The goalies: It’s Mrazek and McElhinney until Darling returns
Curtis McElhinney was put on waivers Monday by the Toronto Maple Leafs, claimed off waivers Tuesday by the Carolina Hurricanes and in his gear at practice Wednesday at PNC Arena.
On Friday, the goalie could be starting for the Canes against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Things can happen that quickly in the National Hockey League. Life comes at you fast, as they say.
One minute Scott Darling is in net for the Canes, looking in control, moving well, making some neat saves against the Nashville Predators in the final preseason game Sunday at PNC Arena. In a blink of an eye, Darling is skating off the ice, Petr Mrazek entering the game and the Canes’ goaltending situation seemingly in a quandary again.
Darling said Tuesday the injury was a minor one, that he would be back soon. Was that being overly optimistic?
“I saw him this morning and said ‘how you doing,’ he told me the same thing and I said, ‘OK, let me know when you’re ready,’” Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour said Wednesday. “There’s nothing on our end we can do. We want to make sure he’s healthy when he comes back.
“You can’t take a two-week injury and make it five. You’ve got to make sure it’s right and then you’ve got to be back where you were.”
According to Darling, he was in a very good place, seeing the puck well, moving well. Having dropped 25 pounds in the offseason after being pushed by Bill Burniston, the Canes’ strength and conditioning coach, Darling felt good about himself and his play in net.
Will that be the same when he returns? There’s no way of knowing and the reason the Canes took on McElhinney, who has an $850,000 salary-cap hit. He’ll be Mrazek’s backup for now, although being on an NHL team beats playing for the Toronto Marlies in the AHL, where McElhinney was going to be sent if he cleared waivers.
McElhinney said he was at the “beach” Tuesday in Toronto when he learned about the Canes making the personnel move. It was pack up and leave time. Another Leafs goalie, Calvin Pickard, also was taken on waivers by Philadelphia.
“For a player in my situation, obviously I’m always kind of a bubble guy, so just to get an opportunity you’re grateful for it,” McElhinney said Wednesday.
Asked to describe the 24 hours between being taken on waivers, jumping on a plane and practicing with the Canes, McElhinney said, “Chaotic. Frustrating and tough. Just a whirlwind of emotions going on.”
That might be a good summation of Darling’s 2017-18 season. But he put in the work this summer, the Canes signed Mrazek to a one-year contract after allowing longtime franchise goalie Cam Ward to leave in free agency, and Brind’Amour was pleased and probably relieved to see both perform well in the Canes’ six preseason games.
For now, it’s Mrazek and McElhinney. In time, it will again be Mrazek and Darling.
“It’s going to be day to day on how we do it,” Brind’Amour said. “We were kind of doing that anyway at this point with ‘Darls’ and Petr. So I don’t think anything changes on our point.
“We’ll play one of them and the good thing is we feel confident about whoever we chuck in there. That’s the important part.”
The goalies
Number Name Height Weight Age
33 Scott Darling 6-5 226 29
Had mostly miserable first season with Canes, still believes he can be a No. 1 goalie.
35 Curtis McElhinney 6-2 203 35
Numbers were good in a limited role with Toronto last year, but how long will he be in Raleigh?
34 Petr Mrazek 6-1 190 26
Wants to forget struggles of past two seasons and reclaim form that once made him promising prospect.
Plus: Darling and Mrazak both have “something to prove” motivation.
Minus: Below-average goaltending could doom Canes’ playoff chances.
This story was originally published October 4, 2018 at 2:14 PM.