For once, goaltending will not be an issue come training camp

Trio of stoppers a Senators strength Goaltending isn't among issues that need team's off-season attention
Rob Brodie OttawaSenators.com Apr 20, 2009, 3:59 PM EDT

Alex Auld is eager to join what figures to be a fierce goaltending battle when the Senators assemble for training camp in September (Photo by John Russell/NHLI via Getty Images).

Change is inevitable when you don't reach the playoffs in the National Hockey League.

While Ottawa Senators general manager Bryan Murray expects to make some moves in the wake of the team's first post-season miss in 12 seasons, there's at least one area that doesn't figure to require much of his attention. That would be at the goaltending position, where trade deadline acquisition Pascal Leclaire figures to give a boost to the tandem of Brian Elliott and Alex Auld, who performed capably down the stretch.

"We've got three (goaltenders) now," said Murray. "They all think they're No. 1. I like that. That's where we are at this point in time. I don't know that there's any reason to try to change that, unless somebody came along and made a huge offer to me over the summer."

It's generally assumed that Leclaire, the former starter with the Columbus Blue Jackets, will slide into the same role in Ottawa. But Auld and Elliott are both hungry to get their share of minutes in 2009-10, after each saw plenty of action with the Senators this season. Auld posted a 16-18-7 record with a 2.47 goals-against average and .911 save percentage, while Elliott went 16-8-3 with a 2.77 GAA and .902 save percentage.

Both are heading into the summer in the same frame of mind – positive about the way the past season finished, but eager for even better things in the campaign to come.

"I feel pretty good about my year," said Auld, who was signed to a two-year contract as a free agent last summer. "I had no idea how many games I'd play coming here, and there were stretches when I was able to play a lot. I feel that I was able to maintain a fairly high level of consistency.

"You want to improve every year moving forward but (the season) was okay. It's tough to evaluate when you're not where you want to be, but I think I can step back and say I did some good things."

Elliott began the season in the American Hockey League with the Binghamton Senators, hopeful he'd get the call at some point. He wound up seeing action in 31 games, with Ottawa head coach Cory Clouston declaring him the team's most improved player since the start of the season.

"I had no idea how many games I'd play coming here and there were stretches when I was able to play a lot. I feel that I was able to maintain a fairly high level of consistency ... I think I can step back and say I did some good things." - Alex Auld"Sometimes, it' s hard to look at the big picture," said Elliott, 23, in assessing his season. "You focus on the last game that you played and you just want to get better every day. But I accomplished the goal of being an AHL all-star and getting up into the NHL and succeeding to a point that I was happy with.

"You just have to look at it as a whole, and I think I've improved a lot over one season. I'm just excited for next season to get into the weight room and start summer sessions with my goalie coach (Mike Valley), working hard and trying to get better even more than last year."

With Leclaire now in the mix, it figures to be a fierce battle between the pipes when training camp begins in September. Auld, for one, is ready for the challenge.

"I feel I played well enough to make it tough on Bryan to make decisions," he said. "We'll see what happens. Ultimately, that's a question for him. I'm just going to prepare as hard as I can this summer so coming into camp, I'm ready to go and ready to earn ice time."

Nice article. Thanks 71.

Auld's numbers are really quite impressive considering the team in front of him the majority of the time.

504Heater wrote:Nice article. Thanks 71.

no problem, its a nice problem to have in some ways to have those 3 goalies there, and if they keep all 3, then its to decide who heads to Bingo, I am on Neely's side when he says another year in Bingo is either no good for Elliott or it will ruin him.

until Leclaire gets hurt which likely won't take long

Nasty Nas wrote:until Leclaire gets hurt which likely won't take long

That's why we'll have Elliott or Auld to back him up - perhaps both. Those are back ups that can definitely run the show while Leclaire is out.

Elliott is a RFA still, is he not? Then until he is re-signed, it will only be Leclaire and Auld, and maybe Glass.

Dash wrote:Elliott is a RFA still, is he not? Then until he is re-signed, it will only be Leclaire and Auld, and maybe Glass.

very good point, and this should be right on Murray's to do list, who wouldn't throw an offer sheet at Elliot, and honestly, could see Burke doing it just to try and Diddle us up cap wise.

Dash wrote:Elliott is a RFA still, is he not? Then until he is re-signed, it will only be Leclaire and Auld, and maybe Glass.

He has no arbitration rights or anything. It's almost as if he's not an RFA in all honesty. :^^^^: The Sens will pretty much just qualify him, or give him a tiny raise to 1 million.

504Heater wrote:

Dash wrote:Elliott is a RFA still, is he not? Then until he is re-signed, it will only be Leclaire and Auld, and maybe Glass.

He has no arbitration rights or anything. It's almost as if he's not an RFA in all honesty. :^^^^: The Sens will pretty much just qualify him, or give him a tiny raise to 1 million.

sweet, is there any limit to how long the term can be? mind you Elliott's agent will step in and say no more than 2, maybe 3 years.

SensFan71 wrote:
sweet, is there any limit to how long the term can be? mind you Elliott's agent will step in and say no more than 2, maybe 3 years.

1 or 2 years if they're just qualifying him I believe - and I think it's our call. But Murray may try to sign him for 3 years at 1 million per year (that's what I would do).

By the way, there was a great article on Fred Braithwaite in the Citizen on the weekend. That is the type of guy to lead Bingo in net. If you could get him to sign a two-way contract, that would be gold - he can play NHL hockey, but he's not good enough to be a starter.

I think this is the optimum way of filling a need - and he's from Ottawa.

504Heater wrote:

SensFan71 wrote:
sweet, is there any limit to how long the term can be? mind you Elliott's agent will step in and say no more than 2, maybe 3 years.

1 or 2 years if they're just qualifying him I believe - and I think it's our call. But Murray may try to sign him for 3 years at 1 million per year (that's what I would do).

By the way, there was a great article on Fred Braithwaite in the Citizen on the weekend. That is the type of guy to lead Bingo in net. If you could get him to sign a two-way contract, that would be gold - he can play NHL hockey, but he's not good enough to be a starter.

I think this is the optimum way of filling a need - and he's from Ottawa.

that is a splendind idea honestly, he is playing at the World's I believe as the 3rd string goalie too, wonder if BM will get the Ottawa contigent to plant the bug in Braithwaite's ear, would love to have him in Bingo.

Doesn't he practice with the Sens at the Sensplex in the offseason?

Acrobat wrote:Doesn't he practice with the Sens at the Sensplex in the offseason?

Probably, he lives in Ottawa South I believe. He's such a good guy, it would be great if he would lead our AHL team and still have an opportunity to come up to the NHL if/when Leclaire goes down. This is all assuming that we deal Auld, which although I'm not crazy about, I don't see a choice.

This is the kind of signing that would go unnoticed most places, but would help the team and the farm a lot.

SensFan71 wrote:
that is a splendind idea honestly, he is playing at the World's I believe as the 3rd string goalie too, wonder if BM will get the Ottawa contigent to plant the bug in Braithwaite's ear, would love to have him in Bingo.

I may have been a little drunk to be honest, but I was saying to Melanie that 'this is the guy!'. I was pretty excited. Now...who has Murray's phone number again?