Quote:
Originally Posted by PepsiFree
Let's be realistic with our expectations: there is no goaltender available at this point that is any more a sure thing than Elliott was last year, and we've seen how that could end up.
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I agree that Elliott is likely one of the top goalies available right now but the problem is he's an especially risky signing from the Flames perspective. He likely will demand at least 2-3 years on his deal (perhaps more as at his age, term likely means more than AAV) and the fans/media have already lost all faith in him.
While that should have no bearing whatsoever...it does. And I'm sure the Flames definitely won't want to be in a situation where Elliott starts the first 3-4 games poorly and there's immediate uproar and pressure from fans and media to relegate their newly signed $4M "starter" to the bench for the next 2-3 years. At least if we gamble on a similarly skilled goalie, they'll get a longer leash and come with less media distraction.