Golden Knights add backup goalie in free agency
The Golden Knights have a new backup goaltender.
The Knights signed Laurent Brossoit to a two-year contract with a $2.325 million average annual value after NHL free agency opened Wednesday. Brossoit, 28, has played 82 NHL games in his seven-year career.
The 6-foot-3-inch British Columbia native was 6-6-0 with a .918 save percentage and 2.42 goals-against average last season with the Winnipeg Jets. He is 32-32-5 with a .908 save percentage and 2.83 goals against average for his career.
General manager Kelly McCrimmon said the Knights were in the market for a backup goaltender Tuesday after trading Marc-Andre Fleury to the Chicago Blackhawks. Brossoit will support primary starter Robin Lehner.
“What we’re looking for is a really good backup goaltender,” McCrimmon said. “That’s what we want. We are quite comfortable with Robin as a real good starter. His workload will reflect that. But at the same time, we want Robin to be at his very best, and I feel strongly for your starter to be at his very best you have to have a backup that you trust, that can get you wins and can allow you to use your starter to the best of his ability.”
The Knights have approximately $212,561 in salary cap space after signing Brossoit and trading defenseman Nick Holden for right wing Evgenii Dadonov on Wednesday. The team still has to sign restricted free agent Nolan Patrick.
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