Hurricanes claim Maple Leafs’ Goalie Curtis McElhinney off Waivers

Curtis McElhinney with the Leafs. Photo by Scott Taetsch/CSM/REX/Shutterstock

With Scott Darling expected to be out for couple weeks with a lower-body injury, Carolina Hurricanes decided to play it safe by claiming Toronto Maple Leafs’ goalie Curtis McElhinney off waivers. The move was confirmed on Tuesday by Hurricanes president and general manager Don Waddell.

Curtis is a proven NHL goaltender,” – said Waddell in a statement. “Scott Darling is dealing with an injury, and we see this as an opportunity to solidify our depth at the position.

Curtis McElhinney played a total of 18 games in 2017-18 NHL season, going 11-5-1 with a .934 save percentage. Besides Maple Leafs, he also played for five other NHL teams including Calgary Flames and Columbus Blue Jackets.

Scott Darling, who had a record 13-21-7 in 43 games last season, suffered the injury during the preseason game against Nashville Predators on Sunday. While Hurricanes’ coach Rod Brind’Amour said that the injury of 29-year-old wasn’t severe, he did say that it could be several weeks before Darling recovers.

He looked good. I hate it for him. It’s a setback no doubt, but that’s why we got Petr (Mrazek),” – Brind’Amour added.

Petr Mrazek is former Detroit Red Wings and Philadelphia Flyers goalie, who joined the Hurricanes on a one-year, $1.5 million deal in July.

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