Senators Sign Alex Auld to One-Year Deal

The Ottawa Senators have announced that they have signed goaltender Alex Auld to a one-year contract worth $1 million. In 16 games last season with the Montreal Canadiens, he posted a 6-2-2 record, with a 2.64 GAA and a .914 save percentage. Not a bad depth signing for the Senators, as Auld will bring plenty of depth in goal as a backup. Although, he will likely have to compete for the backup role with Robin Lehner at training camp in September.

Canadiens Add Auld, Re-Sign Sanford and Boyd

The Montreal Canadiens made a slew of signings on Thursday by signing goaltender Alex Auld to a one-year contract worth $1 million and re-signed goaltender Curtis Sanford and center Dustin Boyd to one-year deals. Financial terms of the Sanford and Boyd contracts were not disclosed. Boyd was acquired by the Canadiens along with Dan Ellis on June 29 in exchange for Sergei Kostitsyn. These aren't bad signings for the Canadiens, as they've added both goaltending and offensive depth. Auld should be a decent backup to Carey Price next season, but it will be interesting to see if he can carry the team if Price should struggle again. Sanford will probably spend most of next season in the minors, but could see NHL action if Price or Auld miss time with injuries. Boyd gives the team a decent two-way forward with a little offensive upside, so he should be a good fit to their third or fourth line.

NY Rangers Claim Goalie Auld Off Waivers from Stars

The New York Rangers announced today that they have claimed goaltender Alex Auld off re-entry waivers from the Dallas Stars. The Rangers will be responsible for half of his remaining salary for the season, while the Stars will be on the hook for the other half. In 21 games this season with the Stars, Auld has a 9-6-3 record, a 3.00 GAA, and a .894 save percentage. The Rangers will be the seventh team of his career, having previously played for the Vancouver Canucks, Florida Panthers, Boston Bruins, Phoenix Coyotes, Ottawa Senators, and the Stars. Not a bad move for the Rangers, as they had been seeking an experienced backup goaltender since December after waiving and sending Stephen Valiquette to the minors. Auld will be a steady backup for the team and will help take some of the pressure off of starter Henrik Lundqvist. This move will also put an end to any Marty Turco trade rumors, as it is now apparent the Stars intend to go with Turco and recently acquired Kari Lehtonen for the rest of the season.

Stars Waive Goaltender Alex Auld

The Dallas Stars have taken a step toward solving their logjam in goal by announcing today that they have waived goaltender Alex Auld. Teams have until noon ET on Thursday to claim the 29-year-old netminder. The Stars acquired goaltender Kari Lehtonen on February 9 with Marty Turco and Auld already backstopping the team. When the trade was made, there was a lot of speculation that the team would likely trade Turco by the March 3 trade deadline and keep Auld as the backup. Both Auld and Turco will be unrestricted free agents on July 1, while Lehtonen will be a restricted free agent. In 21 games this season with the Stars, Auld has a 9-6-3 record with a 3.00 GAA and a .894 save percentage. In 204 career NHL games with the Vancouver Canucks, Florida Panthers, Phoenix Coyotes, Boston Bruins, Ottawa Senators, and Dallas Stars, he has an 83-81-26 record, six shutouts, a 2.78 GAA, and a .904 save percentage. This comes as a bit of a surprise to me, as it has been widely speculated that the Stars might try to move Turco by the trade deadline. However, the team is currently sitting one point out of the playoffs in the Western Conference and may wish to go with Turco's experience to make the playoffs rather than rely on the oft-injured Lehtonen. With Turco and Lehtonen in net, the Stars have lots of goaltending depth and give them a good combination heading into the post-season. Auld could still pass through waivers and the team could either send him to the minors or keep him on the team. However, it wouldn't surprise me if a team looking for goaltending depth claims Auld before noon on Thursday. The Calgary Flames are one team that comes to mind, as the could use a more suitable backup than Curtis McElhinney. Auld could help take a lot of the pressure off of starter Miikka Kiprusoff going into the playoffs, but it remains to be seen if the Flames have any interest in the netminder.

Stars Acquire Goaltender Auld from Senators

The Dallas Stars got the experienced backup goaltender they had been seeking last Wednesday by acquiring Alex Auld from the Ottawa Senators in exchange for a sixth round pick in the 2010 Entry Draft. Auld became expendable to the Senators after Brian Elliot’s success last season and the acquisition of Pascal Leclaire from the Columbus Blue Jackets at the 2009 trade deadline. In 43 games last season for the Senators, Auld posted a 16-18-7 record, with a 2.47 GAA and a .911 save percentage. This is a decent move for the Stars, as the inexperienced Tobias Stephan did not work out for the team last season. Auld has played enough in the league over the past few seasons to give the Stars a solid backup to Marty Turco. If Turco should struggle at any time next season, Auld will easily be able to jump into the starter’s role.