What Will Brian Elliott's Return Mean for St. Louis?

Most NHL teams never experience the league’s all-time winningest goalie walking on to their squad after their starter gets injured. But for Ken Hitchcock’s St. Louis Blues, this is the case.  

After 29-year-old Brian Elliott went down with a knee injury, the Blues contacted Martin Brodeur for a try-out, before eventually signing him a week later. With the addition of Brodeur, the Blues now have three goalies all very capable of being starters.

Before getting injured in the Blues shootout loss to Ottawa, Brian Elliott was playing some of the best hockey of his career, posting a 1.82 GAA, and a .931 save percentage. After many years as the backup in St. Louis, Elliott didn’t just look like a starter, he looked like an elite NHL goaltender. However, one player falling onto his leg later, and all of a sudden, it’s a whole new ball game.

After a shaky first game with the Blues, Brodeur rebounded by playing solid against the Islanders in relief of Jake Allen. He then got the better of his former Olympic goalie partner, Roberto Luongo, in a 4-2 win over Florida. Brodeur seems to be gaining his confidence back, and if he can get on a roll, Allen’s playing time could be severely reduced. Hitchcock had previously said in an interview that if Brodeur ended up with a spot on the roster, he would not be a backup, and it looks like he’s staying true to this.

So, when Brian Elliott returns from his injury, what is the most likely scenario for the St. Louis goalie triangle?

Option 1: Brodeur gets dealt.

Although Brodeur has looked good since returning, one has to remember that he’s 42 years old. He’s stated he isn’t ready to call it quits just yet, but it’s very doubtful he’d have more than a year or two worth of hockey left in the tank. So bringing this into consideration, it makes a lot more sense for the Blues to keep Elliott, who at 29, is just hitting his prime now. This would also allow Jake Allen more time to develop, while still getting him into as many games this season as possible.

Option 2: Elliott gets dealt.

This is less likely than option 1, but still somewhat plausible. Elliott will have a high value once he returns from injury, and as the season progresses, many teams around the league could be looking to get a starter in hopes for a long playoff run. If the Blues were willing to sacrifice Elliott to look towards the future, this could be a good decision for the team.

Option 3: Allen is dealt.

The chances of this are about the same as if Dominik Hasek were to come out of retirement (quite unlikely, but you never know). Allen looks to be the future of the Blues, and at only 24 years old, is already showing signs of excellence. The Fredericton native currently holds a record of 8-3-1 with a GAA of 2.50, very good numbers for a second-year goaltender. General Manager Doug Armstrong would have a lot of explaining to do if Allen were to be traded, so for now, option 3 seems to be the least likely. 

Well, there it is. The Blues' goaltending saga in 600 words. Nothing is certain when it comes to the crease in St. Louis, and the only thing that's for sure is that the team's management will have some big decisions to make come Elliott's return.