{"id":12364,"date":"2017-07-01T10:03:44","date_gmt":"2017-07-01T14:03:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/?p=12364"},"modified":"2017-07-01T10:06:50","modified_gmt":"2017-07-01T14:06:50","slug":"curtis-mcelhinney-signs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/2017\/07\/01\/curtis-mcelhinney-signs\/","title":{"rendered":"Curtis McElhinney Re-Signs with the Toronto Maple Leafs"},"content":{"rendered":"

Goaltender Curtis McElhinney<\/a><\/strong> has signed a two-year, $1.7 million extension with the Toronto Maple Leafs. He carries a cap hit of $850,000.<\/p>\n

Curtis McElhinney Signs with the Toronto Maple Leafs<\/h3>\n

McElhinney had spent the last five years in the Columbus organization before being claimed off of waivers by the Toronto Maple Leafs on January 10.<\/p>\n

Over his career, the 34-year-old has been lacklustre in the National Hockey League. In 168 games over a nine-year span with the Calgary Flames, Anaheim Ducks, Ottawa Senators, Phoenix Coyotes, Columbus Blue Jackets, and Toronto Maple Leafs, McElhinney has a 2.95 goals-against average and a .905 SV%.<\/p>\n

2015-16 was one of the worst statistical years of his career. Backing up Sergei Bobrovsky<\/a><\/strong>, McElhinney had an appalling 3.30 GAA and a .890 SV% in 18 games. As such, Columbus began to look to their younger options in goal during 2016-17. Joonas Korpisalo<\/a><\/strong> and Anton Forsberg<\/a><\/strong> both got playing time, although McElhinney started well.<\/p>\n

In seven games with Columbus last year, the native of London, Ontario posted an impressive 2.39 GAA and a .924 SV%. With two young goalies ready to go, however, Columbus placed the veteran on waivers to clear some\u00a0room.<\/p>\n

He was subsequently claimed by the backup-starved Maple Leafs, where he would play out the year. A big help to a Toronto team in desperate need of a consistent backup to make the playoffs, McElhinney had a mediocre 2.85 GAA and a .914 SV% in 14 games. However, it was McElhinney’s ability to come in late in the season for an injured Frederik Andersen<\/a><\/strong> that brought Toronto back to the postseason for the first time since the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season.<\/p>\n