Former NHL goaltender Brian Elliott joins Blues in development role

A former NHL backstop is stepping into a different role.

During his pre-draft media availability on Monday, St. Louis Blues general manager Doug Armstrong stated that Brian Elliott will return to the organization in a development role.

Armstrong told the media that the longtime goaltender will be joining the Blues in a development role, and will be helping with goalie development and scouting.

According to Armstrong, special assistant to the general manager, Alexander Steen, reached out to Elliott to see if he would be interested in a front office role. The following day, Armstrong spoke with Elliott regarding his interest, and that has snowballed into the 39-year-old trying out a different position.

Elliott played 15 seasons in the NHL, from the 2007-08 season until 2022-23. He started his career with the Ottawa Senators before being traded to the Colorado Avalanche in the middle of the 2010-11 campaign. He signed with the Blues that following offseason and had arguably the best run of his career.

In four seasons in St. Louis, Elliott was one of the best-kept secrets in the NHL. Paired up with the rising Jake Allen, the Blues made a run to the Western Conference Final in 2016, ultimately losing to the San Jose Sharks.

The Newmarket, Ontario native was traded to the Calgary Flames in the summer of 2016, before signing with the Philadelphia Flyers in 2017. Elliott spent the last two seasons of his career with the Tampa Bay Lightning, backing up Andrei Vasilevskiy as the team made it to the Stanley Cup Final in 2022, falling to the Colorado Avalanche.

In 543 appearances, Elliott posted a 279-167-54 record, a 2.57 goals-against average, and a .909 save percentage with 45 shutouts. He was 17-26 in 48 playoff appearances, registering a 2.72 GAA and a .904 SV%.