Brian Elliott has stepped up in time of need time and time again during his tenure with the Flyers. Could he have played his last game last week for the Flyers? “Any conversations, I don’t know when they’re gonna happen, but you’re open to everything,” Elliott said at exit interviews. “So we’ll see when that comes out. And there’s no timelines right now. So every things kind of fresh for the organization and for us as players. So you just take some time away. You don’t have to tie your skates anytime soon right now. So it’s just try to reset and reconnect. With the schedules, it’s been tough for everybody being away from kind of your everyday and whoever you spend most of your time with and your families. I’m definitely looking forward to that and when it comes time to talk, definitely open for everything.”
Unfortunately, things did not go as planned this past season as the Flyers missed the playoffs, in a year that started with high expectations. However, Elliott played a key role down the stretch, and battled for the orange and black. I just get the feeling that he has played his final game with organization, as Flyers’ General Manager Chuck Fletcher eluded to possibly upgrading the Goaltending position, “I think we have quite a few priorities,” Fletcher said at exit interviews. “Looking outside the organization certainly we could upgrade everywhere, up front, defense. Certainly we’re going to have to take a look at our situation in goal, which has kind of been a constant struggle here for years.”
When healthy Elliott is a solid, good goalie, maybe not start 40-50 games a season, but a darn good backup. The problems that he has had in the past with being unhealthy seem to be a thing of the past, so much so that the entire team speaks very highly of him. He has been a good mentor to Hart, “You’re gonna have ups and downs,” Elliott said of Hart at exit interviews. “I went through as a younger goalie, where you try to solidify yourself as a player in this league. You kind of have to battle your way back to get your spots back and making sure that you get your starts, you get your opportunities, and it’s something that I think everybody has to go through. I think we talked about it in the past, where you can’t really talk anybody through some of the situations that you go through as an NHL goalie. I think you really have to experience things and you have to dig yourself out of holes yourself and you try to take advice from whoever you trust and goalie coaches and trust in yourself.”
“The Moose” played in his 500th career game, 130 of those games was in a Flyers sweater.
It really shows he is not only doing his job as a backup netminder, but he did his job when called upon. Elliott carried the heavy lifting down the stretch and he did so admirably with Carter Hart on the shelf due to injury. The Moose cannot play in five or six games straight anymore, but he will be relied upon when his number is called.
“Really, really healthy all year long,” Elliott said. “So, I was fortunate that my situation was pretty good personally, as far as training goes. And I was with my family. I was away from extended family. I got to a good little pack and when you got that, it does make it a little easier when you’re kind of squared away and hunkered away from going out and doing your regular things socially. Definitely lucky to have that and have a family to focus on and kids to raise. It kind of makes you worry less about the outside world and just kind of focus on what’s going on on a day to day basis trying to wrangle two boys around the house.”
Elliott is a class act, but the Flyers may move on from “The Moose” if the dollars makes sense.
I know he is up their in age, but he is a good goaltender. management just don’t give them time to see their goodness