Well, the Blue Jackets have made a bit of a surprise move to address their goaltending depth, signing Curtis McElhinney to a 1 year, 2 way contract that will pay him $750,000 at the NHL level and $105,000 in the AHL.
Acquired originally as a throw in to the Antoine Vermette deal, McElhinney rode out the season on IR while recovering from surgery. He’s appeared at the NHL level with the Flames, Ducks, Coyotes, and Senators over his career.
He certainly fits the “3/4” goalie hole, much like Curtis Sanford last year. He can work with Allen York in Springfield as a mentor, potentially fill in with the Jackets as a backup if injuries crop up, and if all goes pear shaped, could fill in as a starter here and there.
It’s a bit underwhelming, but on the other hand, so is the goaltending market. While some hoped to see Mark Dekanich back in the fold, the indication is that ship had sailed, and options like Dan Ellis weren’t exactly amazing either.
We’ll see what else today brings – so far the free agent market isn’t really exploding yet, but it wouldn’t shock me if things pick up in the next few hours.