November 15, 2018 was a long time ago. Brian Elliott was in net against the New Jersey Devils in which the Flyers were blanked 3-0, but more importantly, lost the services of Elliott after he made 23 saves on 25 shots faced. Elliott sustained what appeared to be a “Lower Body Injury,” and that was the last we have seen of him in a game. It was a really unfortunate situation for Elliott as he owns a 6-7-1 record, a 2.59 GAA, and a .911 Save Percentage this season.
Elliott has been practicing with the Flyers for about a month or a little over. He was finally loaned to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms yesterday on a “Long term conditioning stint,” meaning he must stay with the Phantoms for 6 days or play in three games to determine if he is healthy enough to play in the NHL. With the stockpile of Goaltenders within the Flyers system at the current moment, hopefully, they can use Elliott as a trade chip to a contender that is starving for a quality Veteran backup netminder.
Brian Elliott has been loaned to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms for a "Long Term conditioning stint." This allows the #Flyers to keep him on IR, and keeps the roster at 23. #LetsGoFlyers
— Jamey Baskow (@JameyBaskow) February 12, 2019
When healthy Elliott is a solid, good goalie. The problem is he hasn’t been able to stay consistently healthy while donning a Flyers sweater. Elliott is not the spring chicken he used to be. He can no longer be counted on as a starting Goaltender in this league, and one that can play in 40-45 games in a season. However, what he Elliott can be is a solid backup netminder for a contender that is looking to shore up the back-end, with the hopes of making an extended playoff run.
If Elliott’s conditioning stint goes well with the Phantoms. He could very well be used as a trade chip for the Flyers. What could they get in return? A quality goaltender in Elliott could fetch a 6th or 7th round pick, considering he hasn’t played in an NHL game in sometime.
The good thing is Elliott does not have to necessarily play in an NHL game before the deadline hits for him to be moved. Teams have seen enough of him to know that a healthy Elliott could go a long way. All that teams want to know is if he is healthy before they seek his services.
Destinations:
The Calgary Flames would be a perfect fit for Elliott. David Rittich has played well for the Flames, but they could really use a Veteran backup for their playoff run. Elliott also knows their system very well.
Trading Elliott was not part of the plan for this proud organization when he first signed here in Philadelphia almost two years ago. However, this is about the future… the future in Carter Hart and Anthony Stolarz. The Flyers have a log Jam at the Goaltending position, and this is just one way they can relieve part of that jam.
Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
