Looks like Ron Hextall has a new toy between the pipes.
When the NHL free agency period kicks off on Saturday, it’s expected that goaltender Brian Elliott will sign with the Flyers. The reported deal is for three years with an annual value of $2.75 million.
This will be the 32-year-old’s fifth different organization and third in as many years. He will be either the 1A or 1B alongside Michael Neuvirth this upcoming season as Anthony Stolarz continues to wait in the wings.
Here’s some tidbits on Elliott, who went 26-18-3 in his lone season with Calgary last year:
— The Flyers gave up 28.5 shots per game last season. The year before they gave up 30.7, which averages out to 29.6 over the last two years. In games in which he faced 29 or more shots last season, Elliott went 14-7.
— The most games Elliott has started in a year is 49 … that was in 2009-10, though. He has started 45 contests twice over the last three years. He is truly accustomed to being in a rotation.
— His best season came in 2011-12 with St. Louis, where he went 23-10-4 with a career-best .940 save percentage and 1.56 goals against average.
— When it comes to the playoffs, Elliott hasn’t been reliable. He’s a career 15-22 in the postseason and was a dreadful 0-3 with a 3.89 GAA in the Flames’ first round exit this season.
— While never having played in the Metropolitan Divsion, for what it’s worth, Elliott has fared pretty well against those teams. He’s 7-2-1 versus Pittsburgh with a .928 save percentage, 6-3-1 against Columbus, 5-1-4 versus the New York Islanders and 6-5-0 against Washington, among others. The one team he’s struggled the most against, though? The New York Rangers, against whom he is 2-7.
