Does Brian Elliott have cause for concern?
A 3-2 victory over the Minnesota Wild on Friday marked the ninth win of the season for Calgary Flames netminder Chad Johnson, the one-time expected backup who has now appeared in 14 games and posted a 9-4-1 record along the way.
Johnson's move to the starter's role is in part due to his strong play - he owns a .930 save percentage, 2.06 goals-against average, and already has three shutouts on the season.
The second part is on Elliott, who's struggled. The veteran netminder has lost his crease and likely his confidence after appearing in just one of the Flames' last six games, and two of the last 11. With the St. Louis Blues last season, Elliott led the NHL with a .930 save percentage. That number has dipped to .885 this year, while he's found only three wins in 13 games.
An interesting wrinkle? Both players are unrestricted free agents at season's end. While the Flames and Elliott had contract talks early in the season, nothing was signed, and it's surely in Elliott's best interest at this point to cool those negotiations until his performance picks up.
Both goaltenders are making similar money this year, with Elliott at $2.5 million and Johnson banking $1.7 million. Looking to the future, age isn't a factor, as the 31-year-old Elliott is just a year older than Johnson.
And while contract talks with Elliott are seemingly stalled, there's no telling what the Flames' position will be should Johnson's strong play continue. He'll want and deserve a hefty raise.
No doubt Flames general manager Brad Treliving has his work cut out for him as he locks in his crease for the future.
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