After the Blues snubbed Brian Elliott in favor of Jake Allen during their first round series against the Minnesota Wild, it seemed pretty unlikely that both goaltenders would be in the mix in 2015-16. GM Doug Armstrong sees things a little differently and has stated he envisions a tandem of Elliott and Allen next year.
Armstrong says he sees a goalie tandem for next year. Allen and Elliott. #stlblues
— Lou Korac (@lkorac10) April 28, 2015
This approach worked extremely well during the regular season and a lot of the team’s struggles in the playoffs can’t be pitted on Allen. He let in some soft goals, but the Blues lost because of their inconsistent offense and some vanishing defense. However, the Blues will receive their fair share of criticism over Allen’s play in Game 5 and especially in Game 6. Seeing as the Blues had two competent goaltenders all season long, Hitchcock may have made the jump to Elliott a little too late.
Does Elliott want to come back? Initial reactions after the Blues lost indicated he may ask for a trade, but it’s always important to not read too far into a statement or a player’s demeanor immediately after a team has been eliminated. Still, it’s easy to see why Elliott might want a change. He has been passed over in consecutive seasons (Ryan Miller, Allen) as the Blues enter the playoffs. That indicates the team doesn’t believe he is capable of getting the job done and that has to be a shot to his confidence and desire to play in St. Louis.
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