Veteran goaltender Brian Elliott will be back in the Philadelphia net for a fourth season in 2020-21. The Flyers have announced a new one-year contract for Elliott, who was set to reach free agency on Friday. Elliott will play for an AAV of $1.5M this coming season, a savings of $500K for Philly from the one-year extension he signed last offseason.
Elliott, 35, hasn’t exactly been sharp over his time with the Flyers, but he has been a great mentor to young Carter Hart, who has supplanted him as starter and should see his workload increase even more this year. Elliott avoided injury this season after missing 41 games in 2018-19 and did see a slight improvement in his goals-against average. He also impressed in two postseason appearances. However, the former All-Star still recorded a lowly .899 save percentage in 31 appearances. With many options in goal on the free-agent and trade markets to upgrade the backup position, admittedly at a high price with many needy teams, the Flyers' decision means they clearly feel comfortable with their current tandem and Hart’s ability to take on a greater role so as to limit the pressure on the aging Elliott.
Speaking to the intangibles of the veteran netminder, GM Chuck Fletcher stated the following in the team’s release:
“Brian is a quality, veteran goaltender who is also an important part of our leadership group. His preparation and work ethic are exemplary. With Brian and Carter, we believe we have a strong goaltending duo who have each had success and work very well with each other.”
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