Fantasy Fallout: Elliott's move does wonders for fantasy goaltender landscape
Here are the fantasy repercussions following the Calgary Flames' acquisition of goaltender Brian Elliott:
The news of this trade is a win-win when it comes to fantasy goaltenders. Before the deal, Calgary was without a legitimate fantasy option between the pipes, whereas the Blues employed a timeshare in goal - AKA a fantasy nightmare. The draft stock of both Elliott and Jake Allen has been improved.
Elliott and the Flames
The Flames look to have found their first legitimate starting goaltender since Miikka Kiprusoff hung up the pads after the 2012-13 season.
Elliott enjoyed plenty of success as the member of the Blues this past season. He took over the starting job after an injury to Allen and never looked back (except in the playoffs, sort of). The 31-year-old finished the season with a league-best .930 save percentage, a sparkling 2.07 GAA and a record of 23-8-6.
Elliott's SV% and GAA will likely suffer with the move away from Ken Hitchcock's extremely goaltender-friendly defensive system in St. Louis. Hitchcock's system isn't magical by any stretch of the imagination, as Elliott was supported by a strong defensive team from top-to-bottom.
The Flames finished a disappointing fifth-last in the NHL this past season after making the playoffs in 2014-15, with lackluster goaltending being the major root of their deficiencies. Despite the poor finish, Elliott's value has actually improved with the move to Calgary.
The Flames boast one of the best blue lines in the league. Mark Giordano, T.J. Brodie, Dougie Hamilton and Dennis Wideman make up an exceptional top-4 that excels at moving the puck out their own end with ease. All four are also great shot-blockers.
Elliott's true value heading into next season is based upon the fact that he's actually the No. 1 goalie for the first time in his career. He never started more than 45 games as a member of the Blues, thanks to the constant push to make the younger, homegrown Allen "the guy". Elliott ranks somewhere between 10-15 among fantasy goalies and has a chance to start 60-plus games.
Allen and the Blues
The Blues finally seem to have gotten their wish. Barring a surprising offseason move, Allen, who will turn 26 on August 7, will head into training camp as the club's No. 1 goalie.
In his three-year NHL career, Allen is 89-57-26 with a .915 SV% and a 2.34 GAA. His SV% has risen by at least seven points in every season.
With more maturity, a full season as a starter in Hitchcock's system and a great team in front of him, there's a strong possibility that Allen could finish as a top-10 fantasy goaltender. Given his surroundings, he has slightly more value than Elliott, despite being outplayed by the veteran last season.
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