Originally reported by Elliotte Friedman, Brian Elliott is going to be signing with the Tampa Bay Lightning on a one-year contract worth $900k. Elliott, 36, has had a long NHL career that started in Ottawa and most recently included four seasons with the Philadelphia Flyers.
Brian Elliott to Tampa Bay, 1 yr $900,000
— Andy Strickland (@andystrickland) July 28, 2021
Elliott doesn’t have great numbers, a .889 save percentage last season and a .899 the season before, playing about 30 games each season. However, before that Elliott was a much better goalie, so it seems the Lightning are hoping he regains some form, or a lesser workload will be better for him.
In terms of the stat goals saved above average, during Elliott’s two bad save percentage years, he was actually average when you account for the quality of shots he was facing behind the Flyers defense. In his first two seasons with the Flyers, he was actually above average.
Overall, if the Lightning can get an average backup for about 20-25 games next season, they’ll be just fine. The Lightning don’t need someone to steal games, just as long as they’re not costing games. For $900k, this is about as good as you can hope for.
Welcome aboard, Brian!
