Recently there were rumors suggesting the Blues were considering a trade which would send Brian Elliott to a new team. The belief was that the club wouldn’t want to roll with three goaltenders once Elliott returned to full health and it wouldn’t make much sense to retain Elliott, Jake Allen and Martin Brodeur.
A lot has changed since the rumor surfaced roughly 10 days ago.
Brodeur was supposed to be a temporary patch while Elliott was out. If the injury was serious enough, Brodeur and Allen would close out the season together. Brodeur’s initial impression was a positive one and that kicked off the trade discussions on Elliott. If all three men can contribute, why roster all three? Why not trade the most attractive asset with the largest contract?
The idea sounded silly at the time, but even the supporters of the rumor have to admit it sounds foolish now that Brodeur has appeared in more games for the Blues.
Here’s Brodeur’s line after four appearances: 2-2-0, 3.59 GAA and a save percentage of .882. Of course, a handful of those goals allowed should be blamed on the defense, but that doesn’t take away from the fact Brodeur has allowed a ton of goals while he’s been between the pipes. Allen and Elliott have played behind the same defensive unit and they’ve still walked away with a higher save percentage. Brodeur’s sample of appearances is still fairly low, but what we’ve seen has been enough in my eyes to completely discredit any notion the Blues feel comfortable closing out the year with just Brodeur and Allen.
In short, an Elliott trade would be insane. He has been the team’s best goalie by a significant margin. Compared to Allen, Elliott has the better GAA (1.82 to 2.47) and save percentage (.931 to .908). Elliott has looked like the most comfortable and experienced goaltender, and that’s saying something considering Brodeur’s resume. Elliott’s price, $2.5 million, is also extremely affordable considering the quality of goaltending the Blues are receiving.
I’m not sure what the Blues will do when Elliott is back to 100%, but they shouldn’t trade away their best goaltender.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
