Coyotes Acquire Antoine Vermette from Blue Jackets

The Phoenix Coyotes added some offensive depth on Wednesday by acquiring center Antoine Vermette from the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for goaltender Curtis McElhinney, a second round pick in the 2012 Entry Draft, and a fifth round pick in the 2013 Entry Draft. The fifth round pick can be bumped up to a fourth round pick if the Coyotes win a playoff series this year, while the second round pick originally belonged to the Ottawa Senators and was acquired in the Kyle Turris trade this past December. In 60 games this season with the Blue Jackets, Vermette had eight goals and 19 assists for 27 points. In two games with the Coyotes, McElhinney posted one win, a 1.67 GAA, and a .944 save percentage. He has also appeared in 25 games with Portland of the AHL, posting a 10-13-0 record, with a 3.07 GAA, and a .907 save percentage. A decent trade for the Coyotes, as Vermette will add a lot of two-way and offensive skill to their forward lines. He's also good on faceoffs and has lots of versatility, so he should be an excellent fit for the Coyotes. As for the Blue Jackets, they are now in rebuild mode and will likely be selling off more players in the future. McElhinney adds some experience in goal, but will not be a long-term solution, as he is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. The key for the Blue Jackets in this trade are the draft picks, which they will use to restock their team in what is expected to be a major rebuild.

Coyotes Add Curtis McElhinney and Tyler Eckford

The Phoenix Coyotes have announced that they have signed goaltender Curtis McElhinney and defenseman Tyler Eckford to one-year, two-way contracts. McElhinney's contract will pay him $625,000 at the NHL level, while the financial terms of Eckford's deal were not disclosed. In 28 games last season with the Anaheim Ducks and Ottawa Senators, McElhinney posted a 9-13-1 record, two shutouts, a 3.18 GAA, and a .897 save percentage. Eckford appeared in four games last season with the New Jersey Devils, scoring no points. He also played in 37 games with Albany of the AHL, scoring two goals and 10 assists for 12 points. McElhinney isn't really the greatest signing for the Coyotes, as he has struggled quite a bit in goal at the NHL level. More than likely, he will play as a third goaltender behind Jason Labarbera and Mike Smith and will only see time in goal if either of the two aforementioned players should struggle or miss time due to injury. The Coyotes really took a step back in goal with the signings of these goaltenders given their consistency issues and could have found better goaltending alternatives on the free agent market. More than likely, the team is going to struggle quite a bit in goal next season. As for Eckford, he is really just a depth signing for the team and will likely spend the majority of next season in the minors.

Senators Claim Curtis McElhinney Off Waivers from Lightning

The Ottawa Senators announced today that they have claimed goaltender Curtis McElhinney off waivers from the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Lightning acquired the 27-year-old goalie from the Anaheim Ducks on February 24 in exchange for goaltender Dan Ellis. He will be an unrestricted free agent this summer. In 21 games this season, he has a 6-9-1 record, two shutouts, a 3.43 GAA, and a .890 save percentage. This is really just a depth move for the Senators, as McElhinney will likely become the backup to Craig Anderson. Robin Lehner will likely be sent back to the minors for the rest of the season to help Ottawa's AHL affiliate in Binghamton make a push for the AHL playoffs.

Ducks Acquire Dan Ellis from Lightning for Curtis McElhinney

The Anaheim Ducks announced today that they have acquired goaltender Dan Ellis from the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for goaltender Curtis McElhinney. The move comes one day after the Ducks recalled Ray Emery from Syracuse of the AHL as a substitute for starter Jonas Hiller, who is currently sidelined with what is believed to be vertigo. Ellis still has one more year left on his current contract, while McElhinney will be an unrestricted free agent this summer. In 31 games this season, Ellis has a 13-7-6 record, two shutouts, a 2.93 GAA, and a .889 save percentage. McElhinney has a 6-9-1 record, two shutouts, a 3.43 GAA, and a .890 save percentage in 21 games. Not a bad depth move for Anaheim, as Ellis will provide plenty of depth in goal and is an upgrade over McElhinney, who has not played particularly great as of late. Ellis will also add some stability in goal in case Emery should struggle. For Tampa Bay, they shed $1.5 million in salary cap space for next season and will likely use it to pursue a goaltender over the summer, as Dwayne Roloson, Mike Smith, and Curtis McElhinney are all unrestricted free agents at season's end and likely won't be re-signed. For the rest of the season, McElhinney will play backup to Roloson.

Flames Acquire Toskala from Ducks for McElhinney

The Calgary Flames bolstered their goaltending today by acquiring goaltender Vesa Toskala from the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for goaltender Curtis McElhinney. Toskala, who will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, was sent to Anaheim on January 31 by the Toronto Maple Leafs along with Jason Blake for Jean-Sebastien Giguere. In 26 games this season with the Maple Leafs, he posted a 7-12-3 record, with a 3.66 GAA and a .874 save percentage. He did not suit up in a game with the Ducks. In 10 games this season with the Flames, McElhinney posted a 3-4-0 record, with a 3.22 GAA and a .885 save percentage. This is a decent trade for the Flames, as Toskala will be a more suitable and experienced backup goaltender for the team than McElhinney. He could also easily jump into the starter's role if Miikka Kiprusoff should struggle or suffer an injury. McElhinney has the potential to become a decent backup goaltender, but has struggled mightily in that role in Calgary. Perhaps playing on a new team can turn his game around.

Flames Re-Sign Backup Goalie McElhinney

The Calgary Flames have announced that they have re-signed backup goaltender Curtis McElhinney to a contract extension. Length and terms of the deal were not released. In 14 games last season with the Flames, he posted a poor 1-6-1 record with a 3.59 GAA and a .889 save percentage. I'm not sure this is such a wise move by the Flames. McElhinney had a horrendous season in 2008-09, leading some to speculate that the team might sign a more experienced backup during the off-season. He likely won't see many starts next season with Kiprusoff as the starter, but could be called upon later in the season if the Finnish netminder becomes worn out like he has the past few seasons going into the playoffs. McElhinney had respectable stats at the college and AHL level, and if he could play that way at the NHL level, he could become an excellent goalie. However, with a career 1-8-1 record in 19 games, the Flames probably should have invested their money in a more proven backup. If the team wants to have some success in the playoffs next season, they should definitely consider signing an experienced backup this summer or trade for one at the 2010 trade deadline. That way if Kiprusoff should struggle, the team won't be dead in the water.