Elliot was drafted in 2003 by the Ottawa Senators, where he spent four years. After that, he played for the Colorado Avalanche, St. Louis Blues, Calgary Flames and the Flyers.
What This Means For Tampa Bay
The current Stanley Cup Champions have been struggling to find a solid backup for Vasilevskiy for a while now. This past season, whenever their star goalie wasn’t playing, their goals-against went up tragically and the team struggled a bit. Now, even though Elliot hasn’t been on his best form, he’s still a better backup than Curtis McElhinney or Christopher Gibson.
Hopefully, Elliot won’t have to take in a role as big as the one he had in Philadelphia in the 2021-22 season. However, if he does, he will likely be able to hold his ground and help the team get a few wins without having to do too much effort or worry about their net situation. Elliot will be a great veteran presence for the Lightning in the year he’ll be there.
Main Photo: PHILADELPHIA, PA – APRIL 18: Philadelphia Flyers Goalie Brian Elliott (37) makes a pad save during the second period of the National Hockey League game between the New York Islanders and the Philadelphia Flyers don April 18, 2021 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, PA. (Photo by Gregory Fisher/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
