The hope with Elliott and the other goaltenders they looked at in trades (Fleury, Bishop, and any other goaltenders we don't know about) is that the team is looking for that bridge goaltender that can start until Gillies or one of their other prospects is ready to assume a bigger role. Obviously Gulutzan is coaching simply to win games but if all is equal they would probably want to see Elliott play more because they gave up assets for him and have to see if he can be that bridge goaltender. I believe they know what they have in Johnson which is why they signed him in the first place to be a solid backup and he's been as advertised. They also have Rittich in the AHL on a one year deal who has looked very, very good although in limited play. With both of these goaltenders (and Rittich) being UFA there is a chance that for the 3rd straight season the team could start an all new tandem next October but that would mean that the team has once again failed to gain any stability between the pipes. It will definitely be interesting to see how this plays out.
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