Lightning sign backup goalie Curtis McElhinney to two-year contract

Watch as Curtis McElhinney makes a nice glove save to rob Brad Marchand.

The Tampa Bay Lightning have added some veteran support for Andrei Vasilevskiy in the form of Curtis McElhinney.

The backup netminder has agreed to a two-year contract worth $2.6 million, the richest deal of his career thus far.

McElhinney spent 2018-19 with the Carolina Hurricanes after being picked up off waivers from the Toronto Maple Leafs prior to the season.

The 36-year-old went on to start a career-high 33 games and finished the year with a respectable 20-11-2 record with a .912 save percentage, 2.58 goals-against average and

This signing means the Lightning are now likely looking to trade last season’s backup, Louis Domingue, who had a 21-5-0 record in 26 appearances last season in Tampa.

Based on this tweet from Domingue following news of McElhinney’s signing, it appears he knows the situation he’s in.

Vasilevskiy is about to enter the final year of his contract before likely getting a massive pay raise prior to the 2020-21 campaign.

Tampa Bay will be the eighth NHL team of McElhinney’s 12-year NHL career.

July 1, 2019

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Curtis McElhinney
SIGNED BY
Tampa Bay Lightning
LENGTH
2 yrs
CONTRACT TYPE
Free Agency
SALARY CAP HIT
$1.3 million
TOTAL
$2.6 million

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