Flames acquire goalie Elliott from Blues for 2nd-round pick
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) The Calgary Flames addressed their biggest need entering the NHL draft weekend by acquiring goalie Brian Elliott in a trade with the St. Louis Blues.
The 31-year-old Elliott has seven seasons of NHL experience and was 23-8-6 last season, plus started most of their playoff run this spring that ended in the Western Conference finals. The Blues acquired Calgary's second-round pick 35th overall, in this year's draft, and a conditional third-round selection in 2018.
The Blues' starting job goes to Jake Allen, who shared the job with Elliott last season. They also need salary cap space to re-sign forwards Jaden Schwartz and David Backes.
The Flames have had difficulty filling the goalie spot after Jonas Hiller, Karri Ramo, Joni Ortio and Niklas Backstrom splt the duties last season. All four completed the final years of their contracts, with Ortio the only one eligible to be a restricted free agent.
