The Scott Darling saga took another turn Thursday when the Carolina Hurricanes placed the goalie on NHL waivers.
If Darling is not claimed by another team and clears waivers at noon Friday, he will be assigned to the Charlotte Checkers of the American Hockey League.
Darling is in the second year of a four-year contract that pays him $4.15 million a year, whether in the NHL or AHL. But with Curtis McElhinney, a waiver-wire pickup by the Canes, playing so well and Petr Mrazek considered a better second option, Darling became the odd man out in an untenable three-goalie situation.
"It just doesn't make any sense to have three goalies and the other two deserve to be here right now," general manager Don Waddell said Thursday. "It's clear he's the third guy. Whether I'm paying him to play for Carolina or paying him to play in Charlotte, I'd rather have him playing in case something happens and we need a goalie.
"These decisions are not made easily. There's a business we have to run. We're in the business to win hockey games. Contracts are contracts but when it comes to wins and losses you can't put a dollar value on it."
After a miserable 2017-18 season with the Canes, Darling shed 50 pounds in offseason conditioning and came to preseason training camp with a more confident demeanor that showed in his play on the ice. Mrazek was signed to a one-year free agent contract and set to battle Darling for the starting job.
But Darling, who had looked sharp in preseason, was injured in the final preseason game. With just days before the regular-season opener, the Canes were in need of an experienced goalie and McElhinney available after being placed on waivers Oct. 1 by the Toronto Maple Leafs.
"Sometimes you get a little lucky," Waddell said. "Bad luck for one guy was lucky for us to be able to take him."
No one, including McElhinney, knew how long he would be needed or how much he would be used. Turns out, the 35-year-old veteran has been the Canes' best goalie of the three in a 12-9-3 start.
McElhinney has a 7-2-0 record and 2.12 goals-against average and .930 save percentage after his 48-save performance Tuesday in the 2-1 win over Montreal. Darling, who made his first start of the season Oct. 30, is 2-4-1 with a 3.14 GAA and .892 save percentage.
Mrazek, recently sidelined with a groin injury, has returned and was McElhinney's backup Tuesday. He has not played since the Nov. 2 game at Arizona when he was injured and has a 3-3-2 record with 2.76 GAA.
"It's more an opportunity than anything," McElhinney said of his success with the Canes. "The team has responded well and we've gotten some wins. I feel good and I'm beginning to feel more comfortable here as times goes on.
"It's an unfortunate situation with Scott. Obviously I've been in the same scenario with waivers and what-not. It's challenging."
Waddell said he talked with Darling and his agent Wednesday night and that the conversation went well and that Darling accepts the reasoning behind the decision. He said Darling flew out early to join Checkers on the road.
Darling, after recovering from his injury, was sent to Charlotte on a conditioning stint and won his only start for the Checkers.
The Canes also placed forward Valentin Zykov on waivers Thursday. If unclaimed he also will go to the Checkers.
