St. Louis Blues trade Brian Elliott to Calgary Flames

It sounds like the Calgary Flames have their goaltender. St. Louis sent Brian Elliott to the Flames for Calgary’s 2016 second round pick and a 2018 conditional pick, effectively ending Calgary’s hunt for a starting netminder.

Elliott is under contract for one more season at a rate of $2.7 million. This is a great deal for the Flames, who didn’t give up much in the way of assets to get a solid goaltender at a reasonable salary.

While this trade is notable because a team in the Pacific got better, it becomes all the more interesting when looked at through the lens of James Reimer’s future.

With most teams solidifying their starting goalie positions, it becomes increasingly less likely that the Sharks will be able to trade Reimer’s rights to a team before he officially becomes a UFA to start July. This also increases the likelihood that Reimer remains a Shark, something I had rated under 10 percent when the season ended.

I still think it’s unlikely the Sharks re-sign Reimer, and I think it would be a poor move unless they get a great deal. But the door is open now and Reimer’s survey of the free agent market will get a little more interesting.